J. Jonah Jameson Quote of the Week:
"Put it out on the front page: Cash money for pictures of Spiderman! If he doesn't want to be famous...then I'll make him infamous!"
Some discussion questions:
1. At what educational level of readers should newspapers be aiming? Do you think your main metropolitan newspaper is hitting the mark? Why or why not?
This is not a simple straightforward question, as there are myriad papers that write for a number of different audiences, all of which have different agendas in mind. Broadsheets tend to appeal more to those who wish to read a more in depth, analytical perspective of a particular news story, whereas tabloid readers' audiences like to receive their news in a small, 'bite sized' format, which allows them to skim the newspapers in order to get a good idea of the essential facts. Our main metropolitan newspaper is The Sydney Morning Herald, and it is a broadsheet aimed at the so called 'elite educated' population. It's style and structure certainly reaches this desired educational level.
2. To what extent do you think reporters should be able to interpret news events and inject their thoughts into news stories?
As much as news writing strives to be objectified in its approach, there will always be a personal element from the reporter incorporated into the story, whether it is consciously or subconsciously. As Chapter 7 indicates, in terms of the search for accuracy, "a two-pronged approach can be taken" (The Daily Miracle, p. 159). First, facts are obtained. Then opinions, or interpretations of those facts, are sought. Those quick with opinions should be asked for facts on which the opinions are based. This will strengthen a story and provide the reader with more information on which to judge the validity of opinions espoused (p. 159). The Daily Miracle also states that in this process, journalists will have to make their own judgements and interpretations of the facts and opinions they have gathered. Due to legal reasons, there are cases where reporters are entitled to provide interpretation for the readers to defend defamation action. They must ensure the interpretation is based on clearly stated facts so that the readers can assess the basis for the interpretation. The best advice in these ethical situations comes in the form of an old adage in journalism:
'If in doubt, leave it out'.
However, in my humble opinion, reporters should aim to tell their readers what to think about, not what to think!
3. English is a growing and ever-changing language as new words evolve and old ones fall into disuse. What then of the idea of a global language? Does it really matter that our language is being tainted with Americanisms and US spellings?
Not particularly. Given the dynamic nature of the English language, which borrows words and phrases from multiple languages such as French, Italian, German and Spanish, words that have a few letters difference in spelling isn't going to have a huge impact. Anyway, most of the time the US spelling of words are phonetically correct, so if anything, it could be a good thing for their infiltration. To give a simple analogy, the English language can be compared to the religious belief system of Christianity. There are many denominations/variations of it, however it is essentially communicating the same common message. In terms of a global language? There is way too much territory to cover with that, but I don't think that it is necessary to push for the globalisation process any more than is already occurring - do we really want uniformity to be here sooner than expected?
4. Based on your own experience and your reading of newspapers, do you think newspapers have a serious commitment to accuracy?
Given the time pressures that newspapers are under to get the news out to the public as quickly as possible, I commend the overall accuracy in which they strive towards, and most of the time achieves. Of course there are times when papers make errors, however my experience with them has been that they are mostly spelling mistakes; factual errors have a lot more impact, and I have encountered a few, mostly in tabloid newspapers. On the whole, their commitment to accuracy is significantly upheld with integrity.
5. What would you do if you made a serious mistake in a story you wrote but no one contacted the paper to complain?
I'd feel obligated to correct my error, just in case it was later discovered and legal and ethical ramifications ensued. More importantly than this, my reader loyalty would be in jeopardy if I didn't admit to making a mistake, which could have long term ethical and economical effects for me the reporter, the newspaper and even the whole news organisation. Admitting is the first step to fixing, and profit isn't always the central motive for news corporations. Without the readers, the whole newspaper process is redundant. It is an important two-way communicative relationship!
JOURNALISM ISSUE ENTRY OF THE WEEK:
From the textbook chapter reading this week, I have learnt several key points about the importance of style, structure and accuracy in journalism.
According to The Daily Miracle, there is a common misconception amongst news writing that stories that are easy to read may appear to have been easy to write. Some may think this means that the more complex the writing, the deeper the thought required. In each case, the opposite is true (p. 142).
It is often harder to omit detail and make a story simpler than it is to add more words. News must be written in a clear and concise manner, no matter what the publication. Another assumption is that the story must be short and simple, with few ideas conveyed in each paragraph. However, it is important as a reporter to establish a specific style in which to write, and stick to that.
Balance in a story's length and structure needs to be maintained, and it doesn't always have to be consistent. A good solid intro always reels a reader in!
Always understand the content of your own work, and don't try and simplify something that doesn't make sense to you first. If it is instrumental to the story, always be assertive and ask questions until you have the required information, clear and to the point.
An important point which also needs to be stressed is the fact that journalists need to 'know their audience'; i.e. having a sense of the 'invisible masses' and what appeals to them, as well as the newspapers market and demographics.
Writing mechanics and expressive skills are pivotal, and all of this links back to the three fundamental rules for reporters as advised by Joseph Pulitzer (after whom the Pulitzer Prize for excellence in journalism in the U.S was named):
ACCURACY, ACCURACY, ACCURACY!!!
