Journalism: A Deeper Look

This week I decided to do a little something different. I read Mark Glaser’s “The Working Journalist in the Age of the Internet,” Jakob Nielsen’s “Top Ten Mistakes in Web Design,” and Dan Gillmor’s “Journalism Isn’t Dying, It’s Reviving.”

I’m going to lump them all together because it’s getting to that time of year when my fellow classmates and I are looking for jobs and really trying to market ourselves in the ever changing world of journalism. In my Professional Practice class with Mike Foley, we often discuss the future of the industry. Newspapers are forced to make extreme budget cuts because investors want more and more in returns, but the money’s just not there. Are there really any jobs out there?

In order to make myself that much more aware, I took Communication on the Internet, a class that teaches about the beginnings of the Internet and how to write XHTML code. I really know nothing about computers and writing Web pages, but I know employers are looking for people who know what they’re doing. The University of Florida’s journalism program doesn’t require that a student takes online media courses, but I know it is planning to add more classes of that nature so that students can have the opportunity to really grasp the concept of online reporting.

I like how Mark Glaser goes through each element of the “old” and “new” way of approaching journalism. I’m nervous about having to work all the time and being addicted to my crackberry, but that’s the way the world is working now. Glaser says that journalism students should take advantage of the exciting possibilities out there on the Web. He talked about one student who asked his blog readers to help finance a trip to Iraq so he could report on exactly what they wanted to know. He ended up raising $15,000 and had such a reader-run site, it’s amazing.

Projects like that seem daunting to me. I’m trying to educate myself on Web design and writing specifically for the Web (Hence, why I read Nielson’s “Top Ten Mistakes in Web Design”). I’m trying to learn the fundamentals so that I have something to bring to the table when I finally do get a job.

And while the field of journalism seems like it’s coming to an end, Gillmor offers hope that it’s only becoming better. Hyperlocal journalism is truly catering to readers in small towns and specific niches. Citizen journalism is still working on investigative pieces with regular journalism, often funded by non-profit organizations. The world will continue to need news, it’s just the source of that news that’s changing. The Web is a wonderful innovation and it’s exciting to know that I will be a part of this historic change.

Margin of Error

Why must polls be so tricky? UF should have an entire class devoted to just covering all those little nuisances of polling data. Yikes. It’s something I wouldn’t want to touch with a 10-foot pole.

Robert Niles’ article is a great reference for journalists when it comes to margins of error. I think newspapers should implement an on-going training session that re-evaluates how polls will be used in articles. It should also be constantly updated and there should be a reporter briefing around the time when presidential and primary elections are in full swing. It’s hard to remember all that 95 out of 100 stuff, so reporters should be constantly reminded.

Best case scenario: No polls would ever have to be used in articles! But, that’s not likely to happen. Make sure the poll was completed by a reputable company, the questions were not biased and didn’t make the pollster answer in a desired response and that readers are given all of the correct information regarding the margin of error and exactly what that means. A little disclaimer at the bottom just doesn’t do justice.

STATS

I really liked this Web site. It’s nice to see that there’s a non-profit organization out there dedicated to cutting through all the B.S. that some newspapers put out. Just out of curiosity, I read the article demystifying a Chicago Tribune article about how dangerous moderate drinking is. As a college student, I’ve been known to enjoy a drink or two and so do my friends. I just wanted to see what STATS uncovered. Their article was hilarious. I like how they presented the side of the Chicago Tribune but then also counteracted each statement with an equally true fact. It just goes to show that you can believe everything you read.

This is a great site that is truly doing investigative reporting. They’re looking at what’s being fed to the public and trying to correct all that information – wrong or not – that’s going in. As a journalist, I’d want to bookmark this page to reference if I’m ever working on a story that is using a lot of medical and scientific claims. Sometimes it may seem like we are reporting both sides of the story when, in fact, we aren’t.

NCPP

Going back to what I said about having an on-going training session for journalists who often deal with polls, this NCPP article is a great resource. Bookmark these questions and ask them every time you come across a poll. One of the most important questions to ask is who paid for the poll. By knowing where the source of income came from, you can make an informed decision on whether or not the poll is even worthy of reporting. It can help eliminate all kinds of biased coverage. Another important piece of information is determining just how many people were polled and where exactly they came from. Is it really a random sample of Americans? Was the poll only conducted through the phone or online? These types of questions can help you determine whether a large chunk of participants are young, old, republican, democrat, middle-class, upper-class, black or white.

