The Importance of Accuracy in Journalism
opinionated Essay
1913 words
The introduction of the internet to modern society has brought about a new age of information relation. Since there is no longer a need to wait until the next print day, news from all over the world is available at a person’s fingertips within hours or even minutes of the event. With this advent of such easily accessible information, new problems for the news media have also arisen. Aside from potentially losing good economic standing because newspapers are no longer being purchased in the quantities they used to be, the credibility of the information itself is also put into question. No one would argue that credibility of news sources is unimportant, but there is a discrepancy in what takes precedence; economy and speed or getting the information out correctly at the first publishing by taking the time to make sure all facts are checked. The importance of having a system of checks on all information submitted is paramount. People trust what they read and believe it to be so without always questioning. If all information were to not be checked thoroughly, there would be instances where people read an article only for information included to be wrong and they go on believing such information. This can be very dangerous as misinformed people make misinformed decisions. With an increase in errors being made by citizen bloggers and even major publications, many are worried that journalistic ethics and credibility in the news media are being sacrificed in order to maintain swiftness in the news circuit and to retain personal profits. Though getting information to the masses quickly is a major part of the media’s importance, this should not mean that the credibility of that information being presented should be sacrificed for it...
... middle of paper ...
...er Sites Need To Establish Uniform Process For Making Corrections." Newspaper Research Journal 31.4 (2010): 93-100.
Demir, Muge. "Importance Of Ethic, Credibility And Reliability In Online Journalism." European Journal Of Social Science 24.4 (2011): 537-545.
Fanselow, Julie. “Community Blogging: The New Wave of Citizen Journalism.” National Civic Review 97.4 (2008): 24-29.
Fleeson, Lucinda. “At Heart He Is Still A Journalist. But It Was His Journalism That Endangered His Life.” American Journalism Review 33.3 (2011): 42-47.
Johnson, Kirsten A., and Susan Wiedenbeck. "Enhancing Perceived Credibility Of Citizen Journalism Web Sites." Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 86.2 (2009): 332-348.
Newton, Julianne H. The Burden of Visual Truth: The Role of Photojournalism in Mediating Reality. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2001. Print.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that the introduction of the internet to modern society has brought about a new age of information relation.
- Explains that the desire for speed in news delivery has led to an increase in freelance journalism being performed by the average person.
- Explains that a photograph can show more of the news story than the written world alone. trained photojournalists have specific skill sets that allow them to be aware of what angles and settings allow for the most accurate perception.
- Opines that relying on freelance journalists and citizen bloggers for information makes a great deal of sense economically.
- Opines that the speed and lucrative side of the business get in the way of truly remembering the most important thing in journalism, which is a published story's full credibility.
- Suggests a uniform process for making corrections in articles that are found to have errors. this goes against the basic principles of photojournalistic ethics which states that all errors made must be fixed but also made known.
- Opines that the news community needs to remain cautious and aware that even though the increase in speed is inevitable, the neglect in checking facts is not.
- Explains birsen, haluk, demir, muge, and newton, julianne h. the burden of visual truth: the role of photojournalism
Related
- analytical
- Journalistic Standards in the Matt Drudge Eraanalytical essayJournalistic Standards in the Matt Drudge Era Introduction Public trust is at the heart of journalism. Such trust is built upon the credibility journalistic efforts. In the past, though mistakes have been made by even the most reputable of news providers, credibility was maintained and public trust in the journalist industry was steady.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that there are many obstacles that must be overcome before a set of standards can be applied to online reporting.
- Analyzes fitzgerald, jay, "trivial issues dominate mainstream media," boston business journal, vol.
- Opines that foreman, gene, "inquirer learns a lesson for us all," nieman reports, vol.
- Explains lasica, j.d., “preserving old ethics in a new medium,” american journalism review, vol.
- Analyzes weir, david, "web journalism crosses many traditional lines," nieman reports, vol. 54, 2000: 35-38.
- Examines the debate surrounding online journalism, including a general look at journalistic standards and an account of matt drudge's activities as an internet investigative reporter.
- Opines that matt drudge is the poster child for the argument maintained by many of today's journalists.
- Drudge, 34, is a self-styled cyberspace patriot who thrives on news scoops via ‘drudge report’, which he launched in 1995.
- Analyzes campbell, kim, and chavez, linda, "online news leads a precarious life."
- Analyzes how the drudge report exposes the news power of the internet and its impact on society.