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
The Inverted Blog (Week 6)
JOURNALISM ISSUE ENTRY:
This week's topic was particularly intriguing, as it was to do with the famous (or infamous) inverted pyramid. It explained how this structure has become the most commonly adopted structure for journalists, and has stood the test of time in print journalism. This is mainly due to the nature of the readership in a modern context, in that people are always busy, and in their frantic, fast paced lives, there is little time to catch-up on the news and current affairs. So, what this model does is place the most important information at the top, and then in descending order to least important. However, there are flaws in this structure, as Chapter 6 of The Daily Miracle points out i.e. the geometry of the pyramid suggests that a great deal of info is placed at the top and gradually winds down, whereas the short and succinct most important info is in the prime position. There ARE alternatives to the inverted pyramid, which can work if written skilfully, however in most instances of 'hard news,' it is, arguably, the most effective.
Now, as usual:
J. Jonah Jameson Quote of the week:
"Hoffmann! Call the patent office, copyright the name Green Goblin, I want a quarter every time someone says it"
1. Would you include balancing comment (in the form of a source's statement) in a story if you knew that the statement was untrue but could not say so or prove that it was untrue, and the source insisted that the comment be included?
First I'd negotiate with the source, and ask them to explain exactly why they want the inclusion of the comment in the story, and if it will enhance their argument at all. I'd then interrogate them about the credibility of the statement, asking them to provide evidence that their claim is correct and true, and listen carefully for any Freudian slips, which may occur in the information they are giving me which counteracts and/or counterbalances the information I already have. After all that, if I still couldn't manage to get the truth out of them, I’d then include the comment as requested by the source, but take extra special care in the wording of my report so as to not give the reader false information, using terms such as "alleged" "believed to be" etc. In the end, though, it all depends who the source is and the authority/reliability they have on the given situation.
2. Because you could not locate a source for balancing comment, would you withhold a story on which you have worked hard? Would your decision change if you knew that an opposing newspaper was planning to run a similar story, reducing the value of your effort?
I think, as disappointing as it may be, sometimes journalists will have to sacrifice their efforts on major stories in order to maintain their reputation and integrity. As for another newspaper running a similar story, this would make it a more difficult decision. However, I'm sure that one incident where a journalist declines to run a big story based primarily on ethical grounds, will look much better in the public eye in the future, than a story than is published which only outlines one perspective, potentially tarnishing the reputation of the journalist and the newspaper.
3. You are sent to report from the scene of a major uncontrolled fire in a high-rise building. People are trapped inside. What dangers should you look out for? Who would you interview? When would you start writing your story?
I'd essentially take the approach as outlined in Chapter 6 of the textbook.
"When arriving at the scene of a breaking story, a good journalist will not rush in and try to get as close as possible to the heart of the action. They will approach slowly, taking time to survey the incident - looking for potential dangers and threats to their own safety while getting a clear overview of the situation, something which will help them greatly when they write their article" (The Daily Miracle Chapter 6: Upside-down pyramids p. 129).
I'd make notes about the scene; people nearby who witnessed it go up in flames and other emergency personnel. Sources must later be cross-checked for credibility, especially witnesses.
The Daily Miracle says that:
Ultimately, the reporter will be faced with a bundle of notes in random sequence that might include interview responses from:
The fire chief, three fire fighters, four citizen witnesses, owners of the building, tenants of the building, two ambulance officers, three police officers, a hospital matron, council building inspector, owners of adjoining businesses. The resulting story could begin with a summary intro that highlights the most dramatic elements (Ch 6: p. 130).
4. From your reading of news stories, do you think the inverted pyramid remains the most effective method of structuring material?
It certainly remains the most commonly used in the mainstream media to cater for it audience's busy lifestyles. However it doesn't make sense, from a story telling point of view, to include the "explosive details" at the beginning of the article, only to sacrifice the rest of your efforts in writing the story when people skim the paper. But, that's the nature of contemporary journalism for you!
I'll conclude with some words of advice on the inverted pyramid structure from The Newcastle Herald journalist Ben Smee whom I recently interviewed.
I asked the following question: In terms of the ‘inverted pyramid’ structure, do you always write in this style for ‘hard news’ stories, or are there times when it isn’t appropriate?
It often depends on the story. I have to admit that I don’t necessarily think about the inverted pyramid when I’m writing a story. A fluid, catchy intro always works better than one that struggles to take in as much information as possible. With human-interest stories, I’d hardly ever write like that, but the nature of hard news is that you do tend to put the best and most explosive information at the top of the story.
This week's topic was particularly intriguing, as it was to do with the famous (or infamous) inverted pyramid. It explained how this structure has become the most commonly adopted structure for journalists, and has stood the test of time in print journalism. This is mainly due to the nature of the readership in a modern context, in that people are always busy, and in their frantic, fast paced lives, there is little time to catch-up on the news and current affairs. So, what this model does is place the most important information at the top, and then in descending order to least important. However, there are flaws in this structure, as Chapter 6 of The Daily Miracle points out i.e. the geometry of the pyramid suggests that a great deal of info is placed at the top and gradually winds down, whereas the short and succinct most important info is in the prime position. There ARE alternatives to the inverted pyramid, which can work if written skilfully, however in most instances of 'hard news,' it is, arguably, the most effective.
Now, as usual:
J. Jonah Jameson Quote of the week:
"Hoffmann! Call the patent office, copyright the name Green Goblin, I want a quarter every time someone says it"
1. Would you include balancing comment (in the form of a source's statement) in a story if you knew that the statement was untrue but could not say so or prove that it was untrue, and the source insisted that the comment be included?
