the journalist role in shaping news - lssc.edu · functions of journalists ... “a free society...
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The Journalist Role
in Shaping News
Influences on News Coverage
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Functions of Journalists
Report the News “rough draft of history”
Monitor Power (i.e. government, business, etc.)
Uncover Injustice “bring to light”
Tell Stories “delight & amaze”
Sustaining Communities “conversation with itself”
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Journalists…
News reporters?
OR
News shapers??
Do journalists reflect or mold public opinion?
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Expectations of Journalists
Citizens have a right to expect journalists to:
Have a priority of truth.
Be loyal to citizens.
Practice a discipline of verification.
Be independent from those they cover.
Serve as an independent monitor of power.
Provide a forum for public criticism and compromise.
Make the significant interesting and relevant.
Keep news comprehensive and proportional.
Exercise their personal conscience.
• from The Elements of Journalism: What News people Should Know and the Public Should Expect
by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel
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What journalists DO:
Agenda-settingplacing issues on the public agenda for discussion
Gate-keepingprocess of determining what becomes news
Navigationguiding audience through information to solid meaning
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Being “in the Know”
News Media is responsible to know
the news
Research
Sort & Sift
Inform
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Editorial Influences
Time constraints
Space constraints
Advertising space
Research & sources
Editorial priorities
Local focus
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Shaping News
Selecting topics audiences read & hear
News agenda sets public agenda
Molding &reflecting public opinion
What news highlights infers significance
prominence + emphasis = importance
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The News Process...
Which news do
we cover?
Ignore?
Rejected
Gatekeeping
Function
Not all that pass
through the “gate” get
equal treatment
Agenda setting
Function
Framing
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Setting the Agenda...
Framing = taking a particular perspective on a story
tone, language
sources used
treatment of sources/differing sides
omitting a particular view or perspective
positive vs. negative words
OTHERS?...
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Other Influences on News...
Commercial Interests
Editorial Boards & Standards
Ethical Codes
Personal Perspectives of Journalists
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This raises the questions…
Isn‟t news suppose to be objective?
Aren‟t journalists suppose to be
unbiased?
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Myth of Objectivity
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What is Objectivity?
“Best obtainable version of the truth”
Presenting info without reflecting any
personal or corporate bias.
Scientific concept of neutrality
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History of Objectivity
Post-WWI (1900s) Reaction to sensationalism/propaganda
1947 Hutchins Commission on Freedom of the Press “A free society needs from journalists „a truthful,
comprehensive and intelligent account of the days‟ events in a context which gives them meaning‟.”
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Accepted Journalistic Standard:
Objectivity:
- observable facts
-reporting free of biases
Became a journalistic ideal.
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Challenge to Objectivity
Hard to get facts
Hard to tell what facts mean
Hard to tell what a fact is
Often reporters often have only a few hours to learn as many facts as possible to write a story that will then be edited down to half the size.
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Challenge of Objectivity
Journalists are human and have opinions.
Complete objectivity implies neutral/no values.
Many admit total objectivity is impossible.
U.S. Society of Professional Journalists
dropped "objectivity" from code of ethics in
1996
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NEW STANDARDS:
Accuracy & Fairness
Accuracy: paying attention to detail & being precise in relaying information Context as important as details.
Fairness: allowing all available and viable viewpoints opportunity for response Avoid following own biases
Seek different viewpoints
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Standards of Fairness
Emphasis on impartiality
Journalist's opinion should not be visible
Avoid promoting a particular point of view
Do not set out to prove something
Report significant viewpoints fairly
Consider all key players
Present complete & honest picture
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Journalists must:
Be aware of own opinions • keep in check
Avoid telling one-sided stories• look for contrasting views
• seek out differing opinions especially when facts are in dispute
Verifying assertions with facts
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Selects topics audience will read & hear
Leads public to judge what is important
• Molds public opinion
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In Summary…
The media has influence over what is news.
Being a journalist = being a news maker
Process of news creation is limited and has biases.
Journalists need to strive for fairness & accuracy.
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Source
(Michael Schudson in Discovering the
News)
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Activity
Looking at lead/main story in the section:
• What make this a front page news story?
• What factors may have played a role in how this
particular story was told [framed]?
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History of Objectivity Post-WWI (1900s)
Journalists try to make sense of world
Societal influences:• Shift in traditional values (i.e. Freud)
• Emerging economic forces (i.e. Marx)
Reaction to sensational, opinion reporting Shift emphasis to observable fact
“Transparent” techniques to pursue truth • Disclosure of objectives & methods
1947 Hutchins Commission on Freedom of the Press “A free society needs from journalists „a truthful,
comprehensive and intelligent account of the days‟ events in a context which gives them meaning‟.”