Front Back
Knowledge Problem
-Journalists accuracy is compromised by reliance on sources -Public officials are primary sources -politicians have adopted to "he said she said" -Journalistic truth: pg 61 of Patterson
Journalistic Truth
-provide truth -sorting-out process -conversation
What is missing from journalistic truth
complexity context
end result of journalistic truth
"narrow conception" of the truth inverted pyramid
inverted pyramid
who, what, when, where, why, how -supporting details -background details -general details
benefits of journalistic truth
-recognizable structure -standardized practice -boosts new judgement -pushes journalists to write well -leads
drawbacks
-medium-centric -dated format -front-loads info -superficial
lack of complexity
-Lippman: "journalism does not deal well with complexity" -leading to --flashes of insight, questionable assertions --too little time, too much uncertainty
Journalism's challenge
lack of disciplinary, systematic knowledge, (example: law, medicine)
Lack of Knowledge drawbacks
-autonomy is less protected -judgement is less informed -facts commanded by others --public officials --manipulation --he said/she said journalism
knowledge
-"The more precise the system of record, the more precise the news coverage" (example: change in obesity coverage)
Accuracy Improves
-ex: 538 -"the surest way to improve the accuracy of news is for journalists to make fuller use of knowledge" -journalists should prove "comprehensive and intelligent account of the days events in a context that gives them meaning" -to be in the know, you have to know
knowledge
-starting point and ending product -the goal: journalists who are more than "common carriers"
skills journalists need
-adaptability -accountability -writing -curiosity -time management -determination -creativity -media skills -resourcefulness -compassion -ingenuity -versatility -realism -personality -diligence -motivation -empathy -vocabulary
benefits of knowledge
-guidance -proportion -plausibility -verification -truth
Science of reporting
-never add anything -never deceive audience -be transparent -exercise humility
who pays for journalism
-pg. 86 of Craft and Davis -Tension: Public Service vs. profit
Commercial vs. Public
US- market based UK- public service based (controlled by government
radio's role
telecommunications act of 1934 -created FCC -Fairness Doctrine
Advantages and Disadvantages of Market Based
ASK ABOUT THIS -a lot of competition -a lot of similarity in coverage
Advantages and Disadvantages of Public Service
ASK -less watchdog journalism
Dual-Product Model -Two-sided market
See Diagram in notes
Why does audience value news?
entertainment info representation
why do advertisers news?
free advertising money
business execs who pay for digital news
finance (47%) consulting (40%) media and advertising (40%) tech (40%) total (37%)
reasons
brand reputation (46%) access to exclusive info (45%) quality of journalism (41%) unobtrusive ads (23%)
network effect
platforms and products being more useful as more people use them
Market Orientation vs. Public Orientation
Market Model- unregulated, no regulation Public- can't meet all needs, government has a role
are media like other products?
market- yes public - no
public viewed as
market- consumers public- citizens
market model advantages
efficiency, responsiveness, flexibility, innovation
propublica
investigative journalism in the public interest -established in 2007
nonprofit
create social value -unique, relative content -attracts, understands, engages with audiences creates economic value -multiple revenue streams, foundations, sponsorships ads, events, donors Adapts and innovates -invests in technology, marketing, business development
paywalls
-a system that prevents internet users from accessing webpage content without a paid subscription first: wall street journal
hard paywalls
-minimal or no access to content without a subscription -risky: some see as a major deterrent to attracting users
soft paywall (metered model)
more flexibility in what viewers can see without subscription -some free content -unlimited access requires a subscription
hyperlocal
a form of journalism marked by its intense focus on locality -community news, defined by geography -citizen produced -often distributed through blogs -citizen content welcome
Patch
national network of one person bureaus -hyperlocal coverage of suburbs -purchased by AOL in 2009 -majority stake sold to Hale Global in 2014
Legacy Media
-old approach -predate internet -newspapers, radio, television, and magazines -depend on heterogeneous (diverse) mass audience and advertising revenue -one-way communication
digital first
-new approach -serve audience quickly on digital news platforms -legacy media reorganize to break news on digital platform first
Hybrid Platforms
aggregators and curators -pulls stories from around the web to appeal to audience's interest -some platforms summarize a story for social networks -personality fueled blogs/single issue sites --begin with a single topic but morph outward
disruptors
startups delivering content in new ways that altered the marketplace
The Education Problem (info problem)
public deeply misinformed on key public policy issues -dangerous to democracy
Education Problem (source problem)
-reliance on official sources -he said, she said, journalism, with no independent verification
Education Problem (knowledge problem)
-what is trade off between skills and knowledge?
is journalism fulfilling responsibilities?
Patterson says no -calls for knowledge-based journalism -contemporary journalism is filled with "untrustworthy " and "pointless" info -page 10
Knowledge-based journalism