First I'd negotiate with the source, and ask them to explain exactly why they want the inclusion of the comment in the story, and if it will enhance their argument at all. I'd then interrogate them about the credibility of the statement, asking them to provide evidence that their claim is correct and true, and listen carefully for any Freudian slips, which may occur in the information they are giving me which counteracts and/or counterbalances the information I already have. After all that, if I still couldn't manage to get the truth out of them, I’d then include the comment as requested by the source, but take extra special care in the wording of my report so as to not give the reader false information, using terms such as "alleged" "believed to be" etc. In the end, though, it all depends who the source is and the authority/reliability they have on the given situation.
2. Because you could not locate a source for balancing comment, would you withhold a story on which you have worked hard? Would your decision change if you knew that an opposing newspaper was planning to run a similar story, reducing the value of your effort?
I think, as disappointing as it may be, sometimes journalists will have to sacrifice their efforts on major stories in order to maintain their reputation and integrity. As for another newspaper running a similar story, this would make it a more difficult decision. However, I'm sure that one incident where a journalist declines to run a big story based primarily on ethical grounds, will look much better in the public eye in the future, than a story than is published which only outlines one perspective, potentially tarnishing the reputation of the journalist and the newspaper.
3. You are sent to report from the scene of a major uncontrolled fire in a high-rise building. People are trapped inside. What dangers should you look out for? Who would you interview? When would you start writing your story?
I'd essentially take the approach as outlined in Chapter 6 of the textbook.
"When arriving at the scene of a breaking story, a good journalist will not rush in and try to get as close as possible to the heart of the action. They will approach slowly, taking time to survey the incident - looking for potential dangers and threats to their own safety while getting a clear overview of the situation, something which will help them greatly when they write their article" (The Daily Miracle Chapter 6: Upside-down pyramids p. 129).
I'd make notes about the scene; people nearby who witnessed it go up in flames and other emergency personnel. Sources must later be cross-checked for credibility, especially witnesses.
The Daily Miracle says that:
Ultimately, the reporter will be faced with a bundle of notes in random sequence that might include interview responses from:
The fire chief, three fire fighters, four citizen witnesses, owners of the building, tenants of the building, two ambulance officers, three police officers, a hospital matron, council building inspector, owners of adjoining businesses. The resulting story could begin with a summary intro that highlights the most dramatic elements (Ch 6: p. 130).
4. From your reading of news stories, do you think the inverted pyramid remains the most effective method of structuring material?
It certainly remains the most commonly used in the mainstream media to cater for it audience's busy lifestyles. However it doesn't make sense, from a story telling point of view, to include the "explosive details" at the beginning of the article, only to sacrifice the rest of your efforts in writing the story when people skim the paper. But, that's the nature of contemporary journalism for you!
I'll conclude with some words of advice on the inverted pyramid structure from The Newcastle Herald journalist Ben Smee whom I recently interviewed.
I asked the following question: In terms of the ‘inverted pyramid’ structure, do you always write in this style for ‘hard news’ stories, or are there times when it isn’t appropriate?
It often depends on the story. I have to admit that I don’t necessarily think about the inverted pyramid when I’m writing a story. A fluid, catchy intro always works better than one that struggles to take in as much information as possible. With human-interest stories, I’d hardly ever write like that, but the nature of hard news is that you do tend to put the best and most explosive information at the top of the story.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Chapter 5, Week 5...HIGH FIVE!
First and formost, as promised:
J. Jonah Jameson Quote of the Week:
"No jobs. Freelance! Best thing in the world for a kid your age. If you bring me some more shots of that newspaper selling clown, maybe I'll take him off your hands! But I never said you had a job!"
This week taught me one of the most pivotal aspects of journalism, the importance of intro or "the reporter's handshake". In short, no solid intro, no readership. In this modern world we live in, people have little time to deal with stories that don't deliver the summary of a story in a nutshell.
1. What sections of a newspaper do you read and why?
It all depends what paper I am reading, but the two main papers I read are The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) and The Newcastle Herald (NH).
In the SMH (I tend to only read the weekend edition), I will read the main news section and the news review to get a brief overview of current affairs, and I enjoy the opinion columns from journalists such as Mike Carlton and The Chaser headlines as a humorous perspective on current events. Occasionally I will read a few of the letters to the editor to see what Joe Citizen has got to say. I also read the 'Good Weekend' magazine insert if there is anything in it that strikes my fancy (especially music, movies, gadgets and high profile personality features) and the Sports section to catchup on the latest NRL action. I used to always read the 'Icon' section which dealt with the latest technology advancements until they moved it to Monday's publication, obviously to increase readership on the 'slow news day' of the week.
For the NH, I will predominately be drawn to the Sports section as the paper caters for its local readership's passion for sport, and therefore it is always featured prominately and covered extensively. Entertainment news is also a reason for reading and finding out about the latest local talent and international news in the industry. Local news articles are also a section in which I pay a great deal of attention to when I get spare time to read it! When my Grandad drops the paper off each afternoon when he is finished with it, that's the best time to consult the day's events according to The Herald!
2. How much time do you spend a day watching television compared with reading? What would encourage you to spend more time reading your local paper?
