Political Coverage

I find that an important, but often overlooked aspect of journalism and politics has to do not exactly with coverage of ISSUES but of coverage of CANDIDATES. All channels of journalism can provide people with quotes from candidates, with campaign slogans, and photographs. However, I find that the profiles that are provided on journalistic websites are often integral to a person's viewpoint on them. If a person consistently uses Fox News, or watches CNN, will tend to turn to that specific coverage in order to form their impression of a candidate. I (of course) chose to review the profiles that are provided by CNN, The New York Times, and BBC News about Barack Obama. While it is not a flashing headline, or scrolling as a ticker, the profiles are often visited.
On the CNN website, the data provides his previous jobs, family, religion, education, and campaign website. Those are the bulleted points that appear next to his picture. As the reader scrolls down, I find it very interesting that the next available set of data has his totals in terms of money spending and earning. This places an emphasis on this aspect of his campaign. Further down, there is the obvious standing of how he is doing in the polls. I appreciate the fact that off to the right side, there is a list of his standings on important issues. However, just below lies my greatest pet peeve: a list of celebrities and famous names who either support or oppose him, and the totals that they have donated.
The New York Times, however, provides a much different set of data. The profile is more extensive, and includes information about his political experience and his children. Instead of graphics and subheadings, however, this site contains archives of articles about Obama that have been featured in the New York Times. There are opportunities to research financing and supporters, but it would involve clicking on another link. (THANK YOU, NY Times!)
Finally, the BBC simply provides an article, a feature-type story that describes Obama. The subheading is quite enticing: "Rock Star and beach Babe are not labels normally applied to US Senators." While I do enjoy the BBC, there is a very clear impression of Barack Obama given in the opening. He seems to be portrayed as a young contender for the Presidency with little experience and a glamorous appearance. There are links to more information about his life on the side of the page, but I think that the best format is on the other 2 webpages. It is much easier for the typical reader to break down the facts about education, etc., than to sit down and search an article for these facts.

Reading for the Week

The Poynter article is an important one in the context of our last assignment. I can certainly understand the laziness of student journalists. I think that it easy for us to discredit ourselves - "I'm just a student," "no one will know," "I'm not a real journalist yet, so it doesn't matter" and the like. I also, however, can understand why the school wanted to set a strong precedent and to declare punishment of the person involved, because he is supposed to be setting an example. After all, the point of education is that it simulates reality in a career, and plaigarism is unacceptable. "In forums since, including Poynter Online and the Missourian, professional ethicists, practicing journalists, former students and colleagues of Merrill, and Missouri faculty members have been divided over both the allegation of plagiarism and the punishment exacted."
Pulling quotes is a form of plaigarism that is unacceptable for faculty to disrespect.
After reading Merrill's defense, it is easy to see his point of view. It was simple carelessness, in revealing information that he felt was "public domain."
The last reading from Poynter is a very useful resource. At first glance, it looks like a mixture of different links, and appears confusing. But when I looked at it closer, I found that it was a great culmination of tips on researching candidates in an election. I found the wires to be especially important as compilations of issues provide for organization of different subjects. I also appreciate the "New Ideas in Coverage Section." I think that journalists try to ignore all bias in many ways, but I think that awareness of influential sites like moveon.org helps us to be more well-rounded.

08

My journalism research piece was about YouTube, and the changing pace and evolution of online video, news, and search. Recently in the NY Times, an article tied this together. It seems that political candidates are makings stops at the Google headquarters consistently so that they can be seen at the forefront of technological innovation. This is important on a number of levels. First, Google is at the helm of culture. Executives there have a strong grasp on exactly what the public knows and doesn't, and what they are curious about and need to know. That said, the CEO of Google asks questions to candidates in an open forum. According to the article, candidates do not know in advance about the topics that they will be asked to cover. "With his Google visit, however, Senator Obama succeeded in drawing attention to his plans for using technology to make government more accessible and transparent with, for example, live Internet feeds of all executive branch department and agency meetings." I think this is a great idea. The article also mentions an important aspect of our culture. The video "I've Got a Crush On Obama" is a video of a superficially good-looking girl singing lyrics about the candidate. 4 million people have viewed it. As much as this scares me, I think that it's a good idea to examine cultural patterns like this, and be open to addressing why they exist. For example, YouTube has invented You Choose 08 for the population that is interested in using the new media to obtain information.

Reading for the Week

I consider Poynter online to be a great source for journalistic resources. I agreed strongly with the comment by Weiss in which he stated, "As a photojournalist, I like to think there's some built-in idea of the rememberance of a still image." This is part of the reason that I enjoy broadcasting - it is another element of story-telling. I also appreciate his regard for all types of journalism. Instead of asserting his own personal views, he admits that there are strengths to video, audio, and print journalism. I also agree that the photojournalism deserves more respect from reporters, and I think that this is an important subject to address. I also laughed when I read "Journalism, gotta do it." I fell in love with the field of journalism in a similar way- I just knew it. Finally, I like that he wanted to make the program available, accessible and affordable for all journalists. Seems like a great guy.

Reading for the Week

The readings for this week deal with the most important part of a college journalism education - ethics. The first part of the reading, the sidebar, gives an elementary look at components of ethics - responsibility, freedom of the press, independence, sincerity, truthfulness, accuracy, impartiality, fair play and decency. Among these, I find sincerity and good faith to be the most fundamental to journalism. This is because I see stories on a situational basis. Some cases require different amounts and types of attention. As long as there is good intention, I think that is the most important thing. On the other hand, I find impartiality to be the most difficult because as humans, people form opinions and emotions based on surroundings.
The rest of the chapter discusses principles. The first is the Potter Box, which examines the steps to making a moral decision, which include selecting loyalties and values. This looks good on paper, but it is much more difficult to apply in real life situations. Next, it deals with common ethical problems such as deceit, conflict of interest, (surprisingly) friendship, payola and freebies. Again, I think that it is very difficult to decipher ethical boundaries because it should be situational. It is an individual prerogative to balance friendships and work, etc. On the other hand, journalists MUST in all situations, avoid plagiarism and invasion of privacy.
The first website given in the reading I found to be highly offensive. I do not think that it is fair to call newspaper's online videos superior to TV journalism. The author found one example about Anna Nicole Smith, on one channel, by one journalist. Generalizing to say that TV is salacious but that online represents something more sophisticated is just plain unfair. I support newspapers "giving [online video] it a whirl" but media should work together with this to strive for quality, and not work against one another.
The second website provided useful canons for reporting. I liked what the blogger wrote about developing a style. As painful as it is to admit, she did address the problems that many people have with broadcast news, including the mechanical voice used by reporters.
"People ranging from Mother Teresa (“If I look at the mass, I will never act. If I look at the one, I will”) to, reportedly, Stalin (“A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic”)." This excerpt is a fascinating concept, especially to journalists, because it poses a major threat. It means that by showing wide perspective, it may be contributing to societal distancing and numbing. I agree with the author's assertion that journalists should still show the "statistics" and the wide view, but should also include features that will stir the viewers/listeners/reader's emotions and may spur them to act, or at the very least, feel.
The final website talks about the interactive quality of modern journalism - from slideshows to quizzes to live streams. The article is important because with the evolution of the field comes the evolution of individual journalists. It is important for us to be well-rounded and understand the different aspects, because modern jobs will require it. As the reading states, "Combine the best of each world."

