Quiz 6 Flashcards
Cause of the decline of newspapers
- increased political polarization
- lower voter turnout
- higher local government expenses
pew research center: america gets news
order
25% website/app
social media
cable tv
local tv
network tv
radio
3% print
2021 Capitol Insurrection
violence and hatred against the media
- erin shaff violence
- noose made from camera cable
- “murder the media” apparel
confidence in the news is at the local level
American journalism evolution
beginning = 1690s boston paper that was banned after one issue for anti-british sentiment
1st amendment (1791)
telegraph + associated press (1846) –> news could travel fast
historical foundations of print journalism
- penny press (1830) –> shift away from partisan news
- more mass audiences - Centrist
centrist
moderate in their politics and advertiser friendly on the business side
Ex: time + Newsweek
William Greider of the Wash Post
Ethics of Objectivity and Impartiality…how
- inverted pyramid
- two-sides to every story standard
- detached 3rd person writing voice
- use of quotes from experts
(Can’t guarantee a lack of bias)
Stories become visual
1950s
John Daly the host of “Whats my line?” game show becomes a news anchor for ABC
- Blurred division between the informational and entertainment
“See it Now”
- CBS
- First and definitive news documentary on American Television
- reported in depth using a narrative tool
- tell American audience what was happening in the world
- investigative mode of journalism (E R Murrow)
Why did TV news gain popularity?
More personal and viewers feel a personal regard for the anchors
Unique characteristics of tv
- viewers often watched news based on what they thing of the anchors
- the power of a story is often based on the strength of its visual images
The loss of traditional gatekeepers
- internet emergence led to new organizations
CNN - HuffPost = left
- Drudge Report and Fox = right
(non partisan ethic of mainstream journalism) - Buzzfeed, Vox, and Vice –> breaking stylistic conventions and targeting younger audiences
- new search engines for information like google, microsoft, tiktok, youtube (citizen journalism)
Citizen Journalism
regular citizens share news/facts with the public without the jurisdiction of a publication
- used by mainstream new organizations to set their agenda
Information Glut
Neil Postman (1995)
transforms news and information into a form of garbage…experts are piling up mountains of new data which adds to the problems and anxieties of everyday life
- too many channels of communication
- little thoughtful discussion
- unchecked data
Problems of journalism
- information glut
- no agreement on a basic set of shared facts (2021 insurrection caused by the false facts of conservative media outlets)
Reuven Frank of NBC’s attributes of news
the attributes of fiction/drama
- rising and falling action
- structure + conflict
- a beginning, middle, and end
- problem and denouement
news does both
- storytelling
- information gathering
what is news?
process of gather information and offering selected frames of reference that help the public make sense of important, unusual events in everyday life
“The Elements of Journalism” by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel
- obligation to truth
- first loyalty to citizens
- discipline of verification
- maintain independence
- independent monitor of power (watchdog)
How is journalism different?
reported, constructed, and edited by journalists who follow certain professional standards and ideals
dictators who have attacked news media with claims of “fake news”
- China
- Russia
- Serbia
- Syria
- Hungary
- Venezuela
Characteristics of News(worthiness)
- prominence
- Deviance
- novelty
- proximity
- Conflict
- human interest
- timeliness
- consequence
- usefulness
Gwen Ifill
- 1955-2016
- Washington Post, NYT
- Politics and City Hall
- Dealt with racism
- Presidential debate + 1st nationally televised US public affair program
Qualities of a good journalist
- curiosity
- persistence
- thick skin
- Attention to detail
- ability to listen
- Impartiality
- Critical thinking/skepticism
- A love of words
- A student/reader of history
- Defender of democracy
- Gallows of humor
Ways to report
- Direct observation
- Interviews
- First-hand information
- Public records/databases
- Online searches
- Academic journals
- Press conferences/releases
- Leaks
Interviews
the primary method of insight into a story
- requires sufficient preparation and awareness of answers
- different types of interviews
tips for interviews
- identify yourself
- be transparent with your aims
- know what you are looking for (neutrally)
- put your subject at ease
- save the controversial questions
- Follow up question: why?
- paraphrase their points
- Final questions/anything to add
- Listen
types of questions
close ended –> short-answer, yes, no, when, where, who?
open-ended –> thoughtful conversation, why, how?
Good quotes/soundbites
- short + punchy
- illustrate + amplify
- color + emotion
First Hand information
primary source –> a first hand account
- eye witness, personal documents
secondary sources –> second-hand accounts (not ideal for news)
- newspapers, web, encyclopedias
public records/databases
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) –> allow the public the right to access public records of all federal agencies
Accurint + Lexis Nexis
Online searches
Sources: google, court records, obituaries, social media, etc
good: .gov
bad: .com or .biz –> selling something
Academic journals
engage in a process known as peer review. Experts from certain fields critique studies before publication
Press conferences
calls together reporters to deliver the information they want to be publiciczed
- offer journalists the opportunity to ask questions
- propaganda related or journalists pummeling figures
On the record
(most transparent)
Can quote
Can attribute
on the background
can quote
cannot attribute –> revised attribution
on the embargo
Can quote
Can attribute
ONLY after a certain period of time has passed
off the record
Cannot quote
Cannot attribute
stays confidential + not published
Leaks
the pentagon papers (?)
Anonymous sources
- we do it because the figure could be exposed to potential harm, job loss, or other consequences
- must talk to editor before use
questions to ask about anonymous sources?
- how do they know the information?
- whats their motive to tell
- have they proven reliable in the past
- can we corroborate what they say
Absence of Malice
Film based on the NYT vs Sullivan case that said individuals could only win a defamation suit if they could prove the reports were published with actual malice (disregard of if the info is false)
Dos and Don’ts of reporting
- identify yourself as a reporter
- tell the source about the story
- let source respond to criticism
- never pay for info
- new sleep with source
- confirm on or off the record
- seek recording permission
- never provide story before publishing
