Presses and Democracy

So in my journalism class last week, the discussion of the day was "Presses & Democracy" and "Journalism and Truth." Different models of media systems were discussed and definitions of "trust" were discussed to try and figure out where truth fits in journalism. One very important question was asked that I would like to answer. The question was ... "How does truthful news reporting create a sense of security?" My answer: we all have different sources we go to for news. Sometimes its the newspaper, sometimes its the internet, sometimes it a particular channel on the TV. Any or all of these are our "trusted" places for information because we believe the reporting being is is truthful and it gives us a sense of security. For me, I watch ABC news. I watch the local ABC channel in Salt Lake and I also watch ABC world news. Recently, because of class assignments, have also been getting my news from the NEW YORK TIMES. I trust all of these sources and it gives me a real sense of security to know that these places are reporting the "truth."
As mentioned in class, Realism and reality are not the same. Realism is considered a stereotype where as reality is actuality. Sometimes people seek realism in news and other times they want the reality. If we look hard enough, I think we can find both in the news. So the question remains, what is truth? I think it could be debated for hours but one statement that really stuck out to me is... "...needs fact and context, otherwise, its not really truth." If a statement is given without fact or context, it can't be considered truth.
One other aspect I found interesting about the group presentation was when there was a discussion about the different models of media systems being used. The U.S, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are among the places that use the Liberal Model. We believe that there is a professional view that journalists should write from a neutral position (fair, objective, and balanced.) I believe this is the way that journalists should be because in other parts of the world, such as Norway or Sweden, they don't believe in being balanced or objective and I think that creates major problems.

What interesting news have you found recently? One story I found funny/ interesting is a story about the new Barbie that was released, News Anchor Barbie. Here are two links to stories about this....

http://tinyurl.com/28cenqc
http://tinyurl.com/28zoyfq

"What is Journalism for?"

We had a very interesting group presentation on my COMMS 239 class last week. The basis for the presentation was "What is Journalism for?" and what the definition of journalism is. I liked the definition that was given, which was from a book called "Elements of Journalism" by Kovach and Rosenstiel. They say that "The primary purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with the information they need to be free and self governing." In my opinion, the the group presentation touched on this is... is that journalism is there to provide information to the public if for no other reason than to give the public information to make informed decisions on multiple topics. To be a successful journalist, you must have the love of reading and writing, an intense curiosity, a desire to contribute and the love of being on the inside, among other things. All these things are listed in a book called "The Mind of a Journalist," by Jim Willis. The one of these things that I just listed that I couldn't be more of advocate for is a love of being on the inside. One great thing about journalism and one reason I am wanting tohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif be in the profession is because I love having the inside scoop and letting other people know about it. That's what a great journalist does.

TOP MEDIA NEWS: Chattanooga, TN of all places is now offering ultra-fast internet at a gig per second. Only places like Tokyo and high business places have internet anywhere near that fast. The article can be found in many newspapers across the country, but I have included a link to the place I found it. Check it out!! This link should take you to the news article. http://bit.ly/ccEvJj

Views on Journalism

What is journalism and Who is a journalist? These are questions that can't really be answered very quickly, but I have some ideas on what I consider Journalism to be and who I consider a Journalist to be. To answer who is a journalist I must first define what I think journalism itself is. I think its reporting on events, not being bias and giving the facts of a story or event that the audience (whoever that may be) would want to know about. There is always timeliness to journalism. Whether the story is reported the day it happens or a month after it happens, there is a reason it is reported when it is to give the best information to the audience. With this said, a Journalist is someone who reports the relevant information in a timely manner and without bias in a way that their audience will care about it. It can be a tricky job, but i feel that Journalist will always have a job because there is always stuff going on that people will want to know about. A print journalist may not always have a job with all the technological advances, however, I think that journalist in general (especially broadcast and writers online) will always have the obligation to report on whats "important" to their audience. I do feel, however, a person doesn't have to have the title "journalist" to be considered one. If a person writes on a blog, or any other public medium, their information or views can be read by the mass population, therefore, they are reporting on events or ideas. I also consider this person a journalist because they are taking on the same role.