Reading for the Week

The reading for this week deals with writing for broadcast versus print (finally!). I have been waiting to read and learn more about this because it is what I am most interested in. Most of what I have learned about writing for Television has come from fellow students at Newswatch 16, so it is nice to have a professional text give advice. It was nice to see that the concepts that I have taught to assistant producers and freshman this semester is accurate. For example, television writing is much more conversational than print. The stories should be shorther (20-30 seconds to read), and should explain the concepts succintly and avoid using superfluous or complex language. Television is much more visual than print, so when writing a story, TV producers must keep this in mind. A similarity, however, is the emphasis on flow of reading. Writers for television, radio, or print should write so that the sentences transition well into one another and do not impede the reader's progress in deciphering the information. This tight phrasing is something that I have always emphasized with the news crew of Newswatch 16.

08

Next week I promise to go back to the issues and talk about important nationwide concepts of things like health care and the war. I'll do this as soon as I find an article that discusses them. What I did find, this week, on a number of databases, including the New York Times (for shame!) is information about how late Barack Obama was to a rally at a college in Iowa. Apparently his plane landed in Des Moines instead of Cedar Rapids. Now, I don' t know about the readers of these articles, but I think that I'll change my voting pattern because the poor guy made a timing mistake. Come on!
What's funny to me is the opening line of the New York Times article. It said that Obama is "generally one of the more punctual politicians." Who is keeping track of this? We should get him or her a new job.
Even further, the New York Times interviewed one of the attendees of the rally who waited for Obama to get there. When asked if the incident would affect her voting, she said, "Oh no. I think he's one of the few people who can turn this country around." Thank you, Kay Lammers. Furthermore, Obama apologized and handled the situation gracefully, grinning and joking about the directional mistake. If he had handled this poorly, then maybe (maybe!) there would be a story here. Otherwise, there is not. If this leaked to one paper, that's fine, but Google News had a list of four!

Reading for the Week

The IRE website is an excellent resource for finding investigative journalism. I have complained in entries before that in-depth coverage just isn't as present as it used to be. Well, not if you know where to look. More people should know about IRE.org. My favorite topic on the site was about gas prices. Gas prices are a subject that is so prevalent in the news- stories are delivered to consumers the fact that gas prices are going up, down, etc. But they never call into question any other aspects of this. One article on the IRE site discusses the accuracy of gas pumps, saying that in FLA, 2500 are dispensing more gas than people are paying for, and 477 are giving less. I am fascinated by the creativity of this journalist - I would never have come up with a topic like this, and I am impressed with the depth of research that would have to be done to produce such a piece. I would also like to express my appreciation for the IRE's attention to multimedia - video is utilized on the site, as well as print and photographs, which is a tall task for such in-depth stories. Finally, when the visitor clicks on the gas story, there is a sidebar with tips on how to make sure you are getting the amount of gas that is appropriate for your money. This is bringing the story to the reader's level, making it more relate-able, a key, but often forgotten part of journalism as a trade.

Also on this site, there is an index of topics which are widely covered, where top, breaking and investigative pieces are compiled. The database is extensive, and it contains everything from aviation to consumer safety, from terrorism to immigration. It is a great resource to have this index at a journalist's fingertips. But not only are stories compiled under each individual heading, but so are potential story topics for your area, and tip and fact sheets. This information is extremely valuable, especially for journalists who are interested in pursuing this type of work.

The final and perhaps most useful facet of the IRE's website is its search database. Visitors can look up specific beats that they are interested in covering. You can even search tip-sheets specifically to filter your search. And there are beat-specific searches to search within a beat database. Again, I must reiterate that it disappointing that this site is not extremely well known, because it could be responsible for enhancing the quality of journalism, something that is vital in the current world.

Chapter 18 in News Reporting and Writing deals with investigative reporting as well, but deals more with the mechanics and style of it. The earlier part of this entry deals with the "sniff" or the stage in which "you nose around in search of a trail worth following." The IRE is a great resource for this. In carrying out the investigation, be sure to look into a variety of sources, both human and written, and evaluate their usefulness to ensure accuracy, which is the most important part of reporting. The issue of writing is addressed in a simple matter in this chapter. "How do you write the results of a complicated investigation? The general rule is, as simply as you can." This means that since journalism is geared for the public, it should be synthesized so that the public can get a firm grasp on the subject matter. The other important thing is to bring people into the story by telling them exactly what it means and how it can apply to their everyday life. Another important and little known tip for investigative journalism is to understand laws in your state/area in reference to the Freedom of Information Act. The act was designed to improve access to government records, although the open access that journalists desire is still not entirely fulfilled. I smiled when I read, "Objectivity doesn't mean neutrality," because I have said this before and I find it to be a very very important aspect of journalism. Of course journalists should always look at both sides and give ample notice to both, but this doesn't mean that in exposing injustice or unfairness, that emotional involvement cannot possibly exist. It is simply human nature. To be an investigative journalist means to connect with the American public, which should be done at all times. It may mean overcoming money and staffing issues, or even fear and anxiety, but, as the text states, "more reporters than ever are finding support to do it...you can, too."

08

I recently read an article about youth participation in the 2008 election. According to the article, which I found on the BBC website, "With a year to go before the 2008 US presidential elections, young Americans are poised to mark their growing engagement in politics with an ambitious online news site." The site will cover important issues for young people, in hopes of getting them involved. I am proud to see this story - a little disappointed that it's nowhere to be found on MSNBC or CNN - but proud nonetheless. One of the main points of the story is that students are frustrated with the lack of grassroots journalism about politics, and they are looking for another source for coverage. I've been to both sides of this argument. I've had jaded politics professors tell me that the likelihood of raised youth participation is very low, and that votes really don't count for much of anything at all. But overall, if young people start to vote, even if the mobilization is slow, it still makes a difference. I can state for a fact that I would visit Scoop08, a website which guarantees unbiased, honest coverage (of things that are not concerned with celebrity, sexuality, or money). Such issues to be covered, according to the article, are mostly the Iraq war, and economic concerns such as the cost of education and health care. These are the subjects at the core of this nation. It goes to show that frustration is setting in - more 18-29 year olds are voting than were their older siblings at this age. This is a step in the right direction. Thanks to media campaigns like Rock the Vote on MTV, and websites like Scoop08, young people like Ithaca College students may soon be able to make a stand in national politics.