If it isn't a good espisode of The Simpsons, I'll generally watch the NBN evening news, the 7 o'clock ABC bulletin, and sometimes if I can, I'll watch the 9:30pm SBS world news Australia news to get a broad, sense of global news which isn't covered in the other forms. Compared to reading The Herald, I'd say I watch more T.V, however I do tend to read the paper in the afternoon after uni if it is lying around, or the previous day's paper also makes good reading over breakfast the next morning (and often that cycle seems to be frequent in my newspaper reading). There is nothing particularly wrong with the format or content of the paper, it's just mainly time constraints with other commitments, and, to be quite honest, sitting in front of the telly having the news delivered to you with ease of an evening is a preferred method in obtaining current affairs information, hassle free. Having said this though, I wouldn't mind some increased coverage on new technology, gadgets, gizmos and video games as this is an area which particularly interets me (like SMH's Icon section, now within the inconvenient Monday edition of the paper!) However, as I recently conducted an interview with Herald journalist Ben Smee, I thought that including his viewpoint on the future of print news and the expansion of alternative mediums as a way to obtain news was quite interesting, and in my humble opinion, particularly true.
"I think they are [taking over] to an extent, but newspapers won't die, simply because print breaks about 95% of all big news stories. I think television and radio are under greater threat, as their news relies too much on being timely."
"Print journalists play a much greater role in researching and breaking news and driving the news agenda. Electronic media tends to focus on what happens on the surface, but relies on print to dedicate resources to digging up the big stories."
3. You have the perfect opportunity to write a 'trick intro' that will get most readers at least into your second paragraph. But it would be at the expense of the central news value, which isn't very strong anyway. What will you do?
First off, is it a 'hard news story'? Because if it is, then I'd be sceptical in using this approach as a large number of readers are impatient and irritated easily. Also, is it THAT necessary, especially when it will get most readers at least to the second paragraph? Why not just implement another intro strategy which will be guaranteed a bigger and better audience response, for example the good ol' direct, conservative approach? It might be boring, but gets the job done! I'd only write a 'trick intro' when I was positive that it would work i.e. appropriate to the target audience and section of the paper/style of writing. No further questions.
4. You have done your research and conducted your interviews and have the basis of a great story but the intro just won't gel. What do you do?
If I was me (a journalist in the future) I'd jump into the TARDIS, go back to the time when I was in my first year at uni and re-read that chapter which dealt with effective strategies for writing intros! However this would involve the presence of Dr. Who, and a time machine police box, which I'm quite sure is only located in England, so maybe not!
In this instance, the most effective strategy to combat this writer's block would be the over-the-fence technique, which put simply, is to "think of how you might summarise the material if you were telling a neighbour about the story" (The Daily Miracle, Ch 5: The lead: will the reader follow? p. 117). How would you explain the story verbally in its simplest form to the person over the back fence?
Alternatively, in any medium, the most effective means of communication is to 'tell a story'. A story's essential ingredients should be evident from the beginning (Ch 5: p. 118)
Last, but definitely not least, the golden rule of journalism: keep it short, keep it simple!!! (Ch 5: p. 116)
5. You have written a well-researched story but when it appears in the paper you see that a sub-editor who thought they knew more about the topic than you did has added a new intro which is not only wrong, but ruins the whole article and offends your sources. What should you do?
Declare all out guerrilla warfare in the office building, targeting the sub editor's office. But if recruitment numbers are low, I guess it'll just have to be some good old fashioned negotiating! I'd approach him or her and state my case, and have some material proof that my sources were offended, and the amount of reparations that need to be made. I'd then call my sources, apologise for any offence that may have been caused by this incident. However, that being said, I'm not sure if i'd still have a job if I stood up to my sub-editor like that. It all depends if I have a legitimate case! This is a very tricky, professional ethical situation, and that's about all I can conclude on the matter.
This is Zeej McQueen reporting, for Journalism Junk. Goodnight.
J. Jonah Jameson Quote of the Week:
"No jobs. Freelance! Best thing in the world for a kid your age. If you bring me some more shots of that newspaper selling clown, maybe I'll take him off your hands! But I never said you had a job!"
This week taught me one of the most pivotal aspects of journalism, the importance of intro or "the reporter's handshake". In short, no solid intro, no readership. In this modern world we live in, people have little time to deal with stories that don't deliver the summary of a story in a nutshell.
1. What sections of a newspaper do you read and why?
It all depends what paper I am reading, but the two main papers I read are The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) and The Newcastle Herald (NH).
In the SMH (I tend to only read the weekend edition), I will read the main news section and the news review to get a brief overview of current affairs, and I enjoy the opinion columns from journalists such as Mike Carlton and The Chaser headlines as a humorous perspective on current events. Occasionally I will read a few of the letters to the editor to see what Joe Citizen has got to say. I also read the 'Good Weekend' magazine insert if there is anything in it that strikes my fancy (especially music, movies, gadgets and high profile personality features) and the Sports section to catchup on the latest NRL action. I used to always read the 'Icon' section which dealt with the latest technology advancements until they moved it to Monday's publication, obviously to increase readership on the 'slow news day' of the week.
For the NH, I will predominately be drawn to the Sports section as the paper caters for its local readership's passion for sport, and therefore it is always featured prominately and covered extensively. Entertainment news is also a reason for reading and finding out about the latest local talent and international news in the industry. Local news articles are also a section in which I pay a great deal of attention to when I get spare time to read it! When my Grandad drops the paper off each afternoon when he is finished with it, that's the best time to consult the day's events according to The Herald!
