Journalism: A Deeper Look

Skeptical Editing

Reid MaCluggage has some interesting comments in his article titled “Skeptical Editing.” First off, the fact that journalism’s weakness could even be considered as an occasional dishonest reporter boggles my mind. Just to be clear, he isn’t saying this is a weakness, but the fact that many people believe it to be true is ridiculous. I don’t even know why the world of journalism should have a problem with dishonest reporters. Journalism is all about reporting the truth. Having the words dishonest and journalism in the same sentence seems like an oxymoron to me, but alas, they do some times go hand in hand.

I wish our journalism courses taught us to be more skeptical from the beginning. I feel like my writing would have been much better had I known more, but I guess learning just the basics of reporting was enough stress as it is.

MaCluggage says journalism’s greatest weakness is unchallenged information and skepticism should be the biggest part of the editing function. He also says that to uphold skeptical editing, a newsroom should appoint a devil’s advocate to each piece. That way each story has a naysayer who will feel comfortable in saying the things that maybe no one else will. I think this is a great idea. By designating someone to critique the work, he or she will feel more inclined to step out of the comfort zone and accomplish the task of skeptical editing.

I also agree with his point on making journalists understand the “mysterious world of mathematics.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone jokingly say that the only reason they were pursuing a career in journalism was because they didn’t get that whole science and math thing. And the funny thing is I’ve probably said it before, too. Since I got to college I haven’t taken one single math course. And why would I need to? Well, because of this sentence right here: “He devoted probably two-thirds of his playlist to material from ‘Simplicity,” another third or so to his own past recordings and another third to classic Allmans.”

Joint Operating Agreements:

Essentially, the joint operating agreements we put into effect to help small daily newspapers stay afloat. Nowadays, it seems like the idea is sort of antiquated. With the decline of newspapers in relationship to 24-hour-a-day news broadcasts and instant access to online news sources, I think the joint operating agreements are on their way out. I don’t think, however, they were necessarily a good idea in respect to the lack of view points that could and have been made available to the public. By consolidating small newspapers under the names of huge publications, i.e. The New York Times, smaller papers take on the voices of the parent company. There’s nothing worse than stifling a voice.

Meet the News Face of Hyperlocal Journalism:

This whole concept of hyperlocal journalism is really exciting. What Debbie Galant and Baristanet are doing is the new face of journalism. I love the fact that readers can post comments directly relating to news postings and can also give ideas about future stories. By having more of an open connection with readers, the dialogue and possibilities are endless. Essentially, journalists are in charge of getting information to the public, and what better way to do that then asking them directly what they’d like to read about? Like Galant said, they are trying to provoke thought and conversation and to have an open channel in which the public can criticize the work they are doing.

One great thing about hyperlocal journalism and journalism on the internet (specifically blogs) is that people are all about instant gratification. We want something when we want it, and we’re not going to wait. Take, for example, cell phones and other communication devices. What was once a home phone or work phone has now become a cell phone, a Blackberry or texting. We want to communicate instantly – plain and simple – and if you don’t pick up your phone or answer your e-mail or text back, the other person is upset because he or she can’t reach you. By putting news online, readers can access it at a convenient time for them and not have to sit around for a 6 o’clock news broadcast or the morning edition of a paper. It’s time journalism step up to the plate, and things like hyperlocal journalism are doing just that.

One thing I don’t agree with is OJR’s comment regarding the accuracy, grammatical and factual, of online blogs. Because leading news sources are stepping into the online world and blogging, there should still be industry standards. A news source is a news source and there is no excuse for errors. If people are relying on this information to help them in their day-to-day lives, it should be flawless no matter what the medium may be.

‘Potemkin Village’ Redux:

Grassroots journalism and hyperlocal journalism are in the developmental stages. Of course not all of the chinks have been hammered out, but it’s still up and coming. The idea behind it is to create a community forum, if you will, so that viewers can get their news from a local source and really have an impact on what’s being reported and talked about. And while Tom Grubisich has seen some changes in the way the grassroots sites have progressed, there are still some things that need work and will only be fixed over time. The more they become available to the public, the higher the viewership will be and the more successful they’ll become at news sources. It all takes time.

Common Sense Journalism:

Doug Fisher’s article talks a lot about how to make journalism more about the people. By employing “mobile journalists,” allowing for more personal input with comments on a blog, and really trying to think like one of your viewers/readers, Fisher says you’re really using common sense. I couldn’t agree more. Like I said before, the new focus of journalism has been leaning toward the Internet and I think it’s great. Readers can comment, criticize and suggest ideas that will directly impact the way the news source is being run. It seems like news reporting is taking a turn toward the service industry attitude – give the customer what he or she wants. And while it’s not that cut and dry with news reporting, having some feedback, good or bad, is essential in the process of creating a successful business.

Eagle Snatches Dog – Case Study:

Ah, the infamous eagle (or some other animal) snatching a dog (or some other small animal) story. This is proof enough that journalists should be more skeptical. The fact that no one ever raised any questions as to why the story had only one source or why they never got the name of the couple – or the dog for that matter – boggles my mind.

Sources and anecdotes make a story more credible, and this story clearly is lacking both. While we all want to read something amazing, fascinating and cool, journalists should never overlook the minor details that make up such an incredible story. This is precisely why, like MaCluggage says, we should designate a naysayer to each article before it even gets off the ground.