Reading for the Week

There were two chapters assigned in the Justice Journalism online text for this week. Chapter 8 deals with covering criminal courts, which is an important beat to be informed about. Most of the cases are resolved thanks to plea bargaining. According to the author, "If everyone wanted a trial, chaos would erupt." Journalists should be aware that people are constantly attempting to settle criminal cases, and that the drama of the courtroom seen on TV is often not as it seems. Criminal charges can be misdemeanor or felony - meaning that it can be a lesser crime that bears less than a year behind bars as the maximum sentence, or can be a more severe crime. I think that the most important fragment of this chapter is about motions that can take place during the trial. Not only is it a journalist's job to understand these facts, but to have the ability to give this information to the public in an understandable way. For instance, a change of venue request would require that the location of the proceedings be changed, a dismissal may be enacted, or a "gag" (also called protective) order. Gag orders are usually restrictive on the public exposure of a certain issue. Reporters should seek guidance and use good common sense, even when it seems that such limitations are unfair. It is also important to familiarize yourself with the process of appeals, handling the death penalty and understanding the process of DNA testing.
Chapter 9, the final chapter in this online text, deals with Civil courts. Civil courts deal with only two parties, instead of the government versus one person. Another difference is that the burden of proof is far less strict. In civil cases, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant is more likely to be responsible than not, and in criminal cases they must prove the party is guilty beyond any shred of a doubt. There is a very wide range of controversies that fall into this category, as one section of the text states, "from personal injury to patents." Civil cases are often very unpredictable. The most groundbreaking cases are often the least expected, or the ones that are easily dismissed by the public. The text uses Big Tobacco litigation as an example of this. Civil cases are brought to federal court where there exists diversity of citizenship and a sum of money that exceeds $75,000. Consumers often benefit from class action suits, a type of joint effort. Reporters must pay close attention because they are not included in the exchange of information known as "discovery" between counsel of the plaintiff and defendant. Instead, the reporter must wait until this is public information so that they may disclose it. Finally, there are a number of different civil courts such as probate and estate courts, which specialize in a subject area.
The next assignment is Chapter 14 in News Reporting and Writing. This concerns beat reporting, which I will discuss the guidelines to in this entry. The first step is to be prepared- by reading background on the subject. When I am a reporter for newswatch, I carefully look into a number of sources to provide background information and clear up any questions that I may have. The next important thing is to establish a good relationship with sources, which is the primary goal of reporting in general. Reporters should be persistent, but not off-putting, which is a difficult balance to strike. Overall, do the work in person. "In beat reporting there is no substitute for personal contact." I will now write about the "beat" that interests me the most, which is science and medicine. When reporting on this: spend time on it, expect pressure, look beyond the surface, get educated, and work on translating for the everyday reader. I am interested in writing in the scientific field, which I think is a great way for journalists to connect the public with difficult subject matter by making it easier to understand, something that is essential to the well-being of society as a whole.

08

I was listening to NPR today when I heard a discussion about Barack Obama's wardrobe choice. I have also seen articles relating to the topic. Now, it has been made very clear in this blog how I feel about reports on things such as wardrobe and relationships. This one sparked my interest, however. Barack Obama had attended an event of some sort for the media and one of the members of the press made a comment that he was not wearing an American flag on his lapel. When questioned, he responded that he felt like people had been wearing the flag as a semantic measure, and did not seem to understand the patriotism behind it, and thus he chose not to wear it. He says that his words and actions should be "a testiment" to his patriotism, and that there shouldn't be a physical representation of this. Of course, Republicans have jumped all over the comment, ready to call him every horrible name in the book.
Personally, I admire Barack Obama for speaking out against the callousness that Americans have kept up for so long. It is a reminder that just because you wear an American flag, it doesn't make you a proud American. Actions speak louder than words. Good for him.
Now, I do not claim that this wasn't a stupid maneuver on Obama's part in terms of getting elected. But hey, maybe there are teens out there like me who say, show me your policy, and not your fashion choice. What kind of reporter asks a question like that anyway?

Crime Reporting Part III

Chapter 7 of the reading deals with reporting in the courtroom, and dealing with court cases. The OJ Simpson trial spurred the controversy of media coverage in this aspect. The text explains the organization of courts: There are state and federal courts, and each can exercise jurisdiction over different subjects and people. There are state appellate courts which deal with appeals of previous decisions and Supreme Courts in states as well. Each state handles cases differently and has a different organization of the system. There are 94 federal district courts, and 12 regional circuits. Federal courts may specialize in bankruptcy, or estate distribution, etc. In order to be heard in federal court, a writ of "cert" must be granted, giving the court the records of previous litigation.
In covering this beat, as with most others, it is imperative to be knowledgeable about the subject and perform the necessary background research. In the courtroom, reporters should be observant, not only seeking out important quotes and facts, but noting the emotional climate in the room. This is something that I try to be as in tune with as possible. I laughed at the quote, "Don't kick your janitor in the ass, he may be your landlord." Never were words so true. This ties into the later point about establishing an amicable relationship with the judge in a trial; he is a key resource to obtain. "establishing a relationship with a judge can help a reporter resolve disputes with court aides, obtain quick access to documents, and provide a better understanding of decisions when on deadline."
Be concise when reporting. Use court documents to your advantage. Dockets, which contain vital court information, will grow. Consider these sources: bailiffs, lawyers, docket clerks, and court reporters.
Finally, reporters should be aware of the "push and pull" between the right to a fair trial and a reporter's right to freedom of press. It is an ongoing debacle.