2. How much time do you spend a day watching television compared with reading? What would encourage you to spend more time reading your local paper?
If it isn't a good espisode of The Simpsons, I'll generally watch the NBN evening news, the 7 o'clock ABC bulletin, and sometimes if I can, I'll watch the 9:30pm SBS world news Australia news to get a broad, sense of global news which isn't covered in the other forms. Compared to reading The Herald, I'd say I watch more T.V, however I do tend to read the paper in the afternoon after uni if it is lying around, or the previous day's paper also makes good reading over breakfast the next morning (and often that cycle seems to be frequent in my newspaper reading). There is nothing particularly wrong with the format or content of the paper, it's just mainly time constraints with other commitments, and, to be quite honest, sitting in front of the telly having the news delivered to you with ease of an evening is a preferred method in obtaining current affairs information, hassle free. Having said this though, I wouldn't mind some increased coverage on new technology, gadgets, gizmos and video games as this is an area which particularly interets me (like SMH's Icon section, now within the inconvenient Monday edition of the paper!) However, as I recently conducted an interview with Herald journalist Ben Smee, I thought that including his viewpoint on the future of print news and the expansion of alternative mediums as a way to obtain news was quite interesting, and in my humble opinion, particularly true.
"I think they are [taking over] to an extent, but newspapers won't die, simply because print breaks about 95% of all big news stories. I think television and radio are under greater threat, as their news relies too much on being timely."
"Print journalists play a much greater role in researching and breaking news and driving the news agenda. Electronic media tends to focus on what happens on the surface, but relies on print to dedicate resources to digging up the big stories."
3. You have the perfect opportunity to write a 'trick intro' that will get most readers at least into your second paragraph. But it would be at the expense of the central news value, which isn't very strong anyway. What will you do?
First off, is it a 'hard news story'? Because if it is, then I'd be sceptical in using this approach as a large number of readers are impatient and irritated easily. Also, is it THAT necessary, especially when it will get most readers at least to the second paragraph? Why not just implement another intro strategy which will be guaranteed a bigger and better audience response, for example the good ol' direct, conservative approach? It might be boring, but gets the job done! I'd only write a 'trick intro' when I was positive that it would work i.e. appropriate to the target audience and section of the paper/style of writing. No further questions.
4. You have done your research and conducted your interviews and have the basis of a great story but the intro just won't gel. What do you do?
If I was me (a journalist in the future) I'd jump into the TARDIS, go back to the time when I was in my first year at uni and re-read that chapter which dealt with effective strategies for writing intros! However this would involve the presence of Dr. Who, and a time machine police box, which I'm quite sure is only located in England, so maybe not!
In this instance, the most effective strategy to combat this writer's block would be the over-the-fence technique, which put simply, is to "think of how you might summarise the material if you were telling a neighbour about the story" (The Daily Miracle, Ch 5: The lead: will the reader follow? p. 117). How would you explain the story verbally in its simplest form to the person over the back fence?
Alternatively, in any medium, the most effective means of communication is to 'tell a story'. A story's essential ingredients should be evident from the beginning (Ch 5: p. 118)
Last, but definitely not least, the golden rule of journalism: keep it short, keep it simple!!! (Ch 5: p. 116)
5. You have written a well-researched story but when it appears in the paper you see that a sub-editor who thought they knew more about the topic than you did has added a new intro which is not only wrong, but ruins the whole article and offends your sources. What should you do?
Declare all out guerrilla warfare in the office building, targeting the sub editor's office. But if recruitment numbers are low, I guess it'll just have to be some good old fashioned negotiating! I'd approach him or her and state my case, and have some material proof that my sources were offended, and the amount of reparations that need to be made. I'd then call my sources, apologise for any offence that may have been caused by this incident. However, that being said, I'm not sure if i'd still have a job if I stood up to my sub-editor like that. It all depends if I have a legitimate case! This is a very tricky, professional ethical situation, and that's about all I can conclude on the matter.
This is Zeej McQueen reporting, for Journalism Junk. Goodnight.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Bringing it back...
Now, considering journalism is all about new information and currency, I'd probably be out of a job if this blog were committed to the contemporary!
However, I'm working on it!
My boss would probably end up being like this stressed media mogul:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqU-gV4QaiQ
And I thought as a recurring gag for my journalism blog, I could include a humorous quote from the head of The Daily Bugle (Spiderman), J. Jonah Jameson. Enjoy!
J. Jonah Jameson Quote of the Week:
"Now, get your pretty little portfolio off my desk before I go into a diabetic coma"
Chapter 4: A 'know' for news
1. How did Australian news outlets give proximity to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami?
The news outlets ran prominent news segments on the natural disaster, taking high priority on evening news bulletins and other such media forms. According to The Daily Miracle, some of the devastated areas, particularly the waterfront tourist areas of western Thailand, were favourite holiday destinations for many Australians (Ch 4: A 'know' for news; p.85). Tragically, some Australian citizens died in the disaster, and so the proximity that the media outlets gave created a highly empathetical response in Australia, a nation whose population is clustered around its often low-lying coastline and a nation neighbouring the worst hit nation, Indonesia (Ch 4: p.85). This in turn sparked rigorous conversation for a long period of time after the event amongst citizens and prominent figures in politics, environmental organisations and other non-profit institutions such as the Red Cross who aimed to organise an effective plan of relief to the devastated countries. It united a nation in sympathy for the victims and their families (Ch 4: p.85).