- Analyzes miller's "matt drudge, nothin’ but a hound dog," pittsburgh business times, vol. 19 (9) 1999: 12. noack, david, "poll says web news use is mainstream."
- Explains rothenberg, randall, ryan, leslie, and ryan's "in drudge era, educators make case of j-schools."
- Cites snyder, beth, kerwin, ann marie, stevenson, kerry, swaine, michael, and dobb's journal: software tools for the professional programmer.
4449 wordsRead More - Supreme Court Case: Sheppard V. Maxwell 1966analytical essaySheppard V. Maxwell Revisited—Do the Traditional Rules Work for Nontraditional Media?, an article written by G. A. Hengstler, visits the main question raised in Sheppard V. Maxwell. Hengstler does not disagree in his article that the press may not have been that threatening in decades prior when media was primitive, but he argues that media is a sure threat today. It shall be clarified that the media in the 1960’s cannot compare to today’s rapid technological advancements. The rise in technology has led to a new competitor in the news field that utterly baffles journalists—the internet. Mainstream journalists are aware of ethical codes, but can that be said for every at home blogger or amateur critic?
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how jonathan entin puts a different perspective on how the law feels about the sheppard v. maxwell case by giving insight on the prosecutor's perspective.
- Analyzes how the media could have a reverse effect on the case of sam sheppard. the fugitive became popular and widespread in the late 60's. projects like the innocence project were kicked-started in response.
- Explains that the innocence project is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to exonerate all wrongfully convicted criminals. they have proved the innocence of 400 people, 18 of whom were serving on death row.
- Concludes that the supreme court case sheppard v. maxwell informally decided media is no real threat in the court system.
- Opines that the sheppard v. maxwell case was the key for evaluating ohio's legal system.
- Opines that the same thing that got sheppard wrongly convicted in the first place is now serving his legacy—the media.
- Analyzes how sheppard v. maxwell revisited—do the traditional rules work for nontraditional media relates to the advancements in modern technology and if the laws and norms should still apply.
1311 wordsRead More - Mainstream Mediaanalytical essayMainstream media such as television, radio, newspapers were the primary source of reliable information before the epoch of the internet. However, the situation has changed. The evolution of modern technology in the world today has led to the continuous increase in the methods of practicing journalism. Social and technological advancements have not only improved the pace and content of this field’s practice, but has extended its genre to online or cybernetic journalism. (Project for Excellence in Journalism, 2007). News websites most of which are owned by major media companies and alternative websites with user generated content such as social networking sites and blogs are gaining grounds in the journalism field of practice. (Nel, n.d). One of the chief forces affecting the practice of journalism nowadays is online citizen journalists. Nel (n.d) defines citizen journalism as “individuals playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analysing and disseminating news and information”. He further adds that “citizen journalism is slowly being looked upon as a form of rightful democratic ways of giving hones news, articles, etc, directly by citizens of the world from anywhere.” One of the major researches conducted in the field of citizen journalism, describes the phenomenon as “individuals who intend to publish information online, meant to benefit a community”, and this information is expected to benefit the audience or the wider population in making decisions for the improvement of their community. (Carpenter, 2010.)
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the evolution of modern technology has led to the continuous increase in the methods of practicing journalism. news websites owned by major media companies and alternative websites with user generated content are gaining ground in journalism field of practice.
- Explains that the first generation of net news was similar to the old and waning methods of computing characterised by online newspapers with poor interface designs, clumsy connections and unnecessary use of graphic designs.
- Explains the evolution of the internet as a news medium in the 2000's, stating that the third generation of net news engages younger audiences into the world of news and public affairs.
- Argues that content diversity is important in examining online news because it serves varying public functions. consumers should be able to access a broad range of news stories online because different people are interested in different topics.
- Explains that diversity is measured by analysing multiplicity of sources quoted within articles, the variety of staff writing these articles and the diversity of ownership within a particular geographic region.
- Argues that the more topics covered by an online publication, the better the news organisation and the tendency for consumers to read its publications.
- Explains that research on the use of hyperlinks or hypertexts in online journalism relied on quantitative content analyses to count the number off links present in news sites.
- Explains that diversity in content is probably the most important factor when talking about online journalism. the project aims to determine how online citizen journalism and online newspapers is related to diversity of content provided to the audience.
- Argues that the lack of diversity in information due to media laws and gatekeeping has fuelled the emergence of new information sites including those created by online citizen journalists.