Crime Reporting Part II

Chapter 5 of this online text deals with how to cover crime in the context of its victims. The first thing to be deciphered is why the media covers crime to begin with. The author asks a series of questions in an attempt to frame editor's decisions: Was the crime unique? Was it especially tragice? Does someone know the victim? It is important to understand what is taken into account before a reporter can provide information. There are 5.7 million violent victimizations that take place in one year- a truly sobering figure. This means that a large percent of our population is sensitive because they have been victimized in the past.
I learned in this chapter that it is important to be sympathetic, but to keep the emotional expressions brief. I struggle with interacting with victims, perhaps because I grow so sympathetic that I get upset. This text suggests that it is best to simply state, "I'm sorry," in your initial encounter, and avoid in-depth emotional discussions. Always use caution on the scene, and be aware of the "wolfpack" journalism sense that the person may experience. Also, one of the most challenging aspects could be the recognition of post-traumatic stress disorder. If a reporter sees this, he or she should be respectful and sensitive to it, perhaps even get help for the person.
After the incident has occurred, the victim will be more prepared and comfortable to speak because they will have calmed down. It is important at this time for the reporter to have performed necessary background research, allowing them to permit the person to open up as fully as possible.
The question of graphic material is one that I have grappled with to a great extent. I would agree with the first question asked by this text, "Is graphic detail necessary to tell the story?" If a reporter answers, "no" to this question, omit the fact. End of story. Why make people distraught if they don't need to be?
Finally, almost 400,000 people, mostly women, suffer from sexual attacks or abuse. This is a subject that requires the upmost sensitivity and tact. While different media outlets have different views and opinions on printing their names/interviewing them, etc., I would strongly suggest that the individual reporter develops his or her own ethical code and to fight for it to be upheld at their place of work.

Crime Reporting Part I

The "Covering Crime and Justice" chapters open with an enticing lead about the glamor of covering crime - the sex, comedy, and tragedy of it all. It goes on to emphasize the importance of caution and tact when reporting on crime. For example, in a small town, it is absolutely crucial that a reporter maintains a good repoir with a source because he or she may need to use that source a number of times, sometimes in one day. In covering the beat, Chapter 1 explains some key terms to be familiar with. A civil case is a dispute between two parties, but a criminal case is a lawsuit that is brought against an individual or group of individuals by the government. In order to understand more terms in a more in-depth manner, it is important for reporters to meet important law enforcement figures in the region, tour facilities and shadow a police officer to gain a better sense. Miranda rights are the statements that are recited to a suspect at the time of arrest (including the right to remain silent, etc.). Bear in mind that the media is not given access after the time of the arrest in most cases - cameras do not enter the courtroom. I am not sure how I feel about this issue, because I tend to switch my opinion each time the topic is brought up. On the one hand, people have a right to know and it is the duty of a journalist to bring forward information, but on the other hand, legal processes can easily be tainted by media coverage.
The next section of the chapter raises important yet rarely-examined topics about the crime reporter as an individual. 2/3 of crime reporters are satisfied with their job, which is a high figure in this day and age. Perhaps more shocking is the figure that 96% of reporters have felt threatened on the job. This shows that it is important to avoid stress by wearing proper labels as journalists, and alerting officials at the onset of a threat. The next point made in the chapter is about the specific manner in which crime is reported. Our generation's editors and news directors should keep a more objective eye in terms of "little" versus "big" murders, crimes based on class, and socioeconomic or race-based judgments. On a related issue which I find to be of paramount importance, BE SENSITIVE. Don't knock on doors where journalists are not welcome, respect privacy, especially of sexual assault victims. When necessary sources are not receptive, seek other sources, use email in order not to harass, be persistent, and leave your information for them to contact you should they choose to do so. There are 12 questions to ask:

• Suspect and victim bios
• How the two came together
• Careful description of scene or venue
• Unusual circumstances
• Witness details
• Motives and motivations
• Financial aspects
• Credit or blame
• Moral considerations
• Context
• Projected effect
• Long-term implications

The final point made in the chapter deals with how a journalists should cope when facing arrest. The advice given is to carry credentials, take special notes on the situation, understand the rules of your state, and be respectful.

08 comments

Blog Comments:

1. http://thestorysofar-jt.blogspot.com/ - Separation of Church and State
2. http://fallingfornews2007.blogspot.com/ - McCain's Campaign for Monks
3. http://lvpdnews-lara.blogspot.com/ - $$$
4. http://lizzyswickedsweetblog.blogspot.com/ - McCain would prefer a Christian President
5. http://seagullatemycheetos.blogspot.com/ - $$ Clinton Beats Obama $$
6. http://hollysmithnewsi.blogspot.com/ - Fred Thompson
7. http://the23yearoldsophomore.blogspot.com/ - Primary Time...
8. http://man-o-man-journalism.blogspot.com/ - XM Radio Launches New Station

08

In my Google news quest for the week, I was scanning through headlines about the election, and one caught my eye. It read, "Fred Thompson's Hot Babe." According to the article, Thompson, a 65-year old divorcee is now married to bleach blond, tanned, 41-year-old named Jeri Kehn. This inevitably brings up the question of morality. The pair met in a supermarket and now have 2 kids. I realize that I complain about tabloid journalism and the uselessness of rumors, but to be honest, there is an ethical issue here. Is it love? A story of two opposites attracting? Or is it a gold-digging woman seeking political fame of some sort? Did Thompson embrace her just because of the idea of a "trophy wife?"
The author of the article humorously asserts his questions about Thompson's wife. He writes, "Look, Thompson has a balding noggin. His mug is pale, haggard and woebegone. Nobody is going to mistake him for George Clooney. Yet the old fellow persuaded a young blonde in a supermarket to 1) ask him out, 2) marry him and 3) have two kids with him. This fellow could talk Ahmadinejad out of his nuclear ambitions." I giggled... a lot.
So is our superficial society ready to judge Thompson for his own relationship? Will conservatives turn against him for his very outside-of-the-box marriage? Jeri says that the idea of a "trophy wife" is fabricated by the media because they have nothing else to talk about. Doubt it.
I really don't know how to analyze the situation - I just find it interesting. I feel that if I were to discuss my feelings, I may grow a little too intense. Perhaps another time. But women should really stick up for themselves in this aspect. No one should be a "trophy" wife.

Reading for the Week

The reading for this week was Chapter 13 in the text. The chapter explains other types of basic stories and the basic structures that should be followed when writing them. An important element of reporting is preparation. In preparing for a crime story, reporters should contact the victims, the witnesses, and police officials. In preparing for accident and fire stories, important facts to included are: a description, the location, the name, age, and address of the victim or victims, the extent of injuries and the names, ages, and addresses of witnesses. A key concept mentioned on page 272 is that "there is no magic formula." According to the author, the most important thing is to be accurate, gather the facts (who, what, when, where, why, how), and usually follow an inverted pyramid style. The variable of time has a definite effect on how a reporter covers breaking, or spot news. The level of depth of facts to be sought is directly proportional to the amount of time that a reporter is given before a deadline. Reporters should also be familiar with court proceedings and legal guidelines so that they can have a background in reporting on such issues.
Included in the issue of the press and the court is the free-press/fair trial controversy, which holds that it is possible for a jury to be swayed by too much press attention. This can lead to a change in venue, so that the jurors will not be directly involved in the press activity that surrounds the event. Finally, Megan's law states that all people convicted of violent sexual crimes should register a current address with local law enforcement agencies. 'Ethics should dictate careful reporting of addresses of sex offenders."
I find it difficult to pinpoint the subject of ethics, because I think that the idea of ethics is highly situational, however, it is my hope that the future generation of journalists will take ethics into close consideration. Sensitivity should be placed high on the priority list for someone in this field.

