Blog Essay Week 12

EJ Chapter Nine

The Valerie Crane scenario from the start of the chapter does not surprise me. As a society, I think we are a bunch of followers. When we see someone else do something, we feel as though it is appropriate and okay. As someone who is 5 feet tall, I never thought I would be the type to wear a maxi dress. However, once it was established that these dresses were in style, I found a dress that could work for my petite frame.

This chapter also begins with the age-old question of what is news. This question engenders so much debate because different journalists and various people define news differently. For some, Kim Kardashian being on the cover of Vogue is major news, while others are much more concerned with searching for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

I agree with Kovach and Rosenstiel’s eighth principle that states “journalists should keep the news comprehensive and in proportion.” Even though I recognize the importance of Malaysian Flight 370, I think the media’s coverage of this one tragedy is widely out of proportion. Our favorite Jon Stewart took members of the media, including CNN, Fox and MSNBC, to task for their never-ending coverage.

I had never considered journalism to be analogous to cartography, but I think the news does serve as a map that guides people throughout their daily lives. One of the first things I do each morning is watch the news to see what is going on. This provides me with some interesting information I can discuss with my work colleagues or classmates. The depressing part is members of the news media are more focused on the sex of Christina Aguilera’s baby instead of focusing on the potential repercussions of President Obama’s meeting with the Saudi king. The news map featuring the Aguilera story reminds me of the maps that depicted England or Spain to be the same size as Greenland.

It is interesting to me how newspapers began to only target the affluent demographics in the 1980s. Cable television is a niche media because there are so many different channels allowing viewers to pick and choose exactly what they want. However, newspapers are supposed to offer readers a wide variety of news that is a snapshot of everything happening. How is this possible if whole segments of the population are left out?

I had never considered looking at the readers who did not attract advertisers as those adding to the costs of the newspaper. Personally, I think a loyal customer who purchases the newspaper on the way to work each day or has a subscription could never be a bad thing. When I think of newspaper advertisements, I do not think of unaffordable luxuries. Even though my family is financially stable, my mom subscribes to the weekend newspaper for the sole purpose of getting coupons. I see a major disconnect in the rationale of these newspaper companies.

It also seems like these companies followed a poorly designed business model in the late 1970s when they started ignoring the rising immigrant communities. Even if these people earned smaller incomes than their other readers, what would be the harm in covering issues that impact their communities? In addition, other businesses that work with various ethnic groups would likely have been more interested in advertising in these publications if they thought any of their customers actually read the paper.

When it comes to Floridian newspapers, I have always thought the Miami Herald was one of the best. It shocks me how the editors and publisher were largely ignorant about the greater forces at play.

As is true with many topics in journalism, news comprehensiveness and proportion are subjective. I like the point Kovach and Rosenstiel made when they mentioned how what citizens and journalists consider to be important can vary, as long as citizens believe the reporters have chosen what to publish for the right reasons.

Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth. A journalist or publication’s credibility will be largely based on whether they stay true to this journalistic principle. This idea also ties into hype.

I must say I never thought I would read the words “naked body and the guitar” in a class text, but there is a first time for everything. However, I think this metaphor effectively explains hype. Many news organizations are quick to put flashy headlines to attract clicks instead of focusing on a story’s substance. One story on Gawker today is under the headline “Allen Ginsberg Teaches You How to Give a Blowjob.” This headline lacks taste, but I will not deny that it jumped off the page.

While I disapprove of this type of hype, I do not think all displays of emotion by journalists are inappropriate. As this chapter said, it is worse to act like a robot than a human when tragedy strikes. When Megyn Kelly showed emotion during the Sandy Hook coverage, I knew she was reacting as a human, not a journalist. If journalists can then wipe away the tears and devote themselves to uncovering the full story, I will continue to appreciate their humanity.

I think people are quick to overlook the limitations of market research. If you ask me what my favorite dessert is and restrict the options to a brownie, a piece of cake or a cookie, I will select the brownie. However, if you ask me what my favorite dessert is, I will answer ice cream. When the options are limited, the person is restricted to certain responses. Someone could say fruit salad as his or her favorite dessert if the options are not strictly listed.