Local Newspaper

My hometown is Punta Gorda, Fla., and its newspaper is the Charlotte Sun Herald. When I checked the site, it seems that the Charlotte Sun hasn’t reported in a newsroom diversity report for non-white newsroom staff from 1990 through 2005. In 2004 and 2005, the non-white percentage of circulation rate was 13.2 percent. It seems Charlotte County is 90 percent white and 10 percent non-white. The 10 percent divides into 3.3 percent Hispanic, 4.2 percent black and .9 percent Asian and Pacific Islander.

In my specific zip code (33950) the average median income is around $41,000 and only 6.5 percent of the population is non-white.

Ethical Considerations of the Web Link

Bonnie Bressers presents many sides to the controversy surrounding linking in the ever-changing world of online media. Many people view “deep linking” as a form of theft because it allows viewers to access direct pages, therefore bypassing a site’s homepage and its advertisers. Others believe that banning linking violates the free flow of information that was the cornerstone of the Internet’s creation in the first place. I like the analogy that Bressers uses when she says: “Prohibiting deep-linking, they maintain, is akin to telling newspaper readers that they can’t read the sports section if they haven’t read the front page first.”

I really don’t see deep linking as a problem as long as the site is being used with the same journalistic integrity that would be used in print form. If the site is relevant to telling the story, then it should be included. And, nowadays, almost every site has advertisements on secondary pages. Just because someone doesn’t see the homepage, doesn’t mean that they aren’t getting access to paying advertisers.

Former managing editor of the New York Times on the Web Will Tacy makes a great point on how to view linking if it’s at all controversial. Writing on the Web should take the same considerations as print. Tacy says we should look at the links of controversial sites the same way we would a disturbing photo. “If it’s gratuitous, you don’t use it. If it’s vital to the understanding of the story, you do.”

I agree with Tacy. Some links are essential to telling the story, even though some might view it as controversial. Journalists should present the whole story to readers, and that sometimes means showing them something that makes them uncomfortable. And, the good thing about links is that you can warn readers before they even click.

The Murky World of Conflicts of Interest

The title of this article says it all – murky. Conflicts of interest are tricky little devils that seem to get in the way of good journalistic practices. My advice: When in doubt, you’re probably doing something conflicting. Step back and evaluate the situation. It’s like when you see guests on “The Maury Show” and they want their significant others to take lie detector tests to prove their fidelity. We all know that if you’re already accusing someone of cheating and you keep seeing all these clues and the trust is gone, why do you even need the lie detector? The relationship is over. The guest has suspicions that are more often accurate without even hearing the results.

It’s the same way with conflicts of interest. Who are you trying to kid? Yes, it’s hard to keep yourself out of the picture, especially in a profession that constantly asks you to use all the connections you have in order to get information. But, a reader can see things and lose that trust, and then they won’t even need a lie detector test to know you’re fibbing. It all comes back to that one word – murky.

Readers: Anonymous Sources Affect Media Credibility

I agree with all the ideas that readers and the Associated Press came up with to avoid anonymous sources as much as possible. They say to only use unnamed sources if they provide information and not opinion, if the information is not available except for under the conditions of anonymity and only if the source is reliable. Readers say journalists need to go out of their way to say that the source wants to remain unidentified, connect the source to the story and report how they would know that type of information and discuss all possible motives the source might have for remaining anonymous. I think these are all great rules to abide by when considering an anonymous source.

However, when the article says that readers are willing to wait longer for a more credible story, I can’t help but think that’s a lie. In today’s world of 24-hour news broadcasts and the Internet, where you can find any story you want in less than five seconds, I don’t think many readers are going to wait. We live in an instant gratification society. If you have to wait longer than two minutes for your morning coffee, you get uptight. These readers act like journalists have all the time in the world. Have they ever heard of a deadline? It’s definitely true that they want the most accurate information available, but when they say they’re willing to wait, I have to say I question that.

