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JOURN 1100: EXAM 1
Sociology in Journalism
(3 keywords) |
Identity (who am I and what do people make of me?)
Construction (nothing is given as fact)
Acculturation (change) |
What does journalism do? #1? |
It exists in a social capital |
Social Capital |
a concept of Pierre Bourdieu
"the aggregate of the actual or potential resources, which are linked to possession of a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintince and recognition."
what: a web of connections, mostly unwritten rules
why: to gain access, to be included
how: convert social capital into economic capital |
What does journalism do? #2 |
It disseminates news
What: constructs reality
Why: fulfills people's innate need of news, it enables people to make decisions
How: influences people's feelings, directs attention to issues, gives people a peak into the unknown, gets people talking, traditional gatekeeping |
Traditional gate-keeping |
how to select from the flood of info?
personal preferences/advertising influences
availibility of news releases
audience's needs: intensive versus extensive reading
audience's expertise: theory of the interlocking public |
What does journalism do? #3 |
It reflects influences from society
What: journalism is shaped by others
Why: it is embedded in a society and must stay relevant to be useful
Who: sources and audiences
How: works with a finite amount of resources (deadlines, money, sources) |
What is democracy? |
a system of government in which people govern themselves (Craft and Davis)
"the primary purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with the info they need to be self-governing." (Kovach and Rosenthal)
|
Metaphor 1 |
Journalism is a mirror
Function of a mirror
-truth revealing device
The responsibility of a journalist with a mirror?
-ensure the pic is clear and accurate
- show it to the public |
Metaphor 2 |
Journalism is a watchdog
Stinographer (write everything)
Get in depth, different perspectives, analyze
Take action
Remain vigilant
Bark and alert the master at any impending threats
Protect the master
Journalism is needed to keep government in line |
Why is a watchdog necessary? |
Most people lack time
Make public actors accountable |
Metaphor 3 |
Journalism is a marketplace.
Function of a marketplace
-offer necessary items for purchase
What do people do in a marketplace?
-congregate
-talk/discuss
-bargain/negotiate
-are all people equal |
How is cost determined? |
Season/geography/competition
Some ideas have more currency than others |
Four Roles of Media |
1. Collaborative
2. Monitorial
3. Radical
4. Facilitative |
Collaborative |
works with groups to provide info
EX. inform residents of shelters that the city has opened |
Monitorial
|
watchdog role (but still remaining objective)
EX. report on the capacity of the shelter and suggest that the faculty might not be large enough to hold everyone |
Radical |
proactive in trying to bring about change (critiquing and not objective)
EX. Report that high-level city officials have already driven to a safer region of the state and there is no pubic transportation out of the city. |
Facilitative |
acts as liason (works with two groups of people) among groups
EX. publish a checklist box, encouraging residents to check on their neighbors, especially the elderly |
What should journalism do? |
1. Be independent
2. Inform/analyze/explain
3. Embrace a curator role
4. Encourage accountability (watchdog role)
5. Generate social empathy
6. Create a public conversation |
#1: Be independent |
be careful of not becoming too ideologically and emotionally close to sources because perception can be clouded |
#2: Inform/analyze/explain
|
Because journalism has access to various perspectives, it should enable citizens to make good decisions by discriminating between what's important and trivial info |
#3: Embrace a curator role |
Disseminating news
Now there is more news than ever before, so a journalist must move beyond gatekeeping to facilitating the flood of news |
#4: Encourage accountability (watchdog role) |
Disseminating news
Carry out in-depth investigations. It is not sufficient to simply report on the who, what, and where. Report on the deep-rooted reasons and potential that implicates society
|
#5: Generate social empathy
|
Because journalism exists in a social capital
Journalism should report in a way that people of different social capital can increase understanding "Give a voice to the voiceless"
|
#6: Create a public conversation |
Because journalism exists in a social capital
Because journalism is in connection with various people, it should use those connections to enable people to connect with each other |
Walter Lippman |
Info should be available to the elite since they are the most educated
INFORMATION |
John Dewey |
You learn most when discussing things
CONVERSATION |
Lippman vs. Dewey |
Which one will lead us closer to democracy? |
Nick Diakopoulos |
Said journalism should be transparent by:
1. Dislosure of the production process (making clear of where you get info from)
2. Decisions- how the relevant editorial decisions were made and where you stand on the issues
3. Lack of uncertainty
4. Admit your mistakes, make corrections
5. Labeling, make sure you reveal where your funding is coming from |
The Public Sphere |
EX. Enlightenment period with salons and coffeehouses
Everyone is equal (status doesn't matter)
Everyone shares common concerns
Everyone is included (no cliques) |
Critiques of the Public Sphere |
Jurgen Habemos
1. Status doesn't matter
2. The notion of "common concerns is ambiguous (has a double meaning)
3. Inclusivity is an ideal
4. Rule by majority
Whose fault is it? The mass media! |
What differentiates news from information? |
Balance
Checking it out (verification) |
How is journalism different from blogs? |
anyone can blog
blogs are usually in 1st person
it is your own opinion
FREEDOM OF SUBJECTIVITY
PRODUCTION PROCESS
EDITORIAL DECISIONS
YOU CAN KEEP A BLOG UP TO DATE
PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO INTERACT AND COMMUNICATE THROUGH COMMENTS |
How is journalism different from citizen journalism? |
developed countries are different from developing countries
sometimes freedom of speech doesn't exist |
How is journalism different from infotainment? |
it presents information in a comical manner |
How is journalism different from strategic communications? |
strat comm is loyal to the business and journalists are loyal to their audience and readers. |
How do journalists go about verifying? |
the Scientific Method |
Science Side of the Scientific Method |
1. Observe
2. Hypothesize
3. Test the hypothesis
4. Analyze and repeat |
Journalism Side of the Scientific Method |
1. Be analytical. What can I read to get background knowledge?
2. Be empirical. Does this source provide evidence to support the info?
3. Be rational. Based on my knowledge, is this likely?
4. Be skeptical. Why might someone be giving up this info? |