Reading for the Week

The first reading for this week is Chapter 8 in News Reporting and Writing. In order to discuss the other readings in more detail, I will keep this discussion brief. The chapter discusses how to be the best writer possible. Readability in writing is one of the most important skills that a journalist can have. In order to be a good writer, however, it is imperative that a journalist is first a good reporter who gathers accurate facts and is diligent in information-seeking. The elements of "good" writing are as follows: be precise (avoid biased language), use correct grammar and punctuation, be coherent, use concrete examples, show them with details, and use figures of speech that relate to readers. Of course, in my opinion, the way in which a story should be written depends on the story, so I think that a good journalist must develop the skill of deciphering this as well.
The next reading is "Politics and the English Language," an essay by George Orwell. Orwell is very specific in his critiques of other authors, and he has precise methods for "good" writing. His first criticism is articulated: "It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts." In other words, laziness breeds carelessness in writing. He identifies users of the English language as "us" meaning that he is seeing trends in the writing of all people in this nation. Orwell takes issue with the following things: dying metaphors, operators, pretentious diction, and meaningless words. Through this, it is evident that he favors precise language that doesn't "try too hard" to sound complex and vivid. Orwell also claims that political writing has little opportunity to be of great quality unless it recites a view point of someone, and does not spit out "party lines." He likens this type of writing to a recitation in church - something that is so memorized that it loses emotion in most cases. Political writing must be vivid and passionate if it is to be good. While I would agree with this statement, I think that some drab political writing is necessary, because it is important for people to form their own opinions concerning the topic in question.
In conclusion, Orwell develops a standard for good writing, a number of guidelines for improvement. They are:
i. never use a metaphor that you are used to seeing in print
ii. never use a long word where a short one is sufficient
iii. always cut a word out when possible.
iv.never use jargon when you can use simplified English language
v.break any of the rules before saying something "outright barbarous"
As a student, I would agree with most of these guidelines. Language that is too complex does nothing but take up extra time of the reader. I think that the collective intelligence of this nation could be brought upward with the elimination of so-called "pretentious" writing. This is especially true in journalism - we are a service to the public with information, not an extremely complex medium for deciphering. It is imperative that we remember this and adhere to the rules set forth by Orwell.
The next reading was "The Five Characteristics of Scholarly Prose." Before I begin a discussion of them, I will list them for reference.
i. Academic prose emphasizes nouns, not verbs. (Ex: A fumigation occurred)
ii. Academic proses uses static verbs instead of action verbs. (Ex: The field was fumigated by the farmer)
iii. Inflation and Embellishment (Ex: small, faunal species)
iv. Long,
v. Complex Sentences ( Ex: In so far as manifestations of infestation by a small faunal species were evident in the residential facilities provided for the agricultural laborers, an unwillingness to occupy, utilize, or in any manner inhabit the facilities was therefore demonstrated by the aforementioned laborers.) It is an interesting contrast between journalism and academic writing. It is almost the exact opposite of Orwell because it suggests wordiness and the rearrangement of words. It would be difficult for a trained journalist to get used to this style. I think that it is more difficult to write academically because it is a laboring procedure to find words that embellish a statement, instead of giving raw facts. Again, I feel that if we are a society that wants to have information readily available to the public, we should adjust writing so that it can be read by the general public. A more informed public is a better global situation. I do understand the basis for academic writing, but I think that journalists should adhere more closely to Orwell's suggestions.
The final reading is the report on the Incident at Three Mile Island. The Staff Report contains an analysis of how the crisis was handled by the media. Pages 165-166 discuss the errors, in detail, including apologies from people who had miscalculated damages. For example, Mattson explains his error, "My practical knowledge on this kind of situation is not as good as Victor's." Next came an account of how information had been censored during the event. Met Ed had issued an "internal update" about the size of the bubble with a special note about not informing the press. The information was then, of course, leaked by one broadcaster and the story was picked up. "In sum, the information about the bubble released by Metropolitan Edison and the NRC was inadequate and contradictory. It was inadequate because the NRC and Met Ed displayed an inability to provide complete information phrased for a nontechnical audience of reporters" (167). I can understand this to a point, but I also feel that it is the job of a reporter to disseminate information so that it can easily deciphered by readers. If this requires outside research, then that research should be performed.
The next issue with the coverage of the issue is the lack of communication between experts. The experts did not coordinate their efforts, and thus, they were not able to provide consistent, accurate information.
Nevertheless, the article identifies the reasons why coverage of this issue was so vital. They are uniqueness, fear, geography, conflicting information, coincidence, potential for catastrophe, and energy consciousness. I would argue that the public's fear is the number one reason why it is so important to get this story out to people.
I was glad to read the section about how journalists acted resourcefully to try and understand the issue at hand. Peter Stoler of TIME for example, went to a Harrisburg library for a metallurgy text so that he could learn more about the scientific aspects. It is a journalist's duty to do this.
Next, the issue of sensationalism arises. Jeff Bitzer, a TV reporter at a local station says, "A lot of people here thought the national and international media blew it all out of proportion." This reflects what the people of a small town go through when a large media presence descends upon them.
I found the content analysis to be especially interesting: "Each of the three networks presented at least 200 minutes of news about the accident during the week..an average of 7 to 11 minutes a night devoted to a single story is an impressive figure" (189).
I also found the statistical analysis to be especially interesting. I'm not sure exactly how they came up with this data, but I looked closely at the table on page 205, which showed the relationship between reassuring statements and alarming statements about specific issues. The issues of citizen reaction,information, meltdown, and future of nuclear energy tended to be more alarming than reassuring. But the public was reassured about the accident status and the threat of danger. This shows that journalists were more jumpy about the future than the accident itself.
"Also, when citizens were quoted in the media, the quotes tended to be alarming, which goes against the overall trend...This may reflect the fact that citizens in the area were more alarmed than reassured; or it may indicate only that reporters chose to quote alarmed citizens more often" (202). We may never know the answer to this
question.
Finally, I think that if extensive reports were done concerning journalism in the context of major event in our history, we could learn a lot for the future.