How Do You Photograph the Amish? Let Us Count the Ways

Let me start off by saying that this article was very well written. Liz Cox Barrett was smart when she interviewed so many different journalists to get a picture of how you can deal with touchy situations, like the one that occurred in Nickel Mines, Pa., with the Amish school shooting. She talked to local photographers, big AP photographs, and newspaper and magazine editors.

My favorite of her interviewees was AP photographer Carolyn Kaster. She’s got a great outlook on being sensitive to people’s needs and getting the picture. Yes, the event is a news story, but it’s also someone’s personal moment that you may or may not be intruding on. Kaster has a funny quote at the end of the story that is so true. “It’s a small world.” You never know what you’ll come across tomorrow. If you step on someone’s toes and then you meet then again at another event, they aren’t going to be very receptive and you may lose the shot. Journalists have a bad enough reputation as it is. It’s important especially for photojournalists to be extra sensitive. A photo certainly identifies someone and he or she might not want that.

I took a photojournalism class last year and there are a few tricks you can use to help keep the space between a grieving person and the lens. Some of the editors that Barrett interviewed used these tactics. For instance, try shooting from a distance with a long lens. That keeps the photographer from being right in a person’s face. Also, don’t single out an individual or make them completely recognizable. The Amish believe that having their picture taken is a violation of the Bible’s second commandment. The editors were able to get great shots and still keep a comfortable distance from the Amish by utilizing these techniques.

News is news, but you have to remember, at the end of the day, you’re still dealing with real people who have real feelings and real opinions.

What the F—K Are They Driving at?

This article in the CJR is hilarious. We’ve always been told as journalists to never change a quote or to paraphrase if we can’t get it right. I think the same should be said for expletives used in quotes. Gal Beckerman uses the example of Gen. Tommy R. Franks and his use of the F word in referring to former Pentagon official Douglas Feith. The New York Times ran an article, took out the expletive, and avoided any controversy over using a curse word. But, by omitting that word, it literally changes the entire interpretation of Franks’ quote. Beckerman is right when she says that it tones down his anger into mild exasperation.

I think news organizations should stick to the no expletive rule, but they should also be flexible with that rule. I’m not saying that every Jo Schmoe who uses a curse word in his interview should be printed, but high standing officials and people in the public light should be taken into consideration. A general is someone who is very high up in the military ladder and is also looked upon with respect and dignity. The fact that Franks would call Feith the “fucking stupidest guy on the face of the earth” is something that people should know. And like Beckerman says, if you’re not going to print the word, then at least let the readers know that you’re not so they can make their own assertions.

You Be the Editor

My abstracts deal with taste and sensitivity, and the article “You Be the Editor” is one that asks readers for their opinions regarding some gruesome photos taken in Fallujah, Iraq. Author Roy Peter Clark lists a bunch of questions one might ask oneself when considering a horrific photo like the one the New York Times ran showing burnt and dismembered American civilians hanging from a bridge while Iraqi citizens cheer. Clark asks whether you’d print it if the bodies were military, whether they were women or children, whether they were naked, or whether or not you could distinguish a face.

While I was reading some of the responses from people, I felt the same. One person said that the media coverage of Iraqi and the war has been pretty mild, yet it’s not giving Americans a chance to see the “truth” of what’s really going on. Another reader is disgusted over the photos and says there’s really no reason to publish them except for the shock value and the desire to sell more papers. It seems that most of the responders were in favor of running the photos because they represented a news event and also helped hit home what is really going on in the Middle East.

It’s so hard to tell what I would have done in this situation if I was an editor of a major newspaper, but I think I would have leaned more toward running the bridge photo. It’s a clear indicator of the kinds of horrible things that are going on because of the chaos in Iraq and beyond. The job of a newspaper is to report the truth and let readers make their own assertions and opinions based on that information. Yes, the photo churns my stomach, but sometimes I need a little reminder of just what people are really capable of.