2. If you were a reporter covering a story about a mentally ill Australian woman who was found by Queensland police in Cairns talking what they thought was German, who was subsequently arrested and found herself locked up in an immigration detention centre in S.A for 10 months, what main news value would you focus on when writing the story? In order of importance, what would be the next two subsidiary news values?
I would place the news value of impact as my first priority, as a story like this one has the potential to have a significant impact on people's lives, especially on a local scale. Firstly, the citizens of South Australia would be concerned about the treatment of the prisoner, which is occurring in their state. On a local and national level, however, the majority of Australians would be questioning the ethical considerations of imprisoning someone who is mentally ill and is not able to speak English. The decision to punish the woman would most likely be a government judgement, and the media tend to cover federal, state and local governments because their decisions have great impact on people's lives. Different people will be affected in different ways on different scales.
Secondly, I would focus on human interest, because frequently the human-interest news value 'tugs at heartstrings’. It can inspire empathy, spark curiosity, or arouse community concern (Ch 4: p.96). It can often support a 'straight' news story, in that it will give a human element to the issue being reported, in this instance, the story could reinforce an inquiry about the treatment of detainees in Australian detention centres.
Thirdly, depending on the publication, proximity would be relevant if the detention centre was located in a small suburb, and a local paper was reporting the story
3. As a reporter, which information would you feature more prominently?
a) A mayoral announcement about an urban renewal plan to resolve inner-city crime problems; or
b) A comment by Prince Charles, in Australia on a visit, who says after the mayor's speech that such problems can often be attributed to building regulations formulated by city councils?
Although the mayor is of more political authority, I would feature Prince Charles' comment after the mayor's speech, primarily due to the fact that he is a much more highly recognisable figure on an international scale. This is giving priority to the news value of prominence. This would be an ideal lead into the story for the reader, as it would grab and maintain their interest to continue reading. You could then go on to elaborate about the detail of the mayor's speech.
4. Define 'news' in 20 words or less
Current information relating to particular persons, institutions or events previously unknown; can be of local, national or global significance.
5. Should Kipling's Six Strong Serving Men be assigned equal value when writing a news article?
Yes, they should be assigned equal value, however in different stages. The who, what, when and where are the key details for the lead, the why and how can come later in the report.
JOURNALISM ISSUE ENTRY:
I'll keep it brief this week, to relieve anyone who happens to be reading my blog and had to wade through all the aforementioned!
Most obviously, the key issue that interested me from reading Chapter 4: A 'know' for news in The Daily Miracle, was the importance of news values and how they are highly relevant in contemporary reporting. It is crucial that a journalist knows when to privilege each one, and how to go about it. More specifically, however, I found the newspaper audience demographic to be quite intriguing. Declines in readers, according to the research, can be attributed to a number of factors such as the modern busy lifestyles, the decrease in 'hard' news stories and increase in 'soft' 'infotainment' style journalism. More young people are not sourcing their news from newspapers as they seem to lack any lasting appeal, and are turning to the new media market online as it is said to be quicker, convenient and, quite simply, more modern and appealing. This blog is an example of this new technology, and it's widely accessible to anyone who is savvy enough! Are you getting your information from Chapter 4 of The Daily Miracle from my own thoughts and reflections on this blog? Quite interesting, philosophical stuff! If newspapers are to continue to compete with this contemporary, dynamic society, they need to examine their audience and ask the hard questions: Should the media mirror society so that society, seeing its own defects, can 'heal itself'? Should the media give the public what it wants - or says what it wants - or give it what the media believes it needs?
Thankyou for your time in reading my blog entry!
However, I'm working on it!
My boss would probably end up being like this stressed media mogul:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqU-gV4QaiQ
And I thought as a recurring gag for my journalism blog, I could include a humorous quote from the head of The Daily Bugle (Spiderman), J. Jonah Jameson. Enjoy!
J. Jonah Jameson Quote of the Week:
"Now, get your pretty little portfolio off my desk before I go into a diabetic coma"
Chapter 4: A 'know' for news
1. How did Australian news outlets give proximity to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami?
The news outlets ran prominent news segments on the natural disaster, taking high priority on evening news bulletins and other such media forms. According to The Daily Miracle, some of the devastated areas, particularly the waterfront tourist areas of western Thailand, were favourite holiday destinations for many Australians (Ch 4: A 'know' for news; p.85). Tragically, some Australian citizens died in the disaster, and so the proximity that the media outlets gave created a highly empathetical response in Australia, a nation whose population is clustered around its often low-lying coastline and a nation neighbouring the worst hit nation, Indonesia (Ch 4: p.85). This in turn sparked rigorous conversation for a long period of time after the event amongst citizens and prominent figures in politics, environmental organisations and other non-profit institutions such as the Red Cross who aimed to organise an effective plan of relief to the devastated countries. It united a nation in sympathy for the victims and their families (Ch 4: p.85).
2. If you were a reporter covering a story about a mentally ill Australian woman who was found by Queensland police in Cairns talking what they thought was German, who was subsequently arrested and found herself locked up in an immigration detention centre in S.A for 10 months, what main news value would you focus on when writing the story? In order of importance, what would be the next two subsidiary news values?