When it comes to journalism, this process is not as simple. Some people prefer the reporting style of Diane Sawyer, while others like to get their news from Brian Williams. Maybe some people like hearing the news from a woman or others like how NBC produces its news programs. However, based on the ratings, it seems like not many people are watching either Sawyer or Williams. Ultimately, these decisions are much more subjective than deciding which sweet treat to enjoy.

Many of these news organizations are getting bogged down in the market research. Instead of looking at what people in the community care about, they are focusing on individual statistics that often create confusion instead of eliminating it.

This does not mean I think all market research is useless. Valerie Crane’s comprehensive approach aims to provide a more complete picture of the community. In addition to learning about people’s backgrounds, I think finding out what motivates people to watch the news is essential. If many sampled viewers say they look to the news as a way to connect with their town or community, the news team can incorporate these sentiments into the stories being pursued.

It did not shock me that storytelling is thought to be more important than the topic. Two people could tell you the exact same piece of news, but one person can tell it in a much more compelling way.  When reading about the recent developments in the Chris Christie “bridgegate” fiasco, I looked to the USA Today and the New Yorker.

The USA Today article provided me the basic facts, including how an internal investigation showed how Christie had no involvement in the situation.

As a person who is passionate about politics, this topic interests me. However, this article was a total snooze-fest, including the incorporation of lackluster quotes. “Our findings today are a vindication of Gov. Christie,” lawyer Randy Mastro, who headed the investigation, said at a news conference Thursday. Why waste a quote on this boring statement? While this lawyer is an integral part of the story, I am sure he said something more quoteworthy.

The New Yorker article hooked me immediately. It began, “How has Chris Christie ‘carried himself?’ In a way that supports any story he wants to tell, apparently. There is a good man in the governor’s office of New Jersey—the lawyers whom he hired figured that out, after spending a million dollars in taxpayer money on an internal investigation into the decision to choke the town of Fort Lee with traffic.”  This article also featured segments from the report, but sections were skillfully included to expand upon the narrative the reporter established. From these types of stories, it is easy to see why this publication still has a loyal following.

From personal experience, I believe what John Carey said about people listening to television news instead of keeping their eyes glued to the screen. When I am eating dinner or completing homework, I often put the television on in the background. It is easy for me to follow what is going on without watching everything that is happening. In our multitasking society, I am led to believe this is the norm.

While I expect market research to continue being utilized, journalists need to focus on finding out how members of the community live, as well as why they consume the news.

Once the connection is reestablished, journalists and audiences can engage in conversation. As Orson Welles once said, “I can think of nothing that an audience won’t understand. The only problem is to interest them; once they are interested, they understand anything in the world.”

Is CSO online magazine the future of arts journalism?

This Theater Loop article really interested me because I think it brings up many of the issues we have been discussing during the semester. With our emphasis on objectivity, I was immediately wary of an organization preparing its own “music journalism site.”

The fourth key principle of journalism, according to Kovach and Rosenstiel, is “journalists must maintain an independence from those they cover.” How can the Chicago Symphony Orchestra remain independent from CSO Sounds & Stories? Isn’t it the point to have the relationship with the symphony orchestra to focus more on previews and additional media coverage?

Even with the hiring of talented arts editors and journalists, including Laura Emerick and Wynne Delacoma, I think these reporters would have trouble maintaining “independence of spirit and mind” when writing about the orchestra. It would be extremely hard to do this because the CSO would likely be signing their paychecks.

This practice also opens up Pandora’s Box because it can lead to native advertising. What would stop the CSO from advertising for its newest shows alongside articles that are supposed to be strictly objective?

Jones also brought up some interesting points pertaining to breaking news. If the CSO breaks the news in its own publication, will it reach as many people as if the Chicago Tribune or Chicago Sun-Times release the information? However, publishing truthful news to the public is one of the main job duties for a journalist. If someone refrains from publicizing the news in order for it to receive more media play, are you still serving as a journalist? Have you crossed the line to being a public relations practitioner?

