Segment 1 Review

Module 1

Early American Journalism A: 1940s B: 1800 C: 1690 D: 1920s  1800s X: 1729 Television news started, and films began showing short clips of news items before or after the shows. Benjamin Franklin circulated the most popular newspaper in the colonies. Telegraphs and railroads helped reporters send news across long distances. More daily newspapers and regular magazines came out, including some in other languages. The first American newspaper ended in the arrest of the publisher. Radio entered the scene, giving audiences a new option for gathering their news.

Newspapers: Yesterday and Today The headlines and pictures we are used to seeing were not used in colonial newspapers. However, some aspects, such as the top bar with the title, are similar to what you see in modern periodicals. Early American newspapers mixed editorial content with the news. Today’s readers want to know whether they are reading biased or impartial stories, and they expect reporters to be up front about the difference. American newspapers not only looked different years ago; they were made differently. The supplies needed to create a small newspaper were quite expensive, and printers often produced only a few hundred copies per run.

Module 2

What’s the difference? Broadsheet Tabloid

“Tabloid” News: Sensational News Attract attention May not be true Tabloid-sized papers can provide sensational or “hard-hitting” news

Characteristics of newspapers: The following are: T or F Provide up-to-the-minute news updates Can be daily or weekly Operate under deadlines Put all news stories under one big heading Divide topics and viewpoints into different sections

What are some of the sections of a newspaper?

Magazines Many forms Many topics Publish once a week or once a month Mostly cover events of lasting interest Which of the following are you most likely to find information about in a weekly newspaper? Robbery at the town bank Upcoming presidential election Local high school football team

Module 3

Radio: Many channels Variety of shows: Talk Comedy News Music

Radio: Use of adjectives to describe scene Clear speaking voice Pronunciation Pauses sometimes = emphasis

Television: Many types of programming Moving pictures and sound

Credibility What makes a news broadcast credible?

Credibility: Determining Fact or Opinion Word choice- positive or negative Who is being interviewed? Images- what kind are being shown? Reporter’s demeanor Phrases- “should be/do,” “right,” “wrong,” etc.

Questions to ask: Where did this quote come from? Are both sides of the story being presented? Does news seem realistic or newsworthy?

Internet News: Internet news is becoming more and more popular. While there are many credible sites out there, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether information online is trustworthy. Consider these questions when evaluating an internet site: Who publishes it? Are there other sources that can confirm this information? What is the motivation for this site, blog, magazine etc.? Wikipedia

Citizen Journalism Citizen journalists are ordinary citizens who take it upon themselves to take video or pictures of or make comments on what is happening around them. They generally do not have a background in journalism, are not bound by a professional code of ethics and are not employed by a newspaper, magazine etc. While citizen journalists may have valid or interesting commentary on events, it is important to recognize these differences between them and professional journalists.

Ethics: What do you believe it means to be “ethical”?

Codes of Ethics Journalists often have a code of ethics to guide them as they do their work Some of the Guidelines for Photographers: -Be accurate-don’t alter images -Don’t stage or fall victim to staged photo ops -Provide context (make sure photo is representative of as much of the story as possible), avoid bias -Treat subjects with respect/dignity -Don’t reward subjects for participation -Don’t be influences by gifts or bribes -Don’t sabotage others

4 Guidelines for all Journalists Seek the truth and report it as fully as possible Act Independently Minimize harm Be accountable

First Amendment Freedom of speech, press, assembly and petition Which part is most important for journalists? A) Speech B) Press C) Assembly D.)Petition

Freedom of the press allows journalists to do their job without fear of legal repercussions (in most cases). Why is this important?

Intellectual Property Refers to other people’s creations or ideas Once a journalists’ work is published, it is protected by copyright Taking credit for someone else’s work is plagiarism

Slander and Libel Both deal with reporting false and harmful information Slander= spoken Libel= written For average citizens: Just need to prove negligence For celebrities: Need to prove organization tried to deliberately distort the truth

Sensationalism News designed to keep people interested not informed Often called Yellow Journalism after a character in William Randolph Hearst’s paper This kind of journalism fails to quote sources or provide accurate information This kind of journalism can call the ethics and credibility of a reporter or organization into question

Module 4

Persuasion Newspapers often divide editorial sections from impartial ones However, sometimes we, as consumers of news need to be aware of when it is not clear an opinion is being expressed rather than a fact

Logos Appeals based on logic, what can be proven Often takes the form of statistics However, statistics alone may not give the whole story-how was the research done? Does it represent a majority or minority? It is possible that there is an instance of logical fallacy?

Logical Fallacies: Bandwagon: Relies on what the majority of people are doing- uses the argument of “Everyone is doing it.” False Dilemma: Suggestion that there are only two options Correlation and Causation: Suggestion that one thing caused another

Journalists need to be aware of these fallacies so that they do not make faulty suggestions or lead audiences to make incorrect assumptions

Pathos Appeal to emotion Often communicated through word choice Some reporters use this as part of their job Opinion writers, editorial writers, reviewers Must watch not to try and manipulate people even if using emotion (Propaganda)

Ethos An appeal to the audience’s sense of right and wrong Even though journalists may have their own thoughts and feelings about a situation, they need to be able to remain impartial to remain ethical

Checking Ethos Consider the source Be aware of any agenda the journalist may have Do your research Explore both sides Remember: Sharing other’s opinions does not mean a reporter is biased

Bias Comes from belief or personal experience May cause people to ignore details that might change their mind Can be difficult to recognize-not always “I think” or “I believe.” Hard to put bias aside Tone = word choice Important to be aware of bias May choose not to write about a topic you have strong feelings about = conflict of interest