08

Newsday reported recently on a story about New York state's voting system and its implications for the future. I have decided to discuss this for this week instead of the typical candidate debacles and superficialities. According to this story, New York has missed the deadlines set forth by the "Help America Vote Act" or *HAVA*. The US department of justice has even sued the state over this matter. An example of the state's failure deals with the accessibility of voting for the disabled. NY has done little to address this. The current voting machines do not create a paper record of the votes tallied, which could lead to the same problems as were present in the 2000 election. Also according to the article, there are nearly $200 million waiting in the bank to be used for the program and only about $20 million has been used. It was strange for me to view my state in a negative light for its inability to comply, but it is an interesting and important thing to know.

08

Since I have strongly focused on personality based topics in past blogs, I want to take a deeper look at the current candidates' standings on real world issues. I realize that I have been complaining about the lack of coverage of real issues in the news, but I have made an effort to look up such coverage, and I think the most comprehensive guide is in The New York Times. By pooling together information from this site, and others, I am able to cite my opinions on the issue of abortion, which was the subject matter of my choice for this week.
I like the fact that the NY Times uses direct quotes in relation to the candidates' thoughts. Rudy Giuliani, for example, stated that he believes in a woman's right to chose in one instance, but was quoted at a later time, saying "I hate abortion." He then supported public funding of abortion. If it is the job of the President to act as a moral authority, it is interesting that he would contradict himself so greatly. Mitt Romney made a similar choice. A once declared pro-choice person, he then admitted, "I change my mind...I won't apologize to anybody for becoming pro-life."
Democrats have made similar shifts. John Edwards "tip-toed" around the issue by saying that he realizes that the subject is sensitive, and that America must be "respectful" of both view points. Dennis Kucinich also claims that he changed his mind after speaking with women who had dealt with the abortion issue. He is now pro-choice.
If nothing else, the example of the issue of abortion serves as a dispute for the widely held claim of a polar division between Democrats and Republicans. Both sides sway on issues and may lean toward the opposite of what their "party" would strictly adhere to. It is important for the public to be aware of this, especially on an issue as divisive as abortion.

Reading for the Week

The two chapters for this week were about both news releases, and writing about speeches, and meetings. These are two crucial aspects of journalism that students should learn. There are three types of news releases that will need to be processed - one is to promote a cause, one is to announce an event, and the last is to build the image, typically of a public figure. Part of my job at Fox23 in Albany was to decipher press releases and fill in the information onto the run-down to be referred to the next day. I think the author of the text makes an important point when he recommends contacting the media representative who made the news release in order to get more important details (who, what, when, where...). I did this on a number of occasions. We must remember to pick out what is "news" instead of just transferring the information. This will allow a more broad sense, so that the journalist may successfully re-write the story. In an example, we learn about how to shape a press release to foster accuracy and more in-depth reporting. "Without saying that the news release was dishonest or misleading, the reporter corrected or clarified some of the information contained in it." This chapter lays basic groundwork for handling day-to-day news situations.
Almost every journalist will be assigned to cover a speech, news conference, or meeting at some point. It is easy to oversimplify the process by getting into a routine. However, this chapter makes a point about the necessity of preparation when attending such events. For example, when attending a conference, a journalist should understand background facts, people involved, and other circulating rumors/events that pertain to it. Of course, accuracy is stressed. The best way to be accurate is to take notes. I have developed my own form of shorthand that allows me to stay up to speed when conversations move quickly.
Finally, at the end of the chapter, there is a suggestion that the reader visits this website. I found it to be a useful resource, and reminder of the steps to take when covering a city council meeting.

08

I would like to follow up on my past comments about endorsements and gossip with a subject that I read numerous articles about in such online editions as the Boston Globe and the New York Times. The articles all discuss the fact that in a television interview, Bill Clinton stated that Barack Obama does not have the experience to run for the Presidency. Now, one would automatically assume that this was a clever ploy to get his wife elected, but her office declined comment on the issue. I know I'm starting to get repetitive - but...once again, who cares?
If the question here is one of political experience, we cannot deny that Barack Obama lacks in this area. But who is Bill Clinton (who one might argue was a success or a disappointment, depending on viewpoint) to give political advice? In my personal opinion, in the world of politics, lack of experience can only be a positive factor. The more "experienced" a politician is, the more they will cater to people in their social stratification. I think that politicians tend to become aloof, and jaded. So - while Barack Obama lacks political background - he also has a strong background in morality and community life, having served as a community organizer. Let's change the name of the "President" to the "American community organizer" - because isn't that exactly what he (or she) is? Or at least what he should be? It's an interesting point to ponder. As to whether this will change voting patterns, I cannot decide at this point. Clearly Clinton's opinion carries weight. But again, I would rather read an article about Barack Obama's plan juxtaposed with Hillary's, than an account from the spouse of a candidate about his opinion. Journalists! Let me decide!

And I just have to include one more thing. It makes me giggle. It's not that I'm not a Clinton fan, but this is just plain funny. It's from NY Times: "And in another development, move over Mr. Giuliani: New York magazine’s story on the Clintons — not out until Sunday — includes a cover photo illustration (meaning fictional) of Mr. Clinton dressed in drag as, we’re told, Jackie Kennedy." .... I'll buy it.

08

At first, I wasn't really sure about the relevance of moving the primaries up and down the calendar. In my opinion, the favor that is given to New Hampshire is unfair, and I really don't see why all the states can't just do this at same time. This leads me to my discussion for the week - it stemmed from an article in the Arizona Central Online Edition. The article is about a new state that will be hotly contested in the future. The paper words it like this: "A new power player is emerging in Republican presidential politics: Michigan." Michigan's primary is now set for January 15th, which is before New Hampshire! Republicans are holding special events there all week, in an effort to swing the state in their direction. There is a quote that I would like to discuss that comes from the article. A Republican Party Spokesman in the state said, "Just the talk of moving up the primary really put Makinac on the radar." Personally, I find it ridiculous that undue focus is being put on areas simply becasue of their influence on the primary. Idealistically, I think that all states should have equal and ample time with the candidates, instead of having them shift their "radars" with victory in mind. Politics is such a competition that important people who are seeking change will miss out on hearing what candidates have to say just because of the location that they happen to be in. A Detroit newspaper also reports that candidates are eager to run a "hard campaign" in Michigan. I am disappointed in this controversy...and technically, Michigan is going to have to move thier primary behind NH. Here is a blog that contains a schedule of primaries that is tentative at this time. I am sure that things will change again, and candidates will readjust, unless someone is brave enough to look past the petty locations and look forward to the future of the country.

