Blog Essay Week 4

EJ Chapter Two

I want to believe whatever government officials say, but situations like what occurred with the Pentagon Papers, cause me to be skeptical. As politicians blabber on, I always think to myself, what are they not telling us? However, this may be a result of watching Olivia Pope and her gladiators on “Scandal.”

Kovach and Rosenstiel say that “journalism’s first obligation is to the truth.” The question is, what is the truth? If a politician tells you he has never been unfaithful to his wife, and you report what he said, are you being truthful? What if he has cheated on her? Should you write what the politician told you is the truth or should you investigate the situation for yourself?

I wonder how the journalists who covered President Clinton felt after reporting on his denial of an affair with Monica Lewinsky, followed several months later by an admission to what he had done. Fellow Democrat John Edwards took a page out of Clinton’s book when he originally denied his extramarital affair.

From the time of preliterate societies, people have looked to a special type of people to provide them with news. People placed and continue to place their trust into obtaining accurate information from these messengers and journalists. Since I was in middle school, I have followed 13 WHAM, a station based out of western New York where I live. Whether it was looking for an update about a possible snow day or reporting on my varsity cheerleading squad, this was the news source I trusted.

It is downright scary that governments and other power players can use their power to shape public perception. Seeing what is happening in Kiev turns my stomach. Technology can make our lives easier, but those who are in power can use it for control. My father’s girlfriend is currently in Kiev, so I am hoping she stays safe in these troubling times.

Reflecting on the earliest newspapers across the world and their dedication to truth, I wonder what reading uncensored and unfiltered material was like. I am going to take an educated guess that these reporters did not engage in quote approval.

It seems telling that journalism was able to gain its first mass audience by emphasizing sensational crime, scandal and celebrity gossip. The foundation for publications like the National Enquirer was set early. It is laughable that Hearst’s Journal and Pulitzer’s World prided themselves on truthfulness and accuracy. A little something called the Spanish American War comes to mind.

News should be about revealing the truth to the public. In a perfect world, we would not have to question whether what we see on the news is true. We no longer live in a world where we listen to Uncle Walter every night. Instead, our generation has witnessed various journalistic scandals, including Jayson Blair and Dan Rather.

This is not to say that delivering the truth is difficult. The truth is complicated and multi-faceted. The Florida Gators defeated Tennessee at the basketball game on Saturday. This is 100 percent true. However, there are different ways to tell this story; consider the Florida perspective versus the Tennessee viewpoint.

It is disheartening that reputable journalist Ted Koppel called journalism schools “an absolute and total waste of time.” I am choosing to believe he is referring to sub-par programs that pale in comparison to what is offered at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications.

Instead of hiding behind slogans and overused metaphors, journalists should be honest and forthright with the public about how they aspire to report the truth.  A 2011 study from the Pew Research Center showed that only 25 percent of those surveyed thought news organizations get the facts right. Maybe, if we pulled back the curtain on our procedures, this percentage would rise.

I am in complete agreement with the Hutchins Commission and how they said, “It is no longer enough to report the fact truthfully. It is now necessary to report the truth about the fact.” This reminds me of last week’s case study involving the discrepancies between what the mayor and councilman said. If there are contradictory interpretations, we should not focus on getting the “he said” and “she said” correct. We need to look into what is actually going on, so the truth can be reported on.

Being an investigator is part of our duties as journalists. If you simply want to report exactly what is told to you without looking into the details, you should look into being a stenographer. Every story will not require you to dust off your detective badge, but you should always be alert for something that may not be quite right, something Sara Ganim did in her reporting on Penn State.

In addition, journalism should be looked at as a process with a series of steps, not as a straight line from story idea to story finish. If Frontline had chosen to do one story about concussions in the NFL, it may have caught some people’s attention. However, their Concussion Watch and documentary “League of Denial: The NFL’s Concussion Crisis” created a national discussion about a problem that has been ignored for far too long. I just wish ESPN had also used its clout for positive change instead of allowing its business interests to supplant its journalistic duties.

Being accurate from the start is critical. Problems arise because news organizations want to be the first to have the story, but this can lead to inaccurate information being released. Incorrect information causes rumors to start, which was shown by the initial reporting on the Newtown shooting.

It is a little suspect that fairness and balance are two suggested substitutes for truthfulness when these are integral parts of Fox News branding. As someone who watches this channel on a regular basis, I think fairness and balance can be effective benchmarks. Fairness involves treating sources and subject matter with the respect and attention they deserve. Balance is about taking various factors into consideration and devoting the appropriate attention to each part.

However, by supporting Fox News, I am also supporting a journalism of affirmation. When I watch “The Five,” I know I will likely agree with many of the opinions voiced by the panelists. However, I also check out CNN and the New York Times for a more balanced view of the world. While I may lean toward the conservative end of the spectrum, as an educated person and journalist, I want to hear as many distinct viewpoints as possible.