I would place the news value of impact as my first priority, as a story like this one has the potential to have a significant impact on people's lives, especially on a local scale. Firstly, the citizens of South Australia would be concerned about the treatment of the prisoner, which is occurring in their state. On a local and national level, however, the majority of Australians would be questioning the ethical considerations of imprisoning someone who is mentally ill and is not able to speak English. The decision to punish the woman would most likely be a government judgement, and the media tend to cover federal, state and local governments because their decisions have great impact on people's lives. Different people will be affected in different ways on different scales.
Secondly, I would focus on human interest, because frequently the human-interest news value 'tugs at heartstrings’. It can inspire empathy, spark curiosity, or arouse community concern (Ch 4: p.96). It can often support a 'straight' news story, in that it will give a human element to the issue being reported, in this instance, the story could reinforce an inquiry about the treatment of detainees in Australian detention centres.
Thirdly, depending on the publication, proximity would be relevant if the detention centre was located in a small suburb, and a local paper was reporting the story
3. As a reporter, which information would you feature more prominently?
a) A mayoral announcement about an urban renewal plan to resolve inner-city crime problems; or
b) A comment by Prince Charles, in Australia on a visit, who says after the mayor's speech that such problems can often be attributed to building regulations formulated by city councils?
Although the mayor is of more political authority, I would feature Prince Charles' comment after the mayor's speech, primarily due to the fact that he is a much more highly recognisable figure on an international scale. This is giving priority to the news value of prominence. This would be an ideal lead into the story for the reader, as it would grab and maintain their interest to continue reading. You could then go on to elaborate about the detail of the mayor's speech.
4. Define 'news' in 20 words or less
Current information relating to particular persons, institutions or events previously unknown; can be of local, national or global significance.
5. Should Kipling's Six Strong Serving Men be assigned equal value when writing a news article?
Yes, they should be assigned equal value, however in different stages. The who, what, when and where are the key details for the lead, the why and how can come later in the report.
JOURNALISM ISSUE ENTRY:
I'll keep it brief this week, to relieve anyone who happens to be reading my blog and had to wade through all the aforementioned!
Most obviously, the key issue that interested me from reading Chapter 4: A 'know' for news in The Daily Miracle, was the importance of news values and how they are highly relevant in contemporary reporting. It is crucial that a journalist knows when to privilege each one, and how to go about it. More specifically, however, I found the newspaper audience demographic to be quite intriguing. Declines in readers, according to the research, can be attributed to a number of factors such as the modern busy lifestyles, the decrease in 'hard' news stories and increase in 'soft' 'infotainment' style journalism. More young people are not sourcing their news from newspapers as they seem to lack any lasting appeal, and are turning to the new media market online as it is said to be quicker, convenient and, quite simply, more modern and appealing. This blog is an example of this new technology, and it's widely accessible to anyone who is savvy enough! Are you getting your information from Chapter 4 of The Daily Miracle from my own thoughts and reflections on this blog? Quite interesting, philosophical stuff! If newspapers are to continue to compete with this contemporary, dynamic society, they need to examine their audience and ask the hard questions: Should the media mirror society so that society, seeing its own defects, can 'heal itself'? Should the media give the public what it wants - or says what it wants - or give it what the media believes it needs?
Thankyou for your time in reading my blog entry!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Workshop Number One Fun!
Discussion Questions (assigned on 23.7.07):
1. Which media function do you think is most important and why?
To put it simply, I'd have to say that the accurate representational slogan of Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, "Fair and Balanced" (on which it prides itself on being), is the most important media function. It is the role of the journalist to be, despite postmodern thought and recent philosophical arguements on the issue of truth, to report an accurate and balanced representation of a given event or current affair as objectively as possible, so as to allow the responder to the story formulate their own opinion based on their own personal values and attitudes.
2. To what degree should journalists be concerned about their employer's profitability and readership/viewership figures?
This, I believe, is a very tricky ethical situation which is important to discuss and have a broad knowledge of, especially in today's society where advertising is the driving force behind much of the reported news and current affairs through a variety of different mediums. In fact, through my studies, I have even come across some theories that such news and current affairs shows apparent purpose of informing and educating the viewer isn't the main driving force; it is simply a 'fill in' for advertisements which clearly dominate prime time slots, driven by profit, chasing ratings and viewership figures. On the contrary, the journalist should acknowledge this and develop strategies by which to be respectful, and not fall victim to the mass media machine which attempts to manipulate on a large scale basis. The other flip side is of course, that your employer is paying you via this crucial funding from such corporate advertisers, so there is a certain trade off or sacrifice that many journalists have to assess in their careers!
3. Is it reasonable for the owner of a media outlet to direct editorial policy and to make editorial decisions on political and other issues?
Any media outlet shouldn't favour any particular party in any organisation, whether it be political, social or cultural. Of course they should provide both sides of an arguement or point of view, and again, it is entirely up to the responder to formulate their own opinions based on the 'facts' given to them. There have been bias allegations against certain media outlets that I know of, and that is why there are watchdogs to monitor the issue. Although it doesn't help that in Australia, most major news corporations are owned by so few organisations which dominate the media landscape, and hence diversity can be significantly hindered at times! Luckily for the general public there are programs such as Media Watch and the Chaser's War on Everything to point out and make light hearted comments and satirise such issues that arise in the popular media!