I was a little disappointed to see that the reading for this week is on Chapter 10, which is the chapter on obituaries. I am not entirely interested in print journalism as it is, and I hope that I will not have to spend a lot of time writing obituaries. I will agree hower, "in the online world, obituarties are big business." This is becasue online papers can sell advertising to funeral homes and services because they find that readers search for obituarites frequently. I learned this by visiting the obituary page from a newspaper in my hometown, and discovering the number of advertisements on the page. I also agree that an obituary is one of the most important stories to get accurate, becasue it can be so sensitive. You should begin an obituary with the usual factors in crafting a lead such as who, what, when, where and why. This is the important list of facts to be put in: time and place of funeral services, time and burial place, visitation time, survivors, date and place of birth, achievements, occupation and memberships to any special organizations. Mortuary forms will usually provide this basic information. This helps to commemorate the person properly.
A final point that I find to be extremely important in this chapter is the importance of making the story lifelike. In writing an obit., I would want to bring that person's memory and their impact on others to the forefront of the story. Obituaries should be dynamic, and colorful, and truly give a sense of the person's life. Therefore, I think that it is very difficult to come up with a set "standard" on "how to" write an obituary. The story should be individually crafted, and should include interviews with surviving family and friends.

08

I am taking this opportunity for a short political rant about the state of affairs in our society today. I have touched briefly upon my distaste for "celebrity" politicians, and the tendency of journalists and consumers alike to be fascinated with gossip and rumor. I read an article on CNN.com's political ticker that was simply about the fact that Wesley Clark, an ex-four star general who had considered running for the Presidency in 2004 has "endorsed" Hillary Clinton. Personally, I am thoroughly confused as to who would care about this. What purpose is served by this? People in this country need to learn to form their own opinions by using the facts that are given to them. They should not care about who likes who, or who endorses who. There is no substance behind Clark's favor of Clinton either. According to the article, Clark said, ""She'll be a great leader for the United States of America, and I think she'll be a great commander in chief for the men and women in the armed forces." ... So? It was funny for me to read the comments of users underneath the article, because many reflected my sentiments. John from Longview, TX wrote, "just say someone will be good for the country, and well, shoot, let's forget the election and just declare her president. what a joke."
But to clarify, it is not just Clark's endorsement that bothers me, it's endorsements in general. Last week, I read an article about Oprah endorsing Barack Obama and I wondered the same thing. Millionaire Jeff Lamberti recently announced that he would be endorsing John McCain.
In my research, I found an interesting article which discusses the actual meaning of endorsements and how politicians have either succeeded or failed because of them. Perhaps our coverage of endorsements is a strange social phenomena. Perhaps it needs to be changed so that we can focus our energies on deciphering who is the most qualified, instead of engaging in a high-school type popularity contest....

Reading for the Week

I think that quoting is the most important part of journalism - in other words, the right quotes can make a story interesting and colorful, but the wrong quotes or a lack of quotes can ruin the story completely. Chapter 4 provided vital information about which quotes to use and when to use them. The rules of thumb that are given include quoting important people, and quoting unique sentiments, always accurately. I have always kept in mind the idea of "uniqueness" because it is often more effective to paraphrase something that is dull, and to quote more original ideas.
On the other hand, I feel like there are a few limitations that are not cited in the reading. The text suggests capturing dialect and accents by saying words such as "goin'" but I think that there are instances where this is inappropriate - it sounds more fictional than journalistic, and should be limited to feature pieces. I think an important aspect of the chapter is the one that discusses vulgarity. To quote the author, "At times you may wish to use vulgarities to show the intensity of someone's anger, terror, frustration or bitterness. Few inside the news media condone the casual, gratuitous use of vulgarity." I would support this statement. Finally, there are a few guidelines that I was unaware of concerning attribution - If a direct quote is more than one sentence long, place the attribution at the end of the first sentence. The correct form is to separate partial quotes and complete quotes. More interview and quote guidelines, especially for broadcast, can be found here.



The next reading, Poynter's Tips, reiterates a strong belief that I have about the future of journalism. The section is about journalism that engages the reader. "...Others questioned whether they would be allowed to ride even if another purchaser was found, Property rights were debated. People got mad. They became engaged.. Journalism was happening." I think that the best possible thing for the future of journalism is to get people involved - Internet journalism allows people to interact - it provides a vast database for all interests and backgrounds. It is encouraging to read about people becoming less passive about the information that they receive. It is my goal to be a journalist who engages her readers. The author of the section writes that it's fun to see what happens - I couldn't agree more. The next online reading deals with presenting a timeline to make information more clear. I think that the more visual a story can be, the easier it is to understand. The blogger has done an excellent job of providing an example of a timeline that is clear and easily comprehensible. It is something to keep in mind for stories where time is relevant.

Reading for the Week

The first reading came from the AP 2007 Stylebook. In reading the guide to punctuation, I came across a number of regulations that I would like to note. I may have been careless about them in the past, but this guide serves as a nice reminder for me. For example, I did not know that in the case of words ending in s, that you do not add an 's when the next word starts with s (hostess's invitation versus hostess' seat) When giving ownership to something that is not quantifiable, simply add an apostrophe (as in two days' work). Use a colon to introduce long quotations within a paragraph. I think that I tend to overuse dashes - but they can be used for a series or list within a phrase. I also learned that a period can be used at the end of a rhetorical question if it leans toward a suggestion. I found the reading to be very helpful, and it is something that I will make references to in the future.
The first concept in the chapter readings of News Reporting and Writing is that of convergence. Convergence is a subject that I find very interesting as well as something that I am knowledgeable about. I wrote my Journalism Research paper about YouTube, which is a prime example of convergence in the media. It is something that I think all people should be aware of, and I am interested to see how much it will continue in the future. When I was an assignment editor for newswatch I had to work on my news judgment skills - the book provides a useful set of criteria - including novelty, prominence, conflict, proximity and timeliness. I think that impact is the first and most important.
Unfortunately, the text provides research that claims that audiences believe television is the most biased news source. While I am glad that people are starting to recognize it, I think it is sad that very little is being done about it. I value objectivity highly, especially in the realm of politics (see last entry) because it is the job (as stated in the text) of journalists to monitor power. This can not be done fairly from a biased point of view. This makes me most related to a civic journalist as described in the text. An excellent reference for foundations of ethics can be found on the Poynter website.
Looking further into the future, the concept of Internet journalism must be introduced, and the text provides a number of important examples of sites that converge from print to the web, and so on.
The newspaper section has an excellent visual representation of the hierarchy within a newsroom, and the many people who put together opinions to make a decision (page 32). Interesting comparisons were made between newspapers and magazines - for instance, newspapers tend to work on deadlines so strictly that writing errors sometimes ensue, which are not tolerated at magazines.
I have worked at a news station for 2 years now, and I can closely relate to the information in the broadcasting section, because I have gotten to know people who occupy the positions described (anchors, videographers, desk assistants, etc).
Chapter 3 was a simple review of the concepts introduced to me in journalism research. When taking that class, I learned my strengths and weaknesses in the interviewing process. For example, I think that I am strong in the area of establishing rapport with sources, because I am outgoing and easy to talk to. I learned that preparation is an essential component to conducting the interview with ease. I struggle with controlling the interview, as discussed in class, and I need to practice this. The text gives a few short suggestions that are vital: Ask open ended questions, keep the questions short, and build to the point. Hopefully my interviewing skills will continue to improve as I write for this course.