As the purse strings of various news organizations continue to tighten, lifestyle sections are likely to continue losing budgets and members of their staff. It is similar to cuts in education funding where the art, music and other auxiliary programs are cut first. I see why various organizations want to continue receiving publicity because they need it to survive. However, I think these companies need to leave journalism out of it, unless they are willing to follow journalistic standards.

Case Study 10-B Bob Costas and Jerry Sandusky: Is Sports Entertainment or Journalism?

IWC Systematic Process

1.) Identify the Dilemma

The Pennsylvania State University football program, led by Joe Paterno for more than 40 years, was widely regarded as an exemplary program. The Nittany Lion players were successful on the field, as well as in the classroom. However, this narrative came crashing down in the fall of 2011. Jerry Sandusky, who had served as the PSU defensive coordinator for many years, was accused of child molestation. One of the most shocking developments of the investigation revealed how Paterno had known about the transgressions. In addition, he advised the university and the administration not to act. American audiences love reading about sports, including when there is a scandal. Some studies show how approximately 30 percent of newspaper readers only look at the sports section. Journalist Bob Costas held an interview with Sandusky before his trial. Costas asked hard-hitting questions during the 36-minute interview. Were people tuning in for entertainment or to hear directly from an accused criminal?

2.) Weigh alternatives

Costas had a variety of options for how to conduct himself during the “Rock Center with Brian Williams” interview. His first option would have been to ask “softball” questions. Costas could have justified this by saying he did not want to negatively impact Sandusky’s right to a fair trial. A second option would be to ask critical questions, while removing anything that could be damning in a court of law. With this choice, Costas could have inquired about what Sandusky meant by “horsing around” with these young boys. A third option would be to ask pointed questions. If anything was considered damaging for his trial, the network lawyers could be contacted. If it was not a legal issue, the full video and transcript could be posted online for interested people to see. The fourth option would be similar to the third, but everything would have been placed on the air without concern for the legal ramifications. The network could always engage in post moderation if a problem were to arise with the video and online posting.

3.) Cite a persuasive rationale

This scenario would be difficult for any journalist. While it would be easy to allow personal prejudices to impact how an interview is conducted, journalists must attempt to be as objective as possible. Taking Aristotle’s golden mean of finding the virtue between extremes into account, the third option would be the best to pursue. While the second option would allow the network to cover itself, the third option keeps in mind the audience who wants the truth. The constitutional right to a fair trial is fundamental, but viewers would want to know the truth. If someone says, “I didn’t go around seeking out every young person for sexual needs that I’ve helped,” people need to know. The fourth option introduces post moderation, which is ethically troublesome because it allows journalists to change the news once members of the public have already seen it.

Case Study 10-G Crowdsourcing a Book: Jonah Lehrer, Bob Dylan and Nonfiction Truth

IWC Systematic Process

1.) Identify the Dilemma

Crowdsourcing is opening up new opportunities in the field of journalism. During and after the Boston Marathon bombings, crowdsourced photos and videos helped reveal what happened. However, it can also be utilized to highlight journalist error or wrongdoing. Journalist Jonah Lehrer resigned from the New Yorker after a fellow journalist discovered quote fabrications in his third book. Lehrer had a history of self-duplication during his time writing for Wired, the New York Times Magazine and other publications. However the Tablet’s Michael Moynihan noticed the quote fabrications because he is a major fan of Bob Dylan. Moynihan did not recognize the quote from Dylan, a man who is known for staying relatively quiet about his creative process. When Moynihan questioned Lehrer about the quotes, Lehrer issued vague responses. This made it clear he had manufactured them. Lehrer ultimately resigned from the New Yorker on the same day Moynihan published an article detailing the fabrication.

