1. §1.5: The Role of the Media
September 22, 2010

2. The Media
transmission channels over which information and/or data is delivered
print media (newspaper, magazines),
broadcast media (radio, TV),
Internet-based media (blogs, Youtube, websites)

3. The Role of the Media
to report objectively on current and historical events and how they affect our social, cultural and physical environments

4. Investigative Journalism
a type of journalism in which reporters carefully and deeply investigate a particular subject of relevant interest to the public at large
sometimes called “watchdog journalism”
Woodward and Bernstein: Watergate

5. News Journalism
a type of journalism in which the facts are reported objectively and sources are verified
can be on radio, TV or Internet

6. The Elements of Journalism
A book by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel (2007)
detailing what they see as being journalist’s professional obligations to society

7. The Elements of Journalism
Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth
Its first loyalty is to the citizens
Its essence is discipline of verification
Its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover
It must serve as an independent monitor of power
It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise
It must strive to make the significant interesting, and relevant
It must keep the news comprehensive and proportional
Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience
From The Elements of Journalism, Kovach and Rosenstiel (2007)

8. Yellow Journalism
a type of journalism (usually print media) that presents research-absent or poorly-researched news and instead uses sensationalism to attract readers

9. Yellow Journalism
Frank Luther Mott (American historian and journalist) (1941) defined yellow journalism in terms of five basic characteristics:
scare headlines in huge print, often of minor news
lavish use of pictures or imaginary drawings
use of faked interviews, misleading headlines, pseudo-science, and false conclusions from fake experts
emphasis on full-colour Sunday supplements (w/comics)
dramatic sympathy with the “underdog” against the “system”

10. Media Bias
refers to the bias of either journalists or news producers in the deliberate selection of which events and stories are reported and how they are told

11. Types of Bias
advertising bias: when stories are selected or modified to please advertisers
corporate bias: when stories are selected or modified to please corporations with a vested interest in a media outlet
mainstream bias: a tendency to report what most other media sources are reporting and avoid stories which may offend anyone
sensationalism: over-hyping, being deliberately controversial or being “loud” about a story to increase its exposure beyond what it might normally be accounted

12. Tools for Measuring Bias
A study by Richard Alan Nelson (2004) entitled, “Tracking Propaganda to the Source: Tools for Analyzing Media Bias” cited that there are at least 12 methods used to analyze the existence of and quantify bias

13. Tools for Measuring Bias
Surveys of political/cultural attitudes of journalists
Studies of journalists prior professional connections
Collections of quotations in which a journalist reveals their beliefs about politics and the role of their profession
Computer word-use and topic analysis of article content

14. Tools for Measuring Bias
Studies of policies recommended by journalists in news stories
Comparison of the agenda of entertainment and news medias with agendas of political entities
Positive/negative coverage analysis
Reviews of the personal demographics of media decision makers (media outlet owners, news producers, reporters)

15. Tools for Measuring Bias
Comparisons of advertising sources/content which influence information content
Analyses of the extent to which government propaganda and PR industry impact the media
Studies of the use of experts and spokespeople vs. those not selected to determine the interest groups and ideologies represented vs. those excluded
Research into payment of journalists and the effect this may have on their news coverage