Regret the Error

Regret the Error is a Web site devoted to publishing corrections, errors, retractions, apologies and trends regarding accuracy in today’s media. It was started by a freelance writer from Montreal named Craig Silverman. He’s interesting in reporting on what’s going on with newspaper accuracy and honesty and how it’s portrayed to the public. Silverman started the site merely as a blog and continued from there, focusing on hilarious retractions from newspapers and other media outlets and exposing the underlying story behind the corrections. In an article published on the Poynter Online site titled “Chip on Your Shoulder,” Silverman describes Regret the Error as a tool “to help journalists see that accuracy is an enabler of great journalism. Aside from being an essential nuts and bolts aspect of how we do our job, accuracy is a key that can unlock innovative, investigative journalism.”

I really like this site because not only does it provide hysterical examples of retractions, but it also gives journalists like me a sense of just how important accuracy can be. Silverman has a “Regret Roundup” category that lists an entire year’s worth of plagiarism examples and errors made in publications.

This is such a great site to bookmark because it’s a fun way to start your day. If every journalist checked this site at the beginning of a long day of work, not only would they be more focused on accuracy, but they would also be getting a kick out of what is actually being printed on some newspapers. Silverman makes it harder for news organizations to be unaccountable for their actions. He even points out major corporations that do not have corrections pages listed online (i.e. CBS News, ABC news, and CNN).

Accountability Journalism: Liberating Reporters and the Truth

I like when Jim Romenesko talks about reporting on what some political candidates say. It may be spin or distortion, but that doesn’t mean we’re obligated to report it. I think the line between fair comment and accountability could be blurry in some situations. It’s good to know that reporters don’t have to report everything that’s being said. It’s better to be fair and honest and accurate.

I also like the idea of putting in a calendar posting for a political story you may have covered. Romenesko says to make sure you follow up and see what actually did happen to the proposed bill, jury verdict, political claim, etc. I think that’s an awesome idea. Journalists are busy people who have a lot to think and write about. A simple thing like adding an entry on an electronic calendar makes it all the more easy to keep track of important information for readers.

Romenesko also goes into detail about how reporters often rely on politicians and officials to tell us what really happened and don’t go any further with the information. He quotes another man, John Dowling, as saying that stories become a “he said/she said” article that lack the truth and evidence that readers need. That’s a great point. It harkens back to the articles I’ve read about being accountable and backing up claims by asking questions and getting more sources. Journalists have got to go the extra mile to make sure the reader is really aware of what’s going on. It’s so easy to take the short route and print a story that looks, essentially, like a fully flushed out piece, but often times there’s something below the surface that hasn’t even been scratched. It’s a reporter’s job to figure out what’s there.

The Political Power of Words: Emerging Writers

Dean Powers wrote an article for The Nation about how the words regarding politics can often be a gross misrepresentation of the facts. He says journalists tend to use words that over generalize the facts. Powers says that writers and editors must be much more vigilant of the kinds of sentences being published in their newspapers, and he also says they should be holding stricter standers for the words that might lead to confusion.

It’s a good point to make that journalists often use shorthand buzzwords to describe something that is so complex and full of misinterpretations because it’s easier. We’re taught to be concise and to the point, and by using those words, we can be short. It’s easier to use words like “conservative” and “liberal” rather than writing out a sentence, or sentences, to truly give the readers a sense of exactly what they mean.

A good piece of advice is the article says journalists shouldn’t let their sources influence the way they write. Journalists have to be accountable and honest about what’s really going on.

I was also impressed with the paragraphs about how two colors, red and blue, can be so totally inaccurate at describing the opinions of the nation, but yet they are highly used. It’s silly to think that a person could fit perfectly into one set of political beliefs. Often people tend to be more “conservative” about some issues and more “liberal” on others.

Basically, journalists should avoid words with political baggage that can skew the real news.

Math for Journalists

If I had a dollar for every time I heard journalism students say they weren’t good at math, I’d be a millionaire. Bob Baker’s “Math for Journalists” is an awesome reference for those are somewhat lacking in the mathematical department. He’s got great examples that come directly from Jack Robinson of the L.A. Times that include a sentence and a formula showing how to calculate the percentage change, median, average and ratio. Every journalist should have this article printed out or bookmarked. Plus, he’s got links to other sites like an automatic percentage calculator or a math quiz you can take.