2.) Weigh alternatives

One option would have been for a journalist to take what a fellow author or journalist said at face value. Most journalists place an emphasis on the truth and verification, so many reporters would assume their colleagues would never publish anything they knew was not true. A second option would be to remain skeptical of other journalists’ work. As the reporter, if you discovered some inaccuracies, you could immediately post how a certain journalist plagiarized quotes from a famous musician. A third option would include a reporter verifying the work of another journalist. If a possible inaccuracy was discovered, this reporter could contact the journalist who wrote the article or book under suspicion. This would give the journalist in question an ability to respond to the accusations before being accused of the serious journalistic crime of plagiarism.

3.) Cite a persuasive rationale

The scenario in the book was particularly compelling because of the journalist’s extensive knowledge of Bob Dylan. In many situations, journalists will not have the expert knowledge in all subjects to detect when plagiarism or quote fabrication occurs. As journalists we are told, “if your mother says she loves you, check it out.” Reporters should always question what other people say, even if these people are journalists. However, I think the third option, which includes consulting with the reporter who may have done something wrong, is appropriate. I would not want to defame someone unless I know he or she actually did something wrong.

Discussion Question

Do companies or organizations have the ability to write objectively about themselves or their products?

The article by Chris Jones we read this week got me thinking about this issue. I understand why these companies and organizations want to promote themselves and what they are doing. However, can members of the public trust what they publish as the truth? Is the CSO Sounds & Stories magazine going to feature anything negative about the Chicago Symphony Orchestra? Even with the magazine hiring Laura Emerick, who worked at the Chicago Sun-Times as an art editor, I am still skeptical. I am in agreement with Jones when he says this magazine should refrain from calling the publication journalism. Instead, CSO Sounds & Stories should admit it is serving more of a public relations/promotional role. However, if the magazine would like to keep the term journalism attached to its name, the publication and writers must maintain independence from what is being covered. While previews would be okay some of the time, some articles would need to be critical of performances, music selection, etc. This example also made me think of GatorZone.com. This website is affiliated with the University Athletic Affiliation and is home to journalists Scott Carter and Chris Harry. However, would these journalists ever be extremely critical of a Gator coach, player or team? How is this similar to the symphony creating CSO Sounds & Stories?

Link to Ethical Issue of the Week

Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth. This principle holds true for hard news reporters, as well as editorial writers. About four years ago, Toyota was facing harsh criticism because of an acceleration defect in some of their cars. Holman W. Jenkins, a Wall Street Journal columnist wrote, “overwhelming evidence that the real menace to drivers is their own right foot stamping the gas instead of the brake.” We learned in our discussions about journalists maintaining independence from faction that opinion journalism “is not fundamentally about reporting the news, but about making sense of it.” Jenkins was not the only journalist who harbored these types of feelings. Megan McArdle, formerly of the Atlantic, wrote an article in March of 2010 titled “How Real are the Defects in Toyota’s Cars?” McArdle pointed out how the older ages of many of the drivers may have been the cause of the problem instead of a product defect. Fast forward to the present. Toyota agreed to a criminal settlement last week. In the statement of facts, the company reveals it knew more about the defect than it made known to the public. “Contrary to public sentiments that Toyota made in late 2009 saying it had ‘addressed’ the ‘root cause’ of unintended acceleration through a limited safety recall addressing floor mat entrapment, Toyota had actually conducted internal tests revealing that certain of its unrecalled vehicles bore design features rendering them just as susceptible to floor mat entrapment as some of the recalled vehicles.” It seems like Toyota is finally ready to take responsibility for its actions. However, Jenkins is continuing to write columns about how Toyota, GM and others must face “defect” politics. While opinion journalists and columnists do not have to remain neutral about issues, do they not have to follow the principles of accuracy and verification? If Jenkins continues to act like Toyota did nothing wrong, will this impact his own credibility and that of the Wall Street Journal editorial page?

ESPN and Frontline – Tension between sports journalism and sports entertainment

“League of Denial” was a major source of discussion in my sports media and society class. How did ESPN allow its business interests to supersede its journalistic function? ESPN has deals with various leagues, can it really be expected to cover the leagues, players and teams objectively?

