Well, Barack and Hillary on battling it out in Iowa again. The
Washington Post reports that both used strong rhetorical arguments in hopes of getting the Democrat's presidential nomination.
On Saturday Obama delivered what some call his best speech of the campaign trail at an annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner.
Yay. A president who can speak. I was told in high school that I should be a speech writer...of course my newspaper advisor's sister was a Chicago Sun Times Reporter turned speech writer for the Governor of Illinois.
It's a tempting thought, but I still believe that politicians should be able to write their own speeches (with a little tweaking from a professional). After all, they are supposed to present themselves as intelligent and poised professionals to world leaders. I'd like to think that the president of the what we like to call the ruling country in the world should be able to speak fluently with or without a teleprompter.
On a side note,
I think it's interesting that media personalities routinely ask Obama if he'd be willing to run as Clinton's vice president. On Meet the Press, I didn't notice a similar question but that seems to be a rarity lately. And what's Obama's response? Sorry but no.
Of course he's not going to jeopardize his chance at the oval office, but isn't that a thought: Setting two historical precedents in one election.
One can dream...
Monday, November 12, 2007
Sunday, November 4, 2007
It's All the Same
Today I decided to break from my usual trend of searching the Washington Post or New York Times for election stories. Instead, I looked at the Minneapolis Star Tribune because I used to read their Sunday paper when I was in high school.
And what did I find?
The exact same story as story I would have read on nytimes.com, except written by an Associated Press writer. Humph. Media convergence, how I hate thee. But anyway, I suppose Fred Thompson's woes are the same no matter who's writing about them.
The Republican Presidential nominee want to be, has some excuses up his sleeve regarding the criminal past of one of his advisers, though he refused to "throw [his] friend under the bus" for a poor choice made decades ago.
The Washington Post -- yes, the newspaper I refused my diligence to this afternoon -- broke the story today that a co-chairman of Thompson's campaign, has a criminal record for drug dealing. Philip Martin, plead guilty to the sale of 11 pounds of marijuana in 1979 and then was charged for violating probation in 1983 with multiple counts of bookmaking, cocaine trafficking and conspiracy.
Thompson maintains that Martin is a good friend and has paid his debt to society. He underscores that none of the illegal actions have been tied to the campaign and are in no way going to impact his campaign's future or the future of his friendship with Martin.
I'm not exactly sure what I think about this issue. While I certainly don't think I want my "future president" to rub elbows with drug lords, I also understand that no one is perfect. Everyone may have a blemish or two on their resumé but I'm not one to take federal offenses lightly.
And what did I find?
The exact same story as story I would have read on nytimes.com, except written by an Associated Press writer. Humph. Media convergence, how I hate thee. But anyway, I suppose Fred Thompson's woes are the same no matter who's writing about them.
The Republican Presidential nominee want to be, has some excuses up his sleeve regarding the criminal past of one of his advisers, though he refused to "throw [his] friend under the bus" for a poor choice made decades ago.
The Washington Post -- yes, the newspaper I refused my diligence to this afternoon -- broke the story today that a co-chairman of Thompson's campaign, has a criminal record for drug dealing. Philip Martin, plead guilty to the sale of 11 pounds of marijuana in 1979 and then was charged for violating probation in 1983 with multiple counts of bookmaking, cocaine trafficking and conspiracy.
Thompson maintains that Martin is a good friend and has paid his debt to society. He underscores that none of the illegal actions have been tied to the campaign and are in no way going to impact his campaign's future or the future of his friendship with Martin.
I'm not exactly sure what I think about this issue. While I certainly don't think I want my "future president" to rub elbows with drug lords, I also understand that no one is perfect. Everyone may have a blemish or two on their resumé but I'm not one to take federal offenses lightly.
Investigative Reporting
Chapter 8 in "News Reporting and Writing" is kind of a how-to guide to investigative reporting. The chapter takes readers through the investigative process and explains some the problems that arise during most investigations.