- Explains that the key concept of interactivity in online news is its two way communication pattern, allowing users to personalise their online settings by creating user interfaces, creating accounts, and even commenting on news publications online.
1999 wordsRead More - Media Bias and Concentrationanalytical essayAfter witnessing a hotly contested election and the massive amounts of campaigning done by both parties in effort to inform the public and reach as many voters as possible, one question still remains poignant: Where do we get our information? The myriad landscape that is the media today, can be accessed from almost anywhere, and has, in many ways, entrenched itself in American culture, replacing what used to be standard outlets of information. Television and print news have long dominated the average American household in terms of being used to access information, but new outlets, like the internet and film have grown into major ways in which people learn about what is happening in the world. The emergence of so many varied sources of information, however, and the ever-growing accessibility of unchecked information raises a different question; not so much the source of our information but rather, what is the quality of the information we are getting? Mass media has long had an influence on society and an in depth look at its most popular forms today would most definitely reveal several glaring inequities in the way TV networks, print media, and internet websites communicate information. Many media sources are slanted, one way or another, in their views and coverage of people and events. Everette Dennis once stated that objectivity is what sets apart American mass media from the rest of the world and is one of the most important precepts of American journalism (103). In present times, however, media that provides completely impartial analysis of the facts is either hard to find, or deemed incredible. The fact of the matter is that in a large portion of mass media outlets what is best described as obj...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the media has replaced standard outlets of information in american society, and argues that objective news coverage is hard to find in modern times.
- Explains that it is important to understand the history behind the behavior and the methods in which they take place.
- Explains that the evolution of mass media is directly related to the growth of technology in the 20th century.
- Analyzes how the propaganda from world war ii represents the core of misrepresentation in media. the japanese empire was wrong in its attempted conquest of the pacific, but the representations of japan in american mass media were unjust.
- Analyzes how the use of mass media today is less blatant, but the same underpinning remains.
- Explains that right and left wing corporations like ge, aol/time warner, and viacom, et.al, control what gets covered and how it is represented.
- Explains that while the media in america is dominated by the left wing agenda, there are a large number of mass media outlets that promote mainly right-wing values.
- Analyzes how rupert murdoch, the owner of news corporation, uses mass media outlets to favor his commercial and political interests.
- Explains that many programs on fox news that claim to report objective and no-spin news, are in deed right wing spin shows themselves.
- Analyzes how the media in america today is heavily influenced by a more liberal agenda. viacom, which owns abc and mtv, has come under fire for liberal distortion of mass media.
- Analyzes how mtv's "citizen change" ads depicted negative images of war and then prompted the viewer to vote for change, peace, freedom, safety, something.
- Explains that the new york times is one of the most recognized newspapers in the united states and the world.
- Explains that finding objective media coverage is difficult, considering the biased sources out there. the academic sphere represents how people should access information in order to make informed decisions.
- Explains bizimana, ladislas, and francisco ferrandiz's the emotion and the truth: studies in mass communication and conflict.
- Analyzes how the distortion of mass media in america is a threat to freedom. large conglomerates dominate the present day media market and influence their respective media outlets.
- Analyzes how nbc's coverage of the 2002 winter olympics is a perennial case of corporate self-promotion overtaking news judgment.
- Compares cnn's fawning coverage of george w. bush from the likes of correspondent kelly wallace to the tough treatment that cnn meted out to bill clinton.
- Argues that oversimplification in journalists' reports hinders efforts to solve conflicts, by failing to assist in identification of all issues, all actors and their conflicting interests, as well as the mechanisms to address them efficiently.
- Explains cohen, solomon, dennis, and merrill. through the media looking glass: decoding bias and blather in the news.
3946 wordsRead More - Fact or Fiction: The Voter News Serviceanalytical essayThroughout recent history there have been several landmark events, which have swept across the nation, impacting the masses. With each news station fighting to have the first story, one could begin to speculate where the information they acquire is sourced, due to how quickly it is regurgitated. Before the rise of social media outlets vying for our society's attention, there were only limited resources available for trustworthy information. Now however, there is an endless supply of mediums readily accessible to distribute news in our fast paced lives. One of the major controversies affecting journalism today is unreliable information as a result of premature reporting based upon unconfirmed sources. Unfortunately this idea has been tested, proven, and resulted in countless watershed moments regarding how news has been reported.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the rise of social media outlets vying for our society's attention has resulted in countless watershed moments regarding how news was reported.