I think that editors and reporters should be required to take some sort of math quiz every so often to help keep their math skills fresh. It should be part of on-going training like you would have your employees attend a seminar. Yes, it’s hard to remember all that “stuff” you learned eons ago in a high school classroom, but that’s no excuse to be incompetent. Like Baker says, “We pay them [reporters] to be good at making sense of the world – which includes expressing simple mathematical relationships.”

A Billion People Can Be Wrong

Steve Rushin’s “A Billion People Can Be Wrong” is absolutely hilarious. His article just goes to show you can’t believe everything you see and everything you read. It’s like a saying I heard in my journalism ethics class last semester – if your mother says she loves you, check it out. Rushin talks about how many news organizations report that 1 billion people watched the Super Bowl. He goes on to explain that this really can’t be the case because only 86.1 million Americans watched last year’s Super Bowl, according to Nielsen Media Research, and only 3.1 million Canadians watched it. He also points out that football isn’t played in countries outside of North America and is also broadcast at all hours of the day and night in those countries.

Basically, the numbers don’t add up. What started out as a comment from the NFL saying the Super Bowl had the potential to reach a billion people became a sure-fire truth in the media coverage.

News organizations need to be careful with that they see, hear and get from the wire services. Just because another source published or broadcast a story doesn’t mean there’s no need to fact check. Always double check and always do the math! More fact-checking and simple calculations equal more credibility.

Calling for Back-Up

Richard Chacon argues, in his article “Calling for Back-Up,” that op-ed pages must be held to the strict standards for sourcing and attribution put in place for news pages. He cites three op-ed pieces that ran in The Boston Globe written by Jeffrey Halper, Robert Kuttner and Robert Kennedy Jr. that claimed certain truths but then never or hardly cited where the information came from.

I definitely couldn’t agree with Chacon more. Everything printed in a newspaper’s pages should be attributed and sourced. It’s just good, journalist practice. Chacon says that even though op-ed articles are based generally on opinion and often one-sided it doesn’t mean the authors should skimp on their sources.

Chacon writes of a tip from Kuttner about sourcing each piece of information in brackets along the sides of the column to let the editor know exactly where the idea came from. Then, make it the editor’s choice whether or not to run the comment. I think that’s a great idea. It all harks back to the issue of credibility. Lack of trust in the media today is at an all-time high. When newspapers place tighter standards on the products of their writers and editors, it will send a message of credibility and honesty to the public.

Case Study: Violent Crime Increases in Gainesville

When I first read this story, I was completely overwhelmed by the amount of numbers, percentages and dates there were! I had to read some of the sentences over again just to absorb all the information. I think the idea of this article is a great one. Readers in Gainesville should know what’s going on criminally in the city, but the article is all wrong.

First, I would eliminate all of the national statistics just because it makes the article even more confusing. Secondly, I would always double check the math. After calculating the numbers from the story and the numbers in the corresponding graph, they didn’t add up. The lead says Gainesville saw a 19 percent increase in violent crime and a 59 percent increase in robberies. But if you check the graph, the numbers indicate a 16 percent increase in violent crime and a 57 percent increase in robberies. At this point, I would contact the writer of the story to see which set of numbers was correct. Also, the sentence “Murder and arson reports doubled compared to 2005,” is a bit sensationalistic. Murder went from 1 to 2 reports and arson went from 2 to 4 reports. Unless the reader looked at the corresponding graph to get the actual figures, he or she wouldn’t have context of the situation and think the figures were worse.

As we discussed in class, it’s really important to double check the math in any article. Just because we’re journalists doesn’t give any of us an excuse to get figures wrong. Also, when you are writing about percentages, it’s a good idea to provide the original figures to provide context for the reader. It will help avoid confusion and sensationalism like the murder and arson sentence.

After finishing the story, I was left wondering a few things. This story could have gone in some many different directions that would have provided the reader with a more comprehensive sense of the situation. Sgt. Keith Kameg says that the increase from 2005 to 2006 has a lot to do with an increase of people reporting things they see. Why is that? Also, a story that provides an even more localized story that touches on the increase of population in direct correlation to an increase in crime would have been a good avenue to explore. Instead of having a boring article that basically lists all sorts of numbers and percentages, the writer could have gotten a much more interesting article out of all these figures.