Conducting an investigation is one of the most challenging aspects of journalism. Yet, in my opinion, it is one of the types that reaps the most reward. The chapter gave a brief history of muckraking in the U.S. press. Forerunners like Tarbell, Sinclair, and Dreiser set a precedent for the investigative reporting that was to follow.
I think the key subject that the reading addressed is that no good reporter decides to pursue an investigation unless there is a basis to their suspicion. I know that as a writer I get excited about the idea of proving my thesis. I need to, however, also be able to recognize when evidence disproves the theory. Only through investigation and a strong sense of determination will an investigation be fruitful.
The chapter highlights the importance of organization during an investigation. I don't expect this to be a problem for me considering that I'm a compulsive planner. I do, however, have a problem with being confrontational. I can't imagine going after a tough source and really having to be aggressive to get the information I need. But I suppose some of that gumption is built up gradually.
As far as the actual writing is concerned, I think the hard news lede doesn't do the writing justice. I really like the example for the Peace Corps story where the article started out with a human touch and then moved into a the news.
The IRE reading for today gave some examples of recent investigative reports and the ramifications of the stories. I noticed two of the example were from Minnesota and it was nice to read about the work of journalists I recognized.
The one thing that the investigations had in common was that they took one element that would be important to an audience and went with it. For instance, many dealt with taxes or government action. Some were specifically human interest but they were all broad enough to interest a number of people. Because investigative pieces take so much money and time, it is important the you go after a story that will interest your audience. An off-the-wall story may have promise but it must also hold up to the news worthiness judgments so that the audience wants to care about the injustice that's exposed.
Conducting an investigation is one of the most challenging aspects of journalism. Yet, in my opinion, it is one of the types that reaps the most reward. The chapter gave a brief history of muckraking in the U.S. press. Forerunners like Tarbell, Sinclair, and Dreiser set a precedent for the investigative reporting that was to follow.
I think the key subject that the reading addressed is that no good reporter decides to pursue an investigation unless there is a basis to their suspicion. I know that as a writer I get excited about the idea of proving my thesis. I need to, however, also be able to recognize when evidence disproves the theory. Only through investigation and a strong sense of determination will an investigation be fruitful.
The chapter highlights the importance of organization during an investigation. I don't expect this to be a problem for me considering that I'm a compulsive planner. I do, however, have a problem with being confrontational. I can't imagine going after a tough source and really having to be aggressive to get the information I need. But I suppose some of that gumption is built up gradually.
As far as the actual writing is concerned, I think the hard news lede doesn't do the writing justice. I really like the example for the Peace Corps story where the article started out with a human touch and then moved into a the news.
The IRE reading for today gave some examples of recent investigative reports and the ramifications of the stories. I noticed two of the example were from Minnesota and it was nice to read about the work of journalists I recognized.
The one thing that the investigations had in common was that they took one element that would be important to an audience and went with it. For instance, many dealt with taxes or government action. Some were specifically human interest but they were all broad enough to interest a number of people. Because investigative pieces take so much money and time, it is important the you go after a story that will interest your audience. An off-the-wall story may have promise but it must also hold up to the news worthiness judgments so that the audience wants to care about the injustice that's exposed.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
More beats than a boombox
Well, the saga of the beat coverage continues. The reading started out as an all-encompassing tutorial of the different beat areas and ended up as Courts-R-Us with the Justice Journalism Reading. Yes, I found certain elements to be informative and quite important in the grand scheme of need-to-know journalism knowledge, but sorry, this pretty much reaffirmed the fact that I have no interest in being a beat reporter. EVER.
News Reporting and Writings' chapter 14, "Covering a Beat," started out an a high note, mentioning the importance of convergence in today's media. Yes, I realize that as a reporter I need to be able to write copy, take photos and video, write captions, and make slide-shows. I am completely fine with that. Is there actually any option that I could just do those things and forget about schmoozing with politicians. That'd be great, thanks.