- Explains that cnn and nbc were the first to declare al gore the winner of florida, thus electing him the new president of the united states.
- Explains that the rush to be first when reporting the presidential elections can sometimes lead to unjustified concessions and months spent in the u.s. supreme court.
- Analyzes how the boston marathon bombings led to a nation on high alert turning to cnn for answers. cnn, associated press, fox news, and the boston globe backtracked on reports that cited anonymous law enforcement sources.
- Analyzes how the new york post was one of the many criticized for falsely printing the fabricated story, skewed pictures of two innocent men with an eye-catching headline that read, "bag men: feds seek these two pictures at boston marathon."
- Explains that newspapers were not immune to faulty publications when print media dominated the news world. the chicago daily tribune's printers and typesetters were on strike.
- Explains how the tribune switched to a method of printing where the paper was composed, photographed, and then engraved onto printing plates for more efficient production.
- Argues that news is for journalists and reporters to boast, more so than giving people honest factual information.
- Analyzes how jackson, david, and shepard, alicia c. "how they blew it."american journalism review. ajr, jan.-feb. 2001.
1627 wordsRead More - The Future of Responsible Journalismanalytical essayIn trying to attract new audiences, news media have begun to transition from reporting to becoming a form of entertainment. With the meteoric rise of social media’s role as a news source, the fight for an increase of diversity in the media, and the ever-growing desire of immediate content, the future of responsible journalism is more important than ever. Ask yourself, why do I think the way I do? Where do my political views originate? How do I prove them? Most likely, it is due to the biased portrayal of issues in the media and the politicization that accompanies what we consume. Now, compare your views to your preferred news reporting entity. More than likely, they are the same.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that the future of responsible journalism is more important than ever with the rise of social media as a news source, the fight for an increase of diversity in the media, and the ever-growing desire for immediate content.
- Explains that people fail to see responsible journalism as a crisis because it is convenient to have news media make up your mind for you. the foundation of our personal philosophies stems from irresponsible journalism.
- Explains that the majority of our personal and political philosophies are a snowball effect from the major news sources we consume.
- Explains that the desire to be entertained by celebrities has degraded our ability to stay informed. prior's study examined the effect of personal preference.
- Explains that prior's study deviates from his claim, but the essence of personal responsibility is personal. convenience and immediacy are metaphorical pheromones that less responsible entertainment secretes.
- Argues that the foundation of our personal philosophies stems from biased reporting enforcing negative stereotypes.
- Analyzes how an uninformed opinion can have a negative effect on the world, such as the fatal shooting of trayvon martin.
- Opines that we must continue to cure uninformed opinions because we shape our perception of the world based on what is portrayed in newspapers, journals, news stations, and other news reporting entities.
- Opines that we should have an optimistic view of the future of responsible journalism. with the rise of social media, traditional media has been rapidly transforming into entertainment instead of an objective news reporting source.
- Cites jones, jeffrey p., nobles, dr. wade, and prior, markus. fox news and the performance of ideology.
1146 wordsRead More - Elements Of Journalismanalytical essayAn argument can be made that Journalism is one of the very few professions in the world of media that is handled with some sort of dignity and pride. After reading “The Elements of Journalism” by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, I realized how important journalism is to each and every one of us. Whether you’re a writer or a reader, the back and forth exchange between provider and consumer is extremely important in pushing society forward. Journalism after all is designed to challenge society, promote new ideas and spark conversation between one another. Despite the positives of journalism, there are issues that exist within the profession that cannot be excused and cannot be ignored.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that journalism is one of the few professions in the world of media that is handled with dignity and pride. the back and forth exchange between provider and consumer is important in pushing society forward.
- Analyzes how the current u.s presidential race has been flooded with issues that have caused concern.
- Analyzes how donald trump received over $400 million worth of free media in february, which is nearly the entire amount of paid media john mccain spent in 2008.
- Argues that the explosion of social media journalism was due to frustration from the lack of coverage of news that mattered to society.
- Opines that the discipline of verification separates journalism from entertainment, propaganda, fiction, or art. gawker thrives on publishing stories no other publication will.
- Opines that journalism is an important element of our society and is going through important and necessary changes.
1293 wordsRead More - The Importance of Globalizationanalytical essayQuinn, S., & Lamble, S. (2008). Online newsgathering: Research and reporting for journalism. Boston: Focal Press.
In this essay, the author
- Explains how globalisation influenced business journalism in the asian financial crisis in 1997. the internet brought opportunities and threats to the industry, such as loosing professionalism and news variety.