4. Does investigative journalism really matter? Does it sell newspapers or increase ratings?
Consumers of such a vast tapestry of media, whether it be newspaper, radio, online, television broadcast, are all seeking the best possible, and most reliable angle to a story as told by a journalist, and so one who has gone out of their way to present myriad perspectives from a variety of sources is immediately appealing to the general public. With a generation that has developed an overall distrust and distaste of journalists, and the emergence of the 'stereotype' which has proven an ongoing problem over time, people will most definitely give preference over, in this case, and investigative journalist, than one who has simply appeared to sensationalise the issue with minimal fact, more fiction! And so, in my humble opinion, it does sell newspapers, and hence increase ratings = $$ PROFIT $$
5. Discussion of dilemma:
I've decided the best approach is a for/against method, as there is no immediate, obvious answer to this problem:
FOR (Publishing the Story):
- basic journalist ethic (newspaper has policy of recording all such convictions)
- the public want the truth, not some obscured 'fact'
- why publish a story about my own son regarding the same issue (drink driving), and hide an identical case? Is anyone/anything sacred?
- money and profits certainly isn't what it's all about when it comes down to it - many other advertisers out there that would be willing to fund the newspaper
AGAINST: (Not publishing story):
- lack of funds = possible closure of paper or retrenchment of several editorial and print-room staff
- your personal reputation and job is on the line as it is your responsibility/decision alone (future job prospects?)
- if it isn't published, it could be uncovered in the future and create even more controversy than if it was published in the first place; reputation of many people significantly tarnished (perhaps permanent); even heavy fines for such a scandal!
Hope you've enjoyed my insights!! :-)
1. Which media function do you think is most important and why?
To put it simply, I'd have to say that the accurate representational slogan of Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, "Fair and Balanced" (on which it prides itself on being), is the most important media function. It is the role of the journalist to be, despite postmodern thought and recent philosophical arguements on the issue of truth, to report an accurate and balanced representation of a given event or current affair as objectively as possible, so as to allow the responder to the story formulate their own opinion based on their own personal values and attitudes.
2. To what degree should journalists be concerned about their employer's profitability and readership/viewership figures?
This, I believe, is a very tricky ethical situation which is important to discuss and have a broad knowledge of, especially in today's society where advertising is the driving force behind much of the reported news and current affairs through a variety of different mediums. In fact, through my studies, I have even come across some theories that such news and current affairs shows apparent purpose of informing and educating the viewer isn't the main driving force; it is simply a 'fill in' for advertisements which clearly dominate prime time slots, driven by profit, chasing ratings and viewership figures. On the contrary, the journalist should acknowledge this and develop strategies by which to be respectful, and not fall victim to the mass media machine which attempts to manipulate on a large scale basis. The other flip side is of course, that your employer is paying you via this crucial funding from such corporate advertisers, so there is a certain trade off or sacrifice that many journalists have to assess in their careers!
3. Is it reasonable for the owner of a media outlet to direct editorial policy and to make editorial decisions on political and other issues?
Any media outlet shouldn't favour any particular party in any organisation, whether it be political, social or cultural. Of course they should provide both sides of an arguement or point of view, and again, it is entirely up to the responder to formulate their own opinions based on the 'facts' given to them. There have been bias allegations against certain media outlets that I know of, and that is why there are watchdogs to monitor the issue. Although it doesn't help that in Australia, most major news corporations are owned by so few organisations which dominate the media landscape, and hence diversity can be significantly hindered at times! Luckily for the general public there are programs such as Media Watch and the Chaser's War on Everything to point out and make light hearted comments and satirise such issues that arise in the popular media!
4. Does investigative journalism really matter? Does it sell newspapers or increase ratings?
Consumers of such a vast tapestry of media, whether it be newspaper, radio, online, television broadcast, are all seeking the best possible, and most reliable angle to a story as told by a journalist, and so one who has gone out of their way to present myriad perspectives from a variety of sources is immediately appealing to the general public. With a generation that has developed an overall distrust and distaste of journalists, and the emergence of the 'stereotype' which has proven an ongoing problem over time, people will most definitely give preference over, in this case, and investigative journalist, than one who has simply appeared to sensationalise the issue with minimal fact, more fiction! And so, in my humble opinion, it does sell newspapers, and hence increase ratings = $$ PROFIT $$
5. Discussion of dilemma:
I've decided the best approach is a for/against method, as there is no immediate, obvious answer to this problem:
FOR (Publishing the Story):
- basic journalist ethic (newspaper has policy of recording all such convictions)
- the public want the truth, not some obscured 'fact'
- why publish a story about my own son regarding the same issue (drink driving), and hide an identical case? Is anyone/anything sacred?
- money and profits certainly isn't what it's all about when it comes down to it - many other advertisers out there that would be willing to fund the newspaper
AGAINST: (Not publishing story):
- lack of funds = possible closure of paper or retrenchment of several editorial and print-room staff
- your personal reputation and job is on the line as it is your responsibility/decision alone (future job prospects?)
- if it isn't published, it could be uncovered in the future and create even more controversy than if it was published in the first place; reputation of many people significantly tarnished (perhaps permanent); even heavy fines for such a scandal!
Hope you've enjoyed my insights!! :-)
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