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.
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.
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