ESPN received a lot of criticism for not uncovering the Sandusky scandal. With its extensive resources, why was the foremost sports conglomerate not leading the charge? Sara Ganim of the Patriot News ended up breaking the story.

This has been a continuing problem for ESPN to choose between its entertainment and journalism duties. Deadspin broke the news about Manti Te’o’s dead girlfriend being a hoax. It is thought ESPN knew about the hoax before the January 7 BCS Championship between Notre Dame and Alabama. What may have stopped the network from releasing the information? It is probably because the game was being shown on ESPN.

There were also concerns ESPN did not unveil the story because the network wanted access to Te’o. Ken Armstrong of the Seattle Times said something many other journalists agreed with. “Deadspin breaks the story; ESPN, which is all about access, gets the Te’o interview in the story’s wake. Deadspin comes out ahead. Deadspin crushed this story, going from tip to publication in a matter of days.”

ESPN has been discussing its collaboration with Frontline for a while, so what caused a shift in the relationship? The network issued a statement that said, “Because ESPN is neither producing nor exercising editorial control over the Frontline documentaries, there will be no co-branding involving ESPN on the documentaries or their marketing materials. The use of ESPN’s marks could incorrectly imply that we have editorial control.”

However, why would ESPN be announcing this issue after so much work had been completed? James Andrew Miller and Ken Bolson wrote a New York Times article called “N.F.L. Pressure Said to Lead ESPN to Quit Film Project.”

This story discussed how the decision came a week after a lunch between ESPN and NFL officials.  “It was a table for four: Roger Goodell, commissioner of the N.F.L.; Steve Bornstein, president of the NFL Network; John Skipper, ESPN’s president; and John Wildhack, ESPN’s executive vice president for production. The meeting was combative…with league officials conveying their irritation with the direction of the documentary, which is expected to describe a narrative that has been captured in various news reports over the past decade: the league turning a blind eye to evidence that players were sustaining brain trauma on the field that could lead to profound, long-term cognitive disability.”

As I watched the documentary, it was evident why the NFL might have issues with the content. There is substantial evidence that the league has known about the potential health risks for players.

According to its website, “ESPN, Inc., The Worldwide Leader in Sports, is the leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring the broadest portfolio of multimedia sports assets with over 50 business entities.” If it is calling itself an entertainment company, can we trust any of its journalistic pieces?

Journalists maintaining an independence from those they cover is one principle that should never be ignored. If journalists cannot keep their independence, questions arise about conflicts of interest. This is my main issue with ESPN coverage. They seem to be in bed with the NFL and other leagues, so this must impact what they cover and how they cover it.

We also look to journalists to serve as independent monitors of power. PBS and Frontline are well known for their watchdog reporting. This includes coverage of how the Department of Justice has responded to mortgage fraud and the prevalence of rape for immigrant women working in fields.

I question how seriously ESPN will take its investigative role in the future. “Outside the Lines,” ESPN’s program where much of its investigative reporting is showcased, was moved from Sundays on the main ESPN channel at 9 a.m. to ESPN2 at 8 a.m. By placing this show in an earlier timeslot on a lesser channel, it seems like the network is placing its investigative pursuits on the backburner.

Journalism’s first loyalty is to citizens. Unless ESPN removes its loyalty from the leagues, the journalism moniker should be removed from the network. If I were an ESPN executive, I would have the network stay true to the entertainment aspect by showcasing the games and focusing on the hired personalities. It is a disservice to actual journalists and those who want objectively reported sports news to continue pretending that journalism is ESPN’s prime focus.

Alfred Harmsworth once said, “News is something someone wants suppressed. Everything else is just advertising.” ESPN ignored the opportunity to report on the rampant concussion cover-up by the NFL, so maybe it should stick to promotional pieces about the various leagues it is in bed with.

Questions from Dr. Rodgers – Vocabulary Terms

No vocabulary words are listed for week 12.

Cassie Vangellow, cvangellow@ufl.edu