MEDIA POWER AND CULTURE STUDY GUIDE 4 newsworthy whether it merits transformation into news stories THE CULTURE OF JOURNALISM VALUES ETHICS AND DEMOCRACY News the process if gathering information and making reposts that use a narrative framework that is news reports tell stories Neutral journalism is a selective process and is governed by a deeper set of subjective beliefs that are not neutral Ethnocentrism reporters judge other countries and cultures by the basis of how they live up to or imitate American practices and values Responsible capitalism responsible capitalism assumes that the purpose of business is not to maximize profits but to create increased prosperity for all Small town pastoralism whereby journalists tend to favor the small over the large and the rural over the urban Individualism attracted to the journalism profession because it has tended toward or praised an individualistic Some investigative journalists have used deception to gain access to the information they need to create news stories They ethical question about deception is Does the end justify such means The code instead calls on journalists to seek the truth and report it minimize harm act independently and be accountable to their readers viewers listeners and each other The public s right to know and the person s right to privacy Journalists should be free of obligations to any interest other than the public s right to know Journalism s code of ethics also warns reporters and editors not to place themselves in positions that create a conflict of interest that is situations in which journalists may stand to benefit personally from producing a story or form presenting the subject in certain light Journalists have developed specific reporting rituals that are derived from two somewhat contradictory desires to make news interesting and to demonstrate fairness Pack journalism reporters desperate for material stake out someone s house chase celebrities in herds or packs or follow a story with such seems to lose its bearings A sound bite is the part of a broadcast news report in which an expert a celebrity a victim or a person on the street responds to some aspect of an event or issue with a short memorable comment Today most American journalism relies heavily on informational model which emphasizes describing events and issues from a seemingly neutral stance The alternatives include the public and citizen journalism movements whereby citizens more actively participate in the news process and fake news forms exemplified by TV shows which satirize the limitations of mainstream news at the same time they provide often original if idiosyncratic news and analysis Fake news emerged as a response to increasing cynicism about the political process and other issues covered by journalists These developments suggest that journalism especially TV news needs to break free from tired formulas and create fresh ways to tell stories Journalism is central to democracy citizens must have access to information the news media provide to make important decisions MEDIA POWER AND CULTURE STUDY GUIDE 4 CASE STUDIES Bias in the news 388 all news is biased news political news public perception says that mainstream news media operate mostly with a liberal bias searching for liberal or conservative bias should not be the main focus of our criticism news reports are always biased Digital camera journalism 403 some of the thorniest professional and ethical issues surround the use of hidden cameras the program to catch a predator NBC footage by amateurs provide public with glimpses of the tsunamis smartphones LEGAL CONTROLS AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION First Amendment protections the beginning of free expression and press freedom protections Where did the idea of protecting free expression come from Concepts arose Athens and Rome as early as 5th century Printing press made it relevant to the masses English and French philosophers of 17th century became proponents of the rights of free speech and free press The right to criticize the government highly protected Belief at time we did not need to have the first amendment because there was nothing in the constitution that said it John Milton s Areopagitica 1644 and later John Stuart Mill s on Liberty 1859 o Where it all began for the US Trial of John Peter Zenger 1735 o Charged with seditious libel o o Truth as a defense Jury nullification Ramification of the first amendment 1791 Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances First Amendment theories the why Watchdog check on government power encourage oversight and discourage corruption Marketplace of ideas more information exposed to more viewpoints and conflicting values you find Absolutist Self realization you become a better human if you can express freely Stable change without it will act out in violence etc rebellion in schools out the truth ex civil rights movement The notion of strict scrutiny In order to justify a regulation of speech based on it s content the government must 1 Prove it has a compelling interest an interest of the highest order and 2 Prove that the regulation restricts no more speech than is necessary to serve that compelling interest Time place and manner restrictions permitted if not content based and not arbitrary Some fundamental principles Free expression provides benefit to both individuals and the societies in which they live Free expression involves protection for views we find abhorrent not just the views we support Right to free expression does not have to be earned but is fundamental human right Gitlow v New York 1925 First Amendment applies to the state and local government too MEDIA POWER AND CULTURE STUDY GUIDE 4 14th Amendment nor shall any state deprive any person of life liberty or property without due process of law nor deny any person with its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws Fighting words and hate speech When words have the potential to incite conduct or cause emotional harm Chaplinsky v New Hampshire 1942 Fighting words not protected by First Amendment Those words when uttered face to face that have a strong likelihood of provoking violence Justification for punishment is disruption not that the words cause offense or harm person at whom they were aimed R A V v St