Before You Publish a Rape Victim’s Name

Kelly McBride has great insight on how to deal with whether or not to publish a rape victim’s name. I agree with her idea on contacting lots of people with different opinions to help better understand the ramifications of printing those names. You can really get a sense of just how the simple act of putting someone’s name in print can have on his or her life by asking people who are directly involved in the healing process.

McBride says something interesting about the subculture that is created by those involved in rapes and how they distrust law enforcement, the education system and the media. I wonder if it’s because they become jaded with “the system” because of what happened to them. I think it’s important for journalists to be sensitive to something as horrific as a rape and how much it really does affect a person’s life. Another thing we as journalists sometimes forget is how many other people are affected — the victim’s family, friends, co-workers and industry professionals.

Later on in the article, McBride talks about how most of the rape cases go unreported because there tends to be haziness on the policy about whether or not to print names. The biggest stories about rape are “sagas about kidnappings and brutal violence,” she says. I think news organizations often sensationalize these types of stories and report on them hour after hour, day after day.

By creating a set policy on what to do with rape stories, McBride says a news organization will be more willing to publish information because there will be less confusion about the policy. Most plans are vague at best and that leads people to be wary of even considering publication. McBride says to have a meeting with law enforcement, grief counselors, rape survivors and reporters to help come up with a plan. I think this is the best idea. Each person can bring his or her personal experience to the meeting and help develop a policy that is the most effective — news wise and sensitivity wise.

Also, having regular contact with victim’s advocates, law enforcement and the like will help reporters develop a relationship that will lead to increased trust and cooperation in the future. Better understanding means better sources and better reporting.

Smarter Crime Coverage

Crime can be such a tricky subject. As journalists, we’ve got to know the difference between a robbery, theft and burglary, but we also have to walk that fine line between wrongly connecting someone to a crime and avoiding police jargon. It’s a tough beat. Al Tompkins’ article “Smarter Crime Coverage” is a good reference for things to look out for.

He says to cover crime trends just as much, if not more, than individual cases. That’s an interesting concept because I’ve always believed it was better to make a story more relatable to readers by providing a “face” to the story. But I guess Tompkins has a point. Readers want to know what’s going on because the event may or may not be an isolated incident. By reporting trends, you’ll be giving readers context to the situation.

I also like Tompkins’ point on avoiding production techniques. He says to be careful with how you use slow motion, dramatic lighting, framing and backgrounds because it can give off an unintentional tone or mood. I definitely agree. Journalists are supposed to remain objective and by using sensationalized production techniques, readers might think the news source has all ready made a judgment about the story.

Security on Campus, Inc.

In 1986, Jeanne Cleary was beaten, raped and murdered in her Leigh University dorm room. A fellow classmate, whom Jeanne did not know, walked into the dorm through three open doors which should have been locked. He was attempting to rob her while she slept. In the wake of this tragedy, Connie and Howard Cleary started Security on Campus, Inc. in the hopes that students and their families would have the most accurate data on criminal activity on university and college campuses nationwide. The organization seeks to prevent violence, substance abuse and other crimes and to assist victims.

SOC was recognized in 1998 by the Society of Professional Journalists with its First Amendment Award because of SOC’s work to have greater access to crime records at colleges and universities. SOC helped pass the Jeanne Cleary Act which requires colleges and universities to disclose important information on crimes and campus safety. As journalists, we want the greatest access to important documents so that we can report the most accurate, relevant stories to the public. SOC is one organization that is making the job of news reporting a little easier by helping pass legislature for more disclosure.

SOC has created a special tab on its homepage specifically for reporters. It offers press releases, links to a searchable database, a “how-to” for reporters trying to find out exactly what types of data must be released by colleges and universities, and a link to find out what campus police officers are doing in any given area to prevent criminal activity.

This Web site is an incredible resource for students, parents and journalists. SOC has compiled a searchable database of crime statistics from more than 6,000 institutions starting in 1997. Reporters can use this when they are looking for trends on campuses or trying to supplement an article with statistics from a reliable source. The site also gives instructions on how to file a Jeanne Cleary Act complaint if a college or university is not disclosing the proper information. The SOC also publishes “Campus Watch” newsletter with the latest news regarding campus safety and crimes. This would be a great newsletter to subscribe to because it might lead to some interesting topics for stories.

