Smith chapter 6

Question 1

Kelley’s exploits illustrate a sad truth , what is that truth

Answer 1

some journalists engage in shameful reporting abuses

-fabricate stories, plagiarize, makeup quotations or embellish facts

Question 2

what do fabricating stories undermine and violate

what is editors role in this

Answer 2

undermines truth-telling function of journalism, violates trust between reporters and editors
- editors need to trust journalists, want to jump to their defense, but this trust is broken with fabricated stories: fire them and they get dismissed sometimes too

Question 3

Explain the case of Janet Cooke and Jimmy’s World

Answer 3

Washington Post
8 year old heroin addict
mayor wanted to search for the boy, Post editors subpoenaed to reveal who boy was
- paper had right under first amendment to protect source
-awarded Pulitzer prize
The toledo blade where she had worked before found information screwed up between their record sand AP story listing her pulitzer win
- she admitted it was fabrication, resigned and gave back pulitzer

Question 4

why do journalists cheat

Answer 4

americas obsession with money (pressure on kids to get high paying jobs)
parents teach kids to cheat by doing it themselves
handle competitive pressures
norms of journalistic writing make life unduly difficult for reporters
work judged by number of sources

Question 5

what issues are associated with handling quotes

Answer 5

cherry picking from exact words
cleaning up inarticulate comments
cleaning up dirty words

Question 6

what is a look live

what do advocates and critics say about this

Answer 6

the viewer is given the impression that report is live and two people are talking to each other - actually a taped story

• satisfy publics preference for live coverage without reporter having to spend valuable time waiting at scene to do live segment
• deceives the viewer

Question 7

issues associated with manipulating photos

Answer 7

cannot separate real from fake
improve image to the point that it no longer represents actual scene
altered in a way to change readers understanding of a story
do more than trick readers, they anger them

Question 8

how can plagiarism be avoided

Answer 8

to give credit