1. Chapter 14 – The Culture of Journalism While these slides were created using material from the above textbook, they are not official presentations from the publisher, Bedford/St. Martin’s. In addition, many slides may contain professor’s supplemental notes on various media topics.
2. “Real news is bad news—bad news about somebody, or bad news for somebody.” Marshall McLuhan
3. In This Chapter… Information Overload News Values Clashing Issues Fake News
5. Information Overload Two Issues: 1. We are producing too much information—much of it “unchecked data” mainly on the Internet Neil Postman’s quote: “information glut”, where with developments in new technology, we have transformed news and information into “a form of garbage” 2. The amount of information the media provide has little impact on improving public and political life—leaving many people to feel cut off from major institutions, including journalism
6. News Values Newsworthiness – information most worthy of transformation into news stories Criteria generally include: Timeliness Proximity Conflict Prominence Human interest Consequence Usefulness Novelty Deviance Journalists are professionally socialized to select and develop news stories based on different combinations of these criteria.
7. News Values Today’s News Definition: News - the process of gathering information and making narrative reports—edited by individuals in for-profit news organizations—that offer selected frames of reference; within those frames, news helps the public make sense of prominent people, important events, and unusual happenings in everyday life.
10. What significant public knowledge will be gained through the exploitation of a tragic private moment?Clashing Issues Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics Clashing Issues: “The news media must guard against invading a person’s right to privacy.” “The public’s right to know of events of public importance and interest is the overriding mission of the mass media.”
11. Clashing Issues Conflict of Interest – any situation where journalists may benefit personally from stories they produce. SPJ: “Gifts, favors, free travel, special treatment or privileges can compromised the integrity of journalists and their employers. Nothing of value should be accepted.”
12. Fake News The Daily Show with Jon Stewart The Colbert Report Their humor is in poking fun at the typical conventions the media use to tell stories. Audiences, particularly younger ones, have grown tired of the same old formulaic packaging of sound bites and newscasts. “There’s no journalist today, real or fake, who is more significant for people 18 to 25.” --Seth Siegel, advertising and branding consultant, talking about Jon Stewart