Case Study: Jimmy’s World

There’s nothing worse than reading a story about an 8-year-old heroin addict. But what if you read the story and then found out it wasn’t even true? Janet Cooke had us all fooled when she wrote a gut-wrenching story about Jimmy and his drug-filled existence. She even won a Pulitzer Price for her work. Come to find out, her Washington Post article was all a lie. She was stripped of her Pulitzer and fired from her job. In class, we discussed what might have tipped off a copy editor and how he or she could have avoided this embarrassment.

The first thing I noticed was that Jimmy was pretty darn insightful for an 8-year-old. He knew a lot about business and the way the world works, which you wouldn’t expect from a boy who is supposedly addicted to heroin and has been shooting up for three years. Cooke also failed to get more sources. Why didn’t she contact his teachers or neighbors? Surely they would have noticed the needle marks in his arm and would have wanted to comment on it for fear of the boy’s safety. Also, Cooke talks about how Jimmy doesn’t go to school much. How is he not behind a grade?

She also makes huge overgeneralizations, especially when it comes to race. The mother is quoted as saying “drugs and black folk been together for a very long time,” and he dialect often switches from proper English to slang. Cooke’s descriptions of the house and surrounding area are inconsistent. His “comfortably furnished home” doesn’t fit with the ghetto description she’s trying to paint of the neighborhood. Another observation I made was the fact that heroin is an expensive habit. Why two heroin addicts would waste their drugs on a small child doesn’t seem to add up to me. Also, why would all these other addicts let a reporter watch them shooting up? Cooke writes, “Every day, junkies casually buy heroin from Ron, his mother’s live-in-lover, in the dining room of Jimmy’s home. They ‘cook’ it in the kitchen and ‘fire up’ in the bedrooms.” I find it hard to believe that people who are doing illegal activities would want a reporter anywhere near them, especially when they are shooting up an 8-year-old boy.

How Janet Cooke would have heard about Jimmy in the first place was a red flag. I doubt many people who go around boasting about an 8-year-old heroin addict they know of. Also, if I was a copy editor on this story, I would want to be able to contact this boy to get him help. Readers would definitely want to make sure he was taken care of and police would probably want to step in. Let this be a lesson to all the copy editors out there. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions.

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.

Abstract: 50 Places to Shop for Story Ideas

I thought MacLachan’s article was ingenious. I’d never even thought of looking for news articles at the vet’s office, but often animal stories are the best stories. Some of his ideas were a given, like eavesdropping – one of my favorite things to do – and trends. It’s sometimes hard to come up with ideas if you’re really trying to find them, so often I just put it in the back of my mind and some how a great idea presents itself. I find that taking the pressure off can make me more observant.

I might add the nail salon as a place to look for ideas. It’s similar to the hairdresser idea, but it’s one of those places that is a hub of gossip and news for a community. I would also add the most obvious place to look for an idea, which is your own life. I often get irritated about the bus always being late, or the rising cost of my utilities bill or the fact that it’s nearly impossible to get a good parking spot on campus. If I’m having a problem, I bet there’s a ton of people out there who are getting irritated about the same thing. Sometimes I’ll go to dinner with a group of friends and listen to their conversation for story ideas as well.

Abstract: Revamping the Story Flow for Journalists

This article was so interesting. It’s so amazing to think about how far journalism has come, especially in the last few years. I couldn’t imagine not using Google as a preliminary research point for nearly most of my articles. How did they do it before the Internet? Essentially, the basic components of story ideas and reporting have stayed the same and will continue to stay the same, but the whole process in which the ideas and research are conducted is vastly different.

I like how Glaser is outlining journalism in the years to come in that it includes a lot more reader involvement. As journalists, our job is to report the news to our readers and also keep them interesting in what’s going on around them. By utilizing Beatblogging, social networks and wikis, reporters can really give the readers what they want to know. The more ideas that are presented and developed, the better the newspaper, TV and magazine reports will be