- Explains castells, m. (2008), the new public sphere: global civil society, communication networks, and global governance.
- States that fenton, n., new media, old news: journalism and democracy in the digital age.
- Opines that social media for journalists: principles & practice.
- Analyzes the structure of foreign news: the presentation of the congo, cuba and cyprus crises in four norwegian newspapers.
- Analyzes how the internet contributes to globalization and its impact on economy and culture, while business journalism is facing opportunities and threats.
- Analyzes how the asian financial crisis in 1997 triggered political upheaval in south korea and indonesia. the internet facilitates space and speed in reporting news, and journalists can do their research without leaving their newsroom.
- Argues that technology brings benefits to business journalism as demand to the online news became higher, but journalists paid less time on checking the news as requirement to speed of producing news increased.
- Argues that business journalism is facing a great competition in the news industry as the market entries become easier.
- Explains that global news agencies can affect news coverage in other countries because they rely on "wholesales" agencies on information, pictures, and sound records.
- Introduces held, d. and mcgrew, a. goldblatt, and perraton, j. global transformations: politics, economics and culture.
- Explains mautner, g., wood, e. m. and foster, j. b.
- Explains merrill, j. c., and quinn, s. (2008). global journalism: a survey of the world's mass media.
- Explains robinson, s., and sinclair, j. the institutionalization of online news and the creation of a shared journalistic authority.
1568 wordsRead More - Traditional Journalism Essayanalytical essayThe first is the crisis of viability. The chance of success in the journalism in the mainstream is approaching a decline due to the transformations in technologies and new access to multiple sources of information. The second is a crisis in civic adequacy. The contributions of journalism to citizenship and democracy have begun to shift and this shift has caused a question of the relevancy of journalism to democratic processes. In a democratic society journalism plays the role of the government watchdog. The effectiveness of society’s watchdog is now being challenged and in turn alternating the structure of the current democratic society. Many critical theorists of the press during the beginning of the 20th century were concerned with finding appropriate forms of public regulation of the press and journalism to ensure that journalists are writing “news and information about public affairs which sustains and nurtures citizen information, understanding and engagement and thereby a democratic polity” (Cushion and Franklin, 2015: 75) (Dahlgren, Splichal 2016). Journalism is a political entity that influences and informs the public. It is meant to work as a source of public information that helps and does not hinder the general public specifically in political processes. The article
In this essay, the author
- Explains that journalism is facing a twofold crisis. the first is the crisis of viability, and the second is an election-related crisis, which has shifted the relevance of journalism to democratic processes.
- Analyzes how dahlgren and splichal suggest that technological developments in the media field are the beginning of the creative destruction of journalism.
- Argues that the emergence of citizen journalism is a consequence of the current factors effecting the changes in traditional journalism.
- Explains that journalism is facing a decline in public trust, which alters the key role of journalism in society's democracy.
1191 wordsRead More - The Impact of Electronic Media and the Internet on Print Mediaanalytical essayMatheson, D. (2004). Weblogs and the epistemology of the news: some trends in online journalism. News Media & Society 6 (4) pp.443-468. (on-line)
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how new technology has developed rapidly since the birth of the internet, and it continues to expand and evolve affecting many domains, especially the print media.
- Analyzes how technology has put pressure on the traditional newspaper to deliver up-to-the-minute news.
- Argues that other print media have resisted being fully represented on the web, arguing that these same factors are applicable to the internet.
- Argues that the accuracy and legitimacy of news items on the internet could be questioned as they are produced by the ordinary lay person.
- Analyzes how the internet has been used by terrorists to communicate messages, ransom demands, and fear. as technology develops, so does the end users experience and knowledge of the every changing technology.
- Posits that the internet will supersede the traditional newspaper over the next twenty years to thirty years.
- Concludes that new technology in the electronic media and the world wide web will continue to play a key role in changing the future direction of the print media.
- Describes fulton, k., "a tour of our uncertain future". columbia journalism review, march/april 1996.
- Explains kelsey, j.f., the next generation newspaper: avoiding future shock, editor & publisher, february 4, 1995.
- States matheson, d. (2004), weblogs and the epistemology of the news: some trends in online journalism.
- Analyzes how rupert murdoch turned a small-town newspaper into an extensive media empire that informs and entertains half the world.
- Explains stahl, j. (2004). islamic fundamentalists adept at using media, analysts say.
1545 wordsRead More