The Mirror, the Watchdog and the MarketplacePrinciples of NewsJOUR 2300Professor Neil FooteMayborn School of Journalism

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Group Assignments• Each group leader is responsible for:

1. Leading his/her group in a 20 – 30 minute discussion during class time to respond to the assigned questions based on the readings

2. Be ready – upon request – to personally respond or have a team member respond to key questions about the readings, e.g. offering a summary of an article, highlighting major themes or findings or identifying the most significant sources or people featured in story

3. Report attendance of group to the Graduate Assistant

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Group Assignments• Each group should choose only one

of the following questions to prepare for: Chapter One, Question No. 1, p. 27 Chapter Two, Question No. 2, p. 57 Chapter Three, Question No. 1, p. 81

LasanthaWickramatunga

“The free media serve as a mirror in which the public can see itself sans mascara and styling gel.”

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Journalism a key player in democracy

Information dissemination

Representation

Deliberation

Conflict resolution

Accountability

Needs of self-governance include:

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Information dissemination• Democracy requires a method for

distributing all the information people need to make decisions and govern themselves

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Accountability• Holding the power accountable,

responsible for their actions – actions that affect all members of societies

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Representation• All people have a chance to be heard

– regardless of race, income, education attainment

• Providing voice to voiceless

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Deliberation• Create a forum in which the interests

of the public can be aired and debated

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Conflict resolution• Allow for the diversity of ideas to be

discussed so some kind of conclusion can be reached

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Three common metaphors• The Mirror

• Journalism shows us who we are• The Watchdog

• Journalism alerts us to what needs attention• The Marketplace

• Journalism offers us ideas to consider and a place to discuss options

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The press as a mirror

• Fulfills democratic needs for:• Information dissemination•Representation

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The press as a watchdog

• Fulfills democratic needs for:•Accountability• Information dissemination

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The press as a marketplace

• Fulfills democratic needs for:•Representation•Deliberation•Conflict resolution

Is the role of journalism more or less important than 200 years ago?

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Journalism and democracy around the world• What does it mean for the press in a

country to be free?• Free from what?• Free to do what?

• Which nation’s press is most free? Least free?• What kinds of challenges to press freedom exist in countries, both free and not so free?

• Why is press freedom important?

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The vanguard of liberties• “A popular Government, without popular

information, or the means of acquiring it, is but Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both.”

James Madison

Journalism

Investigates

Creates conversation

Generates social

empathyEncourages

accountability

Informs

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Social responsibility theory• What happens when the press doesn’t

perform those functions?• Hutchins Commission: Free press in danger

• In danger of what?• What was to blame?• “Behave, or else!”

• Gave rise to the idea of journalism as a profession• Along with freedoms come (public) responsibilities

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Freedom and responsibility

But if we say it MUST perform them, then how free is it, really?

Has to be FREE to perform those functions

Performs necessary functions

“The press” is important to democracy

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Chapter 1 - KEY Takeaways • Journalism plays an important role in

democratic self-governance• Performs functions related to information dissemination, accountability, representation, deliberation and conflict resolution• The mirror, watchdog and marketplace metaphors are common ways of describing those functions

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Chapter 1 - KEY Takeaways • Journalism must be free to

perform those functions, but also responsible for doing so•A key tension in journalism•Many barriers to performing necessary functions•Elements of Hutchins Commission still ring true today

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What Is Journalism?

• You Define?????

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Our definition• Journalism is a set of transparent,

independent procedures aimed at gathering, verifying and reporting truthful information of consequence to citizens in a democracy.

Key adjectives

Transparent• About what?• Open• Accountable• Similar to…?• Necessary, but difficult

Independent• From whom?• Free• No divided loyalties• Similar to…?• Also difficult

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Kovach & Rosentiel:Elements of journalism1. Obligation to truth2. Loyalty to citizens3. Discipline of verification4. Independence from those they cover5. Monitor of power6. Forum for criticism/compromise7. Make the significant interesting and relevant8. Comprehensive and proportional9. Personal conscience

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Let’s discuss• Which news organizations do you

consider the most accurate and credible? Why?

• What makes one news organization more credible than the other?

• What drives the perception?• Types of stories? Political viewpoint?

Quality of writing/reporting? Pictures?

What does the definition omit?

Objective• What does that really

mean?• What’s in the definition

that addresses objectivity-like concerns?

Professional• Suggests status or

authority• Implies standards are

a defining feature• So why not include?

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Aren’t “news” and “journalism” the same thing?• Check out this definition:

• “A current, reasoned reflection, in print or telecommunications, of society’s events, needs and values”

• News can mean different things in different places• Our definition suggests information is the raw

material of journalism.• Is news the output? Why or why not?

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A person or a practice?• Less concerned about whether or not

to label a person a “journalist” • More concerned about whether the

process is “journalistic”• People committing “acts” of

journalism

Citizen journalism• The idea behind citizen journalism is that

people without professional journalism training can use the tools of modern technology and the global distribution of the Internet to create, augment or fact-check media on their own or in collaboration with others.

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Credibility based on…• Trustworthiness• Expertise• How do we know?

• Interestingly, the cues we’ve used for a long time might be getting lost in the shuffle

Journalism is not…

PR or Advertising• First loyalty to client,

not the public

Entertainment• Entertainment, not

democratic information, is primary function

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Chapter 3 – How News is Made• Distinctions among news, information and

journalism• Criteria of newsworthiness• The news-making process

• Beats• Enterprise stories• Pseudo events

• News as a construction• Commodification of news

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Newsworthiness

Timeliness

Proximity

Unique

Human Interest

Impact

Helpfulness

Celebrities

Entertainment

Dramatic

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Where does news come from?• Spontaneous• Random• Extraordinary• Planned/staged: Press releases, press

conferences• Beats• Enterprise/investigative

News v. information? • News

• Reported: interviews with knowledgeable sources• Requires judgment• Verified• Transparent• Organized• Answers the questions:

who? What? Where? Why? When?

• Information• Anyone can share information• It’s everywhere – become a commodity• Not always fact-based

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What’s news?• Rescued Subway Kitties, Arthur and August,

Getting "Much-Needed TLC": ACC• Service was suspended for about an hour on

the B and Q lines when the kittens ran on the tracks last week

• http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Kittens-Subway-Tracks-Brooklyn-MTA-Delays-Shut-Down--221662261.html

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Let’s discuss…• Do readers and viewers understand

the difference between information? News? Journalism?

• Examples????

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Let’s discuss…• Are certain types of media better at

conveying stories with certain types of news values?

• Examples????