-can't just blame the public -"talk show" model of journalism takes over in 1990s -more opinion than ever before -this model appeals to herd mentality in the audience -leads to polarization of audience in "cyber-ghettos"
Bias
no evidence exists of partisan bias in mainstream media -the real bias, is journalists' tendency toward the negative (patterson) --when the economy tanks, it makes the front page -the public routinely overplays crime rates, which has a public policy impact result: cynicism among vot…
Mizzou's education problem
professional skill in the concept of broad-based liberal journalism
liberal arts
-knowledge essential to be free -classically grammar, logic, rhetorics -today: arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences
past and present
Journalism can be very good at describing the present -news values -focus is what's happening Journalism not always good at describing past -parachute journalism --come in when something is going on without key understandings time, resources, personel need to fill time slot …
infotainment
blurred lines between journalism and entertainment
multifaceted problem
part problem of pressure, also of knowledge -focused on who/what/when/where but not why -collecting the dots vs. connecting the dots -problem of using news values as sole criteria --seeking out reporting conflict for its own sake --or ignoring long term issues until they appear …
framing
episodic: single-event oriented, isolated incidents Thematic: context, broader narratives
What journalists need
awareness of relevant history, current affairs, analytical thinking -subject expertise -knowledge of journalism process -ethical awareness -practical skills 
Primary tools: observation and interviews
observation: what you see interviews: what others see
Ethical Theory
Jayson Blair -claimed to report from various states -fabricated comments -made up scenes -lifted material from other papers, wire services -selected details from photos to create impression he was on the scene
cardinal sins
-fabrication: manufacturing or falsifying any facts, quotes, or events for a story -Plagiarism: a kind of intellectual theft, in which someone passes off another person's work and ideas as her/her own without attribution
Bad because...
seriously undermines a publication's integrity -ripple effect: if one is doing it, are others doing it? -audience questions if they can trust the news they hear/see/read
Market Model
influenced by economics of scale -cost advantages businesses obtain due to expansion horizontal integration -a single large media corporation owns a group of other organizations within the industry vertical integration -single company owns other companies across multiple industri…
6 media companies
own 90% of media in US -Disney, Comcast, Newscorp, Viacom, CBS, Timewarner
Market Ideal
market model is best with competition because -improved products -attractive money -innovation -happy consumers -no competition leads to government regulation
Public Sphere
news media space for public dialogue -info is free flowing and in public interest -citizen participation -diversity of ideas and voices -market success does not equal civic success -media's role in democracy (act for public, not entertainment)
minor markets
Hearst Corporation: owns part of ESPN -grown from William Randolph Hearst and Newspaper Business --owns Cosmo magazines Other companies such as McGlatchy and Tribune held power
journalisms first obligation is to
the truth
journalism defined
a set of transparent, independent procedures aimed at gathering, verifying, and reporting truthful info at conslavence to citizens in a democracy
ethics is not
-the same thing as morality -just about personal feelings -just about customs or social norms -the same thing as law
ethics is
standards of right and wrong that prescribe what you ought to do -beliefs are person to person, ethics are across the board
WD Ross
intuition can tell us our ethical duties
prima facie duties
self-evident, obvious, common sense duties -duties that you must act on when all other things are equal
perfect ethical duties
strictly binding, must be done, they come first
examples of perfect duties
-fidelity: keep promises -nonmaleficence: avoid causing harm -reparation: perfect only is harm was intentional, otherwise its imperfect. make up for harm -respect for persons: including yourself -formal justice: giving people what they earned, treat them equal
imperfect ethical duties
strongly encouraged- do if you can but wont always be able to act on
examples of imperfect
beneficence: doing what you can to improve the lives of others -gratitude: showing appreciation for what others have done for you -distributive justice: distributing social goods in a way that benefits the least advantage people -honesty: avoid misleading people to believing what is…
deontology
duties or roles
teleology
consequences
code of ethics
1. seek truth and report it 2. minimize harm 3. act independently 4. be accountable and transparent
the process of ethical decision making
1. start with open mind 2. get all the facts you can 3. listen to your gut 4. identify which duties are at stake 5. figure out the conflict you are facing 6. brainstorm and analyze 7. reach a conclusion with coworkers 8. try to minimize the harm your decision could do 9. lo…
ethics in practice
balance sensitivity to victims and the demands of verification -collaboration of survivor accounts

Access the best Study Guides, Lecture Notes and Practice Exams

Login

Join to view and access 3M+ class-specific study document.

or
We will never post anything without your permission.
Don't have an account?
Sign Up

Join to view 2 2 and access 3M+ class-specific study document.

or

By creating an account you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use

Already a member?