The same story can be covered in completely different ways, which is why it is important to look to other organizations that do not necessarily affirm your beliefs. It is interesting how Fox and CNN have chosen to cover the case of one Texas woman. At Fox, they focused on how a pregnant woman was taken off of life support. While at CNN, the emphasis is on a brain-dead woman being removed from a ventilator.

News organizations that are adding context and interpretation are not heading in the right direction. People are constantly on the go and not in the mood to read copious amounts of text. This is one reason I like looking at USA Today because of its concise reporting. When I see a webpage full of text and analysis, I am most likely going to search for a shortened version of what happened somewhere else.

Tell me “where the good stuff is,” and I will return day in and day out.

ME Chapter Three – Journalism and Public Relations: The Quintessential Struggle

It amazes me that the field of public relations has only been around since the late 1800s, while journalism has been around for centuries. My best friend graduated from UF with a degree in public relations, and there were times I considered switching my major.

I think journalism students have a better ability to cross over to the PR sector because we can develop our publicity skills. However, I think it is much more difficult for someone in public relations to make the jump to journalism. Having to transition from promoting to strictly informing is a leap not everyone can make.

Sometimes, I wish we heard more news from the eyes of public relations professionals. While I want the news to accurately reflect what is going on, I also would not mind positive news finding its way into the mix every once in a while. For example, seeing a WCJB story about a program to assist in providing prom and wedding dresses for those who cannot afford them makes me realize there are good people in the world. We may not live in a land of fairy tales and rainbows, but some happy stories can go a long way in helping people see wonderful things happening in the world around them.

The idea of synergy brings up a lot of questions about the future interactions of journalism and PR in a world where corporations seem to be double dipping. News Corp owns the New York Post and News America Marketing. News America Marketing is the “premier marketing partner of some of the world’s most well-known brands,” according to the News Corp website. I am critical of this because it is hard for the journalistic properties to focus on being a watchdog when another branch is concerned with pleasing advertisers.

This is also an issue with companies who work in both the news and entertainment fields. Fox Entertainment Group has several branches, including filmed entertainment, television stations, television broadcast and cable network programming. Whose interests will be supreme and can the news apparatus remain independent? When I see instances where other branches are manufacturing positive feedback, I do not think their paths can remain uncrossed.

“Rashômon” (Akira Kurosawa) 1950

“Rashômon” is one of a handful of foreign language films I have watched during my entire life. While the four different accounts contributed to an interesting story, I was struck by several of the translated quotes.

As the men are discussing strange events that transpired, one man says, “It’s human to lie. Most of the time we can’t even be honest with ourselves.” These statements seem as though they could have been made yesterday when they were actually made more than 60 years ago.

What is even more telling is how the other man responds. He states, “I don’t care if it’s a lie, as long as it’s entertaining.” Is this why Star magazine continues to be swept off of supermarket shelves week after week?

Today, the media seems to be more focused on entertainment instead of providing an education about the issues we are facing. People want to be entertained, so are news organizations just giving the people what they want? I am assuming this is why Justin Bieber being arrested in Miami Beach was the top story on every news outlet. I do not think the latest escapade of a 19-year-old singer is the most important event to have occurred in the last week. However, the coverage seems to indicate otherwise.

This relates to another idea expressed in the film. “Man just wants to forget the bad stuff and believe in the made-up good stuff.” However, is it ethical to manufacture news for any reason? Personally, I feel like this goes against everything we are taught as journalists. If I wanted to make up stories, I would have become a children’s book author.

The issue arises because we are all suckers for a good story. Manti Te’o was and still is a talented football player. Instead of focusing on his athletic abilities, Te’o became the darling of college football as he played with greater drive and fierceness after suffering the loss of two people he cared about. We were all drawn in. The problem was the story that warmed our hearts was not true.

Journalism is at a critical juncture, so we must determine how the focus will return to the truth instead of lies and made-up stories. Without an ethical foundation, we may as well be replaced by aggregating computer programs.

Discussion Question

Why does parenting only seem to be a part of the media’s discussion when a female candidate or politician is involved?

Texas gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis is the latest female politician to have her parenting placed under a microscope. What is the evidence being used to smear Davis as a bad mother? She attended Harvard Law School, while her husband stayed home in Texas with her two daughters. If we were talking about a man, I do not think this would be an issue. An ambitious man is respected for making sacrifices in his personal and professional life. However, our society has a problem with goal-setting women who want to have careers, in addition to being mothers. As Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, has said, “We expect people to adhere to stereotypes…The stereotype of men is: leadership qualities. Leader, decisive, going to make things happen. The stereotype of women are communal qualities. Caregiving, sensitive. Because we expect those qualities to be in opposition to each other, it means when a woman does anything other than be nice first, she’s judged badly.” These views continue to be purported by the media, which constructs a version of reality that the public sees as acceptable. While a person’s parenting may speak to his or her character, the media should address this issue for both female and male candidates.