08

I did a google search of Barack Obama, because I wanted to see what was going on in my favorite Presidential candidates life. Everything seemed pretty general - new health care reform, head to head with Hillary, and even support from Oprah. Then I came across this: Who's Related to Obama?
It's an article from the Sun-Times media group.A passage says, " One of Obama’s ancestors once accused a fellow New England colonist of witchcraft and later stole from the governor's house. Another had two brothers killed by American Indians, who scalped one brother and kidnapped the other's daughter. Still another ancestor was said to have been slain by pirates."
This is one of the times when I look at modern journalism and ask, "are you kidding me?" It is beyond ridiculous that anyone would care to know about Obama's ancestors, and I find it curious that everything they decided to say about his family involved violence and insanity. I question what possible good is being served by putting this information out there. I looked for family trees of other candidates in vain. Is it because Obama spent time in a number of other countries and has a diverse background that people are suddenly fascinated? I barely find it to be newsworthy that Oprah will support Obama - it looks just like a publicity stunt, in my opinion.
I then read an article by Michael Roberts on opednews.com, and he wrote, "I feel sorry for Barack Obama. He is the Tiger Woods of American politics – mixed up, afraid of his lineage and anxious for white acceptance and Black understanding" I am so frustrated to read this so-called editorial journalism. It is just plain unfair - we are making judgments and researching his history and family just because he is not the same breed of presidential candidate that we have seen in the past. Let's stop digging for past dirt and race issues, and focus on the actions that he will take. I'm not criticizing other politicians or politics in general. I'm criticizing journalists who act this way. It is our job to inform, not to speculate about pirates, or golfers. Come on.

08

I read an article today about the "Big 3" Democrat's signing a pledge to avoid the states that have been attempting to move the primaries up. My first reaction to the article in NY Times was... what good will that do? I understand that it is a symbolic measure, but to cease campaigning is comparable to shooting oneself in the foot. It will only hinder their ability to accomplish their goals. After a bit more consideration, I moved on to the question of ... How can this really be? Luckily, the article clarified my question exactly. Apparently, the candidates are allowed to hold fund raising events, and they already have events on the schedule. To me, this article may be just plain pointless. I'll have to wait and see if they actually keep to their promise, because if they don't, again, that is a shot in the foot. FOX News, sometimes known to have a Republican bias, reports that it is "hard to believe" that Hilary will stop campaigning in FL, because it is one of the states that she is the strongest in. I also find it interesting that the candidates did not take the lead on this issue - they followed Bill Richardson, Joe Biden, and Chris Dodd (according to MSNBC). In a related issue, Hilary just had to give campaign money to charity due to a controversy surrounding the donor. Democrats need to be careful at this time -Senator Craig's issue is attracting negative attention to the Republican party, so Democrats should stay quiet and wait this out. They shouldn't sign measures that are semantic or aren't well thought out. Also, Barack Obama's website has a track of the states that he is campaigning in, with photographs and a blog. However, the only states included at this time are New Hampshire, Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina. http://nevada.barackobama.com/page/content/nvhome (Nevada, for example). I think that this is an excellent campaign strategy, but he should include as many states as possible for it to be extremely effective. Getting elected President will not happen if he chooses to ignore some areas.

I was glad to find that the reading analyzed both sides of many concepts, as good journalists should. While I have a grasp on the inverted pyramid, I have always had a personal struggle with its structure. The book illustrates this. "There is no suspense...Interest...diminishes as the story progresses" (145). I feel that the extent to which the inverted pyramid is used should certainly depend on the story and the fact to be delivered. I also found the exercises in lead writing to be useful. I grew so accustomed to writing creative, in depth openings for essays in high school that I needed to make a transition into this form of writing. I find the "you" lead to be one of the most effective, especially in the context of TV news. This lead forms a connection to viewers, readers, listeners, etc.
I enjoyed chapter 8 as well, because my ultimate goal is to be a broadcast reporter. I have been practicing through Newswatch 16 and internships my observation skills. I have come to realize the importance of finding patterns using all my senses, and understanding the wider picture, all skills mentioned in the reading. I also found the list of survey information to be important (138).

__________________________________

I have relied on Journalism.org's reports on the State of the Media for a long time now, because I appreciate the fact that they are open, honest, and informative. I reviewed it last year for a class, and I turn to it now, especially about broadcast journalism. The Audience Trends are the most important section to me because it allows me to gauge how the public processes information. I also have access to SPJ's resources, which I can use on a regular basis (http://www.spj.org/ppress.asp).
Much of the focus of the report deals with the Internet, which is a new direction for the media to move in. According to one section, YouTube and DVR technologies are making demographic measurements next to impossible. However, we do know that 92 million people go online for their news. This has caused readership of newspapers and magazines to face decline.
I grew disappointed to read this statement in the report. " Yet the argument that journalism was more than a business, that it had some larger public-interest obligation, began to fade. "
This is disheartening because I have been following the ownership of media outlets, and its effect on honest and fair coverage. I hope for this to change as more and more people become aware of the problem. After all, the report says that 68% of people prefer unbiased news sources.
I will discuss the local TV section because it is an area that I am most strongly interested - one that I have worked in, and hope to work with in the future. The report asserts that the public depends upon and appreciates local news coverage, but worry about its role in comparison to advertisers and other modern threats. The report claims that local TV journalists need to be innovative and to "improve" the field of journalism. I would agree with this sentiment, because I have found that many journalists experience a boredom, and carry out a process on a regular basis. I feel as though journalists need to be passionate about their job in order to get people interested. Statistics say that it is difficult to tell if local news websites will make a strong profit, but it looks as if sites are moving in that direction.
"When asked to rank all the different news media depending on whether they thought it was “definitely news,” local evening TV newscasts came out on top again (a rank of 4.4 on a scale of 1 to 5, where 5 meant that the program was definitely news)." I appreciate and agree with this sentence.