You Cannot Serve Two Masters: Journalism Loyalties

What do you do when a story emerges that unfavorably depicts the organization that owns your tv station? Report or not to report? Journalism's first responsibility is to citizens. "A Covenant with the Public" is another phrase for this phenomena. Robert Downey, Jr. in "Loyalty Oath." Adolph Ochs bought the New York Times, sought to give the news impartially. Journalism would still exist without advertising, even though it is a big component.

Thoughts on September 20 Class

The concept of absolute versus relative truth is very important to understand to be an ethical journalist because it requires the evaluation of biased and unbiased information. An ethical journalist should be able to clearly distinguish between these two types to present reliable information. I know that when I'm a journalist my constant mindset when developing or covering a story will be to hear as many sides of the issue or situation as possible so that I can present credible reports! This video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv-J_ArEJ8w provides further information regarding what it means to be an ethical journalist. The concept that information in news does not make it truthful is also critical to editing a report before broadcasting it. If it is news, it does not necessarily make it accurate because information can be skewed through human error or otherwise. A good journalist should always approach a story with an objective viewpoint until multiple sources have confirmed the information. This news story: http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/27/opinion/raines-class-warfare/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 is an opinion article, which is an example of when it is okay to be subjective rather than objective and no sources need to be cited unless used. I believe that the American audience should be trusted with more information so that they can make more informed decisions when voting and when deciding which issues are the most important in this country. Trust between the reporter and the audience is crucial, especially with today's technology and online forums. This article: http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/community-engagement/122806/highlights-from-sxsw-7-steps-to-building-trust-and-credibility-with-an-online-audience/ describes ways that journalists can build their credibility reputation and ultimately establish goodwill through their articles.
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You Can't Handle the Truth! Can We?

Movie with Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson: "You can't handle the truth!"
Goal of journalism: to get the truth or is the truth always elusive? Absolute vs. relative truth. A basic human right is to be informed. How accurately can journalists report? "Truth as a Journalist" Kevin Marsh of the BBC College of Journalism: watch here! News doesn't equal truth necessarily. Some people will make more of an effort to find the truth. Journalists must live by a moral code. People can usually tell when something is an untruth. "Daily Prophet" video of Harry Potter. Obama has a website that promotes his political views and agenda: attackwatch.com. The Taliban and fundamentalists use censorship to stifle opposition. Verification= process of establishing truth and accuracy. Some website suffixes will help filter reliable and unreliable information. "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair, "I aimed for the public's heart but I hit it in the stomach." Watergate Scandal --> impeachment of President Nixon.

Thoughts on Sept 13's Class

Courtney Carter

Comms 239

The Youtube video shown during the presentation was not only interesting, but informative and thought-provoking. The United States is an incredible country, but we are being eclipsed by other countries with more information and resources. The media is a way to bridge the gap through the digitalization of information to create that constant flow. If information continues to be exchanged at this growing rate through the internet and online forums, then there is a great hope that we can make greater use of our collective intellect through collaboration and discussion. Also, the discussion was encouraging for the concept of being a freelance reporter since such a large percentage of profit for broadcasting industries is made through advertisement and broadcasting is made available to the masses through social networks and public or private websites. During this transition between hard copy and digitalization, there is stress on the position of a broadcaster but also great opportunity to self-employ and make a profit based on viewership. I could make money right now off of the blogs I post using AdSense by Google. I predict that this concept will be widely-embraced my journalists entering the workforce who will have difficulty finding a position. The future of news is not in print, and it’s becoming less dependent on job qualification since most people have access to the internet. 

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Time magazine doesn't believe that print industry can survive the Internet: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1538652,00.html

TVNewsCheck believes that a future for broadcast journalism will rely heavily on content: http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2010/04/13/41431/yes-theres-a-future-for-broadcast-news

Aspiring freelance reporters like myself can apply for jobs through online employment agencies like this one: http://www.online-writing-jobs.com/jobs/freelance-reporting-jobs.php

September 13, 2011: Am I Doing this Correctly?

Unbreakable Journalist Rules:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZpwrWdmAjw

How did terrorist attacks on Sept 11 affect religion? John Blake is amazed by innate goodness of people. CNN News: 4 Ways Sept 11 Changed Religion

Future of Journalism: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnDDNgqzxjs

News is like food: it is perishable and people will only consume what they like. Can the internet support professional journalism? Yes, but we're in a difficult transition because reporters for the internet are earning a lot less. Advertising is critical to support news websites. Internet is driven by more than $200 billion. Biggest technological trend: digital. Digitalized information can be transmitted easily --> constant flow. Disadvantages of digital: manipulation of images and unverified sources can mislead. (Dove Beauty Campaign) News can be filtered according to interest. Digital allows journalists to be mobile: laptops, cell phones, satellite and GPS.
Rapid changes in journalism throughout decades. Newspapers emphasize brevity to appeal to younger readers. Regulations on freedom of press: The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1978, Vietnam-era Pentagon Papers. "Did You Know?" Youtube video, Did You Know? 75% of nightly news watchers are over the age of 65.
25 billion video streams
every minute, 20 hours (of information?)...
Ron Paul wasnt funded by major media networks, he raised $10 million in a day on Facebook. No longer have to cater to popular views to be aired. Customizing news (only reading what you're interested in) leading to an uninformed audience.