Link to Ethical Issue of the Week

Net neutrality has been discussed since the dawn of the Internet. It is the idea that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) should allow the same access to applications and content regardless of where they are coming from. In this ideal world, someone could search for my blog and visit Perez Hilton without any difference in connection or speed. Net neutrality also promoted an equal playing field that did not allow ISPs to favor certain content providers. Under net neutrality, Comcast provided equal service to ABC and NBC, even though the company has ties to NBC. However, this is all likely to change because of a court ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in Verizon v. Federal Communications Commission. How will this affect us? Internet providers, such as Comcast and Verizon, can give special treatment to certain content providers for a fee.  Independent bloggers and small businesses will not be able to compete with the Huffington Post and Walmart. I also wonder where this will leave citizen journalists who can provide a voice for issues that go unnoticed in communities across the country. Is it ethical for those who have more resources to pay more for better access to audiences and potential customers? I do not solely want to hear from news organizations and conglomerates with lots of money. I want to get thoughts about trendy restaurants from Gainesville’s Lunch Out Blog, not restaurants in other cities recommended by the Food Network. As Kovach and Rosenstiel discuss, corporatism is a threat to journalism as we know it. This court decision appears to be a victory for big business and a major loss for all of the little guys.

Questions from Dr. Rodgers – Vocabulary Terms

• “Bread and circuses:” Something offered in the hopes of pacifying discontent or distracting people’s attention away from a particular event or issue. Juvenal, a Roman poet and satirist, coined the term as he watched Roman politicians trying to placate discontent by distracting citizens from the issues they were facing.
• Media Example: The coverage of whistleblower Edward Snowden has revealed many interesting story lines. Government officials from the CIA, NSA and Defense Department are quick to call Snowden a “traitor” and point  to how he jeopardized the safety of American citizens. However, this is being used to distract from what the leaks revealed about the NSA. As a public, we are easily distracted. The coverage will likely focus on the “unpatriotic” Snowden until another big story comes and people lose interest.
• Edward Bernays: Often referred to as the “Father of Public Relations.” He revolutionized what came to be known as public relations by emphasizing the use of endorsements from celebrities, doctors and other exports. In addition, he would release experiment and survey results to further publicize various products. Bernays was a prominent factor in the societal shift that made it acceptable for women to smoke in public. Their cigarettes were referred to as “torches of freedom.” It is interesting that he came out against smoking in subsequent years, as well as being a participant in anti-smoking campaigns. Later in life, he tried to get legislation passed in Massachusetts and other states to require licenses for public relations practitioners because he was disappointed that “any dope, any nitwit, any idiot can call him or herself a public relations practitioner.”
• Truth: When discussed in the journalistic sense, it is more than accuracy or getting the facts correct. It requires sorting out the details in a process that occurs between the initial story and the involvement of journalists, newsmakers and the public. Truth requires tests of correspondence and coherence, which means getting the facts straight and making sense of these facts.
• Objectivity: Can be simply defined as divorcing fact from opinion. However, the Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project says it is not meant to mean journalists do not have biases. For journalists, it is about having “a consistent method of testing information—a transparent approach to evidence—precisely so that personal and cultural biases would not undermine the accuracy of their work.”
• “The world outside and the pictures in our heads:” Walter Lippmann’s title for the first chapter of Public Opinion. In this book he said, “News and truth are not the same thing….The function of news is to signalize an event. The function of truth is to bring to light the hidden facts, to set them into relation with each other, and make a picture of reality upon which men can act.” Lippmann believed the media did not report the truth in the news. Instead, they provided a picture that was greatly distorted and incomplete.
• Construction of reality: The idea that a single reality does not exist. The mass media does not provide a picture of reality, it presents a manufactured interpretation of what reality is. By consuming media, we may subscribe to that particular reality being shown to us. As a young girl, I loved playing with my Barbie dolls. However, these dolls provide a false sense of reality to young women. If you saw Barbie walking down the street today, “She would be 5’9’ tall, have a 39” bust, an 18’ waist, 33’ hips and a size 3 shoe.” In other words, this would be a woman facing an eating disorder and issues with menstruation.
• Synoptic: Providing a general view of a whole or displaying conditions as they occur over a broad area.
• Synoptic Gospels: The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke in the New Testament that share similar content, structure and wording. A mathematical comparison demonstrates that 91 percent of Mark’s Gospel is featured in Matthew, and 53 percent of Mark is also found in Luke. Questions about the independence of these writings constitute the Synoptic Problem.
• Rashômon Effect: When different people give contradictory accounts of the same event during a quest to find out the truth. Lawyers and judges often see this when witnesses provide conflicting testimony.

Cassie Vangellow, cvangellow@ufl.edu