PoP QuIz TiMe!!! about------------->journalism.
what is it for????
A. for spreading information
B. for providing citizens with the information they need to be free and self-governing
C. for creating a public forum for public criticism and compromise
D. so that there is a career that makes it acceptable and even hilarious for people to act like this:
E. all of the above.
ok i hate multiple choice questions passionately, but this seemed like a great way to start off my second blog post about journalism. the answer, naturally, is E. (don't you just hate when the answer is "all of the above??" so annoying....)
all of those answers plus many more is what journalism is for. actually, the MOST correct one is b, and we will discuss that soon. it is necessary, as previously discussed in my 1st blog post, for our society to be the way that it is, meaning, free and self-governing. in regards to option D, it also provides a place for weird people such as myself to have a fun and interactive jobs at newspapers and t.v. stations, which provide time to make up awesome hand clapping and paper tapping sequences.
in class, we determined that the answer to the question: "what is journalism for?" is this:
in class, we determined that the answer to the question: "what is journalism for?" is this:
TO PROVIDE CITIZENS WITH THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO BE FREE AND SELF-GOVERNING.
such a powerful statement. we NEED journalism to be free and self-governing.
in bill kovach & tom rosentiel's book: the elements of journalism, they said:
"journalism's first obligation is to the truth...the desire that information be truthful is elemental...the most important quality is that it be usable and reliable...truthfulness creates, in effect, the sense of security that grows from awareness and is at the essence of news."
i believe this summarizes nicely the role of journalism in society. to provide not only that INFORMATION we discussed so heavily in my first blog post that makes up the definition of journalism; but also making sure that this information is TRUTHFUL and ACCURATE.
Who's job is that.....?????
yup, OURS. journalists.
Can you imagine sitting down to watch the evening news at 5 each night with your family and hearing them read the headlines but not trusting them? this might seem like a broad example, but really think about it. when we watch the news, we trust them. we believe everything that they say. we take it as FACT, and often spread what we heard to other people because we trust them SO MUCH that we are sure we are giving out good information.
now what if that was not the case? it certainly isn't like that in every country. our awesome first amendment provides us with the surety that what we are hearing and seeing is true. countries such as germany during WWII, communist china, and albania have either no free speech or restricted speech or speech that is controlled and regulated by the government. WE ARE SO LUCKY. the fact that we CAN watch the 5 o'clock news and know that we are getting good solid information is not only a relief, but a blessing.
i want to talk more about how the journalist caries the responsibility for truthfulness....but we will save that for another blog post.
other roles that journalism plays in society include (but are not limited to):
in bill kovach & tom rosentiel's book: the elements of journalism, they said:
"journalism's first obligation is to the truth...the desire that information be truthful is elemental...the most important quality is that it be usable and reliable...truthfulness creates, in effect, the sense of security that grows from awareness and is at the essence of news."
i believe this summarizes nicely the role of journalism in society. to provide not only that INFORMATION we discussed so heavily in my first blog post that makes up the definition of journalism; but also making sure that this information is TRUTHFUL and ACCURATE.
Who's job is that.....?????
yup, OURS. journalists.
Can you imagine sitting down to watch the evening news at 5 each night with your family and hearing them read the headlines but not trusting them? this might seem like a broad example, but really think about it. when we watch the news, we trust them. we believe everything that they say. we take it as FACT, and often spread what we heard to other people because we trust them SO MUCH that we are sure we are giving out good information.
now what if that was not the case? it certainly isn't like that in every country. our awesome first amendment provides us with the surety that what we are hearing and seeing is true. countries such as germany during WWII, communist china, and albania have either no free speech or restricted speech or speech that is controlled and regulated by the government. WE ARE SO LUCKY. the fact that we CAN watch the 5 o'clock news and know that we are getting good solid information is not only a relief, but a blessing.
i want to talk more about how the journalist caries the responsibility for truthfulness....but we will save that for another blog post.
other roles that journalism plays in society include (but are not limited to):
-gate keeping, aka deciding what information the public should know and what it should not.
-keeping people involved in the news
-building up a community, citizenship, and democracy
-keeping people involved in the news
-building up a community, citizenship, and democracy
how many of you readers remember september 11th? i do. so vividly. i was in 6th grade. i remember as the news unfolded we got it first from the news broadcasters across america who knew, basically nothing, but told us everything they did know. what made this day such a defining day for journalists everywhere was that they stuck to what they knew, and made sure they told only that. we knew we were getting accurate information and we held on to their every words.
here is a clip that exemplifies professional journalism. as the anchors of the TODAY show witnessed a 2nd plane crashing into the world trade centers, we watched it with them. how would you have acted? think about it....... yup, that is why we are not all anchors on the TODAY show. this clip gives me goosebumps whenever i see it. watch:
here is a clip that exemplifies professional journalism. as the anchors of the TODAY show witnessed a 2nd plane crashing into the world trade centers, we watched it with them. how would you have acted? think about it....... yup, that is why we are not all anchors on the TODAY show. this clip gives me goosebumps whenever i see it. watch:
this clip is just what this blog post is trying to encompass: relaying facts to a curious audience.
being truthful. being professional. using video and sound to get information out to the public.
this may be an extreme example, but it gets my point across. we knew we were being fed the facts as they came. and we were able to be sure of this because of the credibility our nation's journalists have established through truthfulness.
in closing, journalism is for US. it is for the public. it is for everyone who has ever found something out from reading, listening, or participating in any form of journalism. it is an integrated part of our society and one of the greatest things about this nation......and i am grateful for that every single day of my life.
being truthful. being professional. using video and sound to get information out to the public.
this may be an extreme example, but it gets my point across. we knew we were being fed the facts as they came. and we were able to be sure of this because of the credibility our nation's journalists have established through truthfulness.
in closing, journalism is for US. it is for the public. it is for everyone who has ever found something out from reading, listening, or participating in any form of journalism. it is an integrated part of our society and one of the greatest things about this nation......and i am grateful for that every single day of my life.
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