Anyway, as the reading went on, it explained the importance of writing news that relevant and useful to the publication's readers. You think? I always thought that we were supposed to find the most unrelated gobblygook and then fill section A with it. Humph. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood because the that thought of covering budgets, what's his face's divorce, and political bullshit makes my stomach turn.
Okay, okay, on the upside the piece did speak to the difficulty of creating a trusting relationship with sources while remaining objective. Of course this is something that every journalist struggles with. We have to try to get all of the information, which usually has to come from a person but retain enough independence that we remain unbiased: not exactly an easy task.
As for the Justice Journalism reading, a few key points stuck out at me. One, the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony. Two, the different burdens of proof for civil and criminal cases and three, what a motion actually is and the types possible. The types of motions actually run like a laundry list including change of venue, gag orders, postponements, depositions, bond dismissal, subpoenas, severance, forensics, production of evidence, mental competency, legal representation and financing. Good god.
There are so many court cases every day that page upon page of newspapers could be filled with only court reporting and the police reporting that overlaps with it. Chapter nine said that the two aspects of news found in court reporting come primarily from:
1. When parties are known to the public and
2. When factual and legal issues are of public interest.
Above all, the chapters echoed that fact that as a journalist I need to keep in mind that the defendant is innocent until proven guilty and even a slight mis-use of a court term could completely libel a person. Court is scary for me and I'm not even on the stand.
News Reporting and Writings' chapter 14, "Covering a Beat," started out an a high note, mentioning the importance of convergence in today's media. Yes, I realize that as a reporter I need to be able to write copy, take photos and video, write captions, and make slide-shows. I am completely fine with that. Is there actually any option that I could just do those things and forget about schmoozing with politicians. That'd be great, thanks.
Anyway, as the reading went on, it explained the importance of writing news that relevant and useful to the publication's readers. You think? I always thought that we were supposed to find the most unrelated gobblygook and then fill section A with it. Humph. Maybe I'm just in a bad mood because the that thought of covering budgets, what's his face's divorce, and political bullshit makes my stomach turn.
Okay, okay, on the upside the piece did speak to the difficulty of creating a trusting relationship with sources while remaining objective. Of course this is something that every journalist struggles with. We have to try to get all of the information, which usually has to come from a person but retain enough independence that we remain unbiased: not exactly an easy task.
As for the Justice Journalism reading, a few key points stuck out at me. One, the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony. Two, the different burdens of proof for civil and criminal cases and three, what a motion actually is and the types possible. The types of motions actually run like a laundry list including change of venue, gag orders, postponements, depositions, bond dismissal, subpoenas, severance, forensics, production of evidence, mental competency, legal representation and financing. Good god.
There are so many court cases every day that page upon page of newspapers could be filled with only court reporting and the police reporting that overlaps with it. Chapter nine said that the two aspects of news found in court reporting come primarily from:
1. When parties are known to the public and
2. When factual and legal issues are of public interest.
Above all, the chapters echoed that fact that as a journalist I need to keep in mind that the defendant is innocent until proven guilty and even a slight mis-use of a court term could completely libel a person. Court is scary for me and I'm not even on the stand.
College Journalism and the Campaign Trail
Journalists from the Chapel Hill school of journalism have touched a nerve among members of the John Edwards campaign this week. According to an entry on the Washington Post's campaign blog entitled John Edwards and Journalism 101, the Edwards' campaign attempted to silence a student's video that raised a question about the Edwards campaign center in North Carolina.
A broadcast news piece aired on a student television channel and also posted on YouTube suggests that the Southern Village area where his campaign center is located isn't an area for Edwards' targeted "average person" voter but rather an affluent area.
After watching the piece, I found that the reporter did a good job of getting both sides of the story. It looked very much like the pieces I've seen come out of Park's Newswatch16 and I personally feel that student journalism can often times cut through the crap and bureaucracy that "real" publications get stuck in.
Come on people! I really don't think now is the time to get on the wrong side of the media...this type of criticism is nothing compared to the full-out viciousness that the press dishes out to the President on a daily basis.
A broadcast news piece aired on a student television channel and also posted on YouTube suggests that the Southern Village area where his campaign center is located isn't an area for Edwards' targeted "average person" voter but rather an affluent area.
After watching the piece, I found that the reporter did a good job of getting both sides of the story. It looked very much like the pieces I've seen come out of Park's Newswatch16 and I personally feel that student journalism can often times cut through the crap and bureaucracy that "real" publications get stuck in.
Come on people! I really don't think now is the time to get on the wrong side of the media...this type of criticism is nothing compared to the full-out viciousness that the press dishes out to the President on a daily basis.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
The Never-Ending Reading
In Covering Crime and Justice some of the key elements that every journalist may deal with are ironed out. The reading gives a brief summary of the ins and outs of journalism and how it can take on many different forms and present many different challenges depending on the area a journalist is covering.
Chapter 1: The Crime Beat
I feel that as a journalist I wouldn't be terribly good at the crime beat. I tend to have a hesitancy about going after the tough story or the "in-your-face" topics. I did enjoy the reading, though, because it provided a good background of how crime is defined and how arrests and other aspects of civil and criminal cases play out.
I'd never really know the difference between various types of crimes and how each term has a different meaning. Here are some examples from the reading:
* Larceny encompasses any wrongful taking of property.
* Theft is larceny without a threat or violence, such as a picked pocket. Many forms of white-collar financial crimes are variations of theft.
* Fraud is a form of theft, sometimes defined as theft by deception.
* Tax evasion is another form of theft.
* Auto theft is self-explanatory.
* Robbery is a larceny accompanied by violence or threats, including a finger under the jacket to indicate a gun.
* Burglary is the unlawful entering of a premises with the intent to commit a crime. A burglary does not involve violence. But if a homeowner discovers the burglar and violence ensues, the burglary becomes a robbery.
Distinctions like these are crucial to accuracy in reporting and misusing a term could be the difference between truth and libel. Other aspects of the reading that were helpful included suggestions for getting in contact with police and maintaining a good relationship. I've worked for Newswatch16 as an assignment editor and let me tell you, sometimes it is VERY difficult to get in contact with police or even just get facts confirmed. I reading gave me a few suggestions of how to maintain a good relationship with the people that I'd work with continuously if I were assigned the crime beat.
Chapter 5: Covering Crime and its Victims
The beginning of this chapter made the important point that reporting on crime keeps society in check. Obviously, crime reporting is intended to let the public know whether or not laws are being withheld and when people are subjected to injustices against them. Because of these functions, the media play an important role in public safety.
One of the key points outlined in chapter five is that a journalist cannot depend on the police version to be "the official version" of a story. Instead, journalist should strive to get the victims point of view as well because they are a key to the integrity of the story. Although it is key to speak with the victim -- if they are capable of speaking, that is -- it probably one of the most challenging times in a reporter's day. He or she must identify themselves as a reporter and then try to speak with the victim of the family. While a reporter needs this angle they should not become part of what Hackney calls "wolfpack journalism." Instead, she argues that the best interviews with victims often occur after the incident when the victim has the opportunity to feel more at ease during the interview.
Like every good journalism guide, this section also spoke to how journalist should conduct an interview. Although it read like a cd on repeat from other pieces I'd read, its always a good reminder to get the basic info early in the interview such as names, spellings and key facts. This is especially true considering that in some case the article may be the last thing written about a person.
In reference to graphic images or scenes, the chapter provided some basic guidelines for graphic images or descriptions:
1. Is it necessary to tell the story?
2. Does it help the community at large?
3. Will it offend the reader/viewer?
4. Will victims suffer more because of details?
5. Will the details help police solve the crime?
Above all, this section made the point that it is not the journalist job to judge, they should only tell the truth through reporting and writing. Every choice the writer makes while covering crime should be based on the best possible way of telling the story, not his or her personal feelings.
Chapter 7: Covering the Courts
The court beat has been increasing in importance since the O.J. Simpson case. Today publications and all types of media are expected to keep track of high profile cases and ones that will matter to its audience, after all, "law shapes and holds society together."
I feel that for a journalist to be good at covering the crime beat they need to have a lot of base knowledge of the court system. It's definitely a complicated system that could take a journalist years to understand. There is the difference between state and federal courts and between civil and criminal court.
Not only will journalist have trouble understanding the process, it is a beat where getting in touch with sources is nearly impossible. Judges, attorneys, plaintiffs and defendants are understandably busy during a case. Because of the difficulty speaking with these key figures the reporter is often times left with only their notebook and a stuffy seat in the back of the court room.
Journalists also tread a fine line in their coverage. The reporting should not portray the wrong opinion to the audience. A lot of time a person's guilt of innocence in the minds of the public is shaped more by media coverage than by any other source. Part of this is probably because the media does its best to translate legalese into plain English. (A task that isn't exactly easy!)
It's hard for me to decide whether or not journalists should take a really active role in following a court case. On one side, the public has a right to know what's going on and the media serve as a watch dog but on the other hand coverage often shapes public opinion.
Journalists tread the line between the first amendment of freedom of speech and the sixth amendment that guarantees the defendant a fair trial.
Chapter 1: The Crime Beat
I feel that as a journalist I wouldn't be terribly good at the crime beat. I tend to have a hesitancy about going after the tough story or the "in-your-face" topics. I did enjoy the reading, though, because it provided a good background of how crime is defined and how arrests and other aspects of civil and criminal cases play out.
I'd never really know the difference between various types of crimes and how each term has a different meaning. Here are some examples from the reading:
* Larceny encompasses any wrongful taking of property.
* Theft is larceny without a threat or violence, such as a picked pocket. Many forms of white-collar financial crimes are variations of theft.
* Fraud is a form of theft, sometimes defined as theft by deception.
* Tax evasion is another form of theft.
* Auto theft is self-explanatory.
* Robbery is a larceny accompanied by violence or threats, including a finger under the jacket to indicate a gun.
* Burglary is the unlawful entering of a premises with the intent to commit a crime. A burglary does not involve violence. But if a homeowner discovers the burglar and violence ensues, the burglary becomes a robbery.
Distinctions like these are crucial to accuracy in reporting and misusing a term could be the difference between truth and libel. Other aspects of the reading that were helpful included suggestions for getting in contact with police and maintaining a good relationship. I've worked for Newswatch16 as an assignment editor and let me tell you, sometimes it is VERY difficult to get in contact with police or even just get facts confirmed. I reading gave me a few suggestions of how to maintain a good relationship with the people that I'd work with continuously if I were assigned the crime beat.
Chapter 5: Covering Crime and its Victims
The beginning of this chapter made the important point that reporting on crime keeps society in check. Obviously, crime reporting is intended to let the public know whether or not laws are being withheld and when people are subjected to injustices against them. Because of these functions, the media play an important role in public safety.
One of the key points outlined in chapter five is that a journalist cannot depend on the police version to be "the official version" of a story. Instead, journalist should strive to get the victims point of view as well because they are a key to the integrity of the story. Although it is key to speak with the victim -- if they are capable of speaking, that is -- it probably one of the most challenging times in a reporter's day. He or she must identify themselves as a reporter and then try to speak with the victim of the family. While a reporter needs this angle they should not become part of what Hackney calls "wolfpack journalism." Instead, she argues that the best interviews with victims often occur after the incident when the victim has the opportunity to feel more at ease during the interview.
Like every good journalism guide, this section also spoke to how journalist should conduct an interview. Although it read like a cd on repeat from other pieces I'd read, its always a good reminder to get the basic info early in the interview such as names, spellings and key facts. This is especially true considering that in some case the article may be the last thing written about a person.
In reference to graphic images or scenes, the chapter provided some basic guidelines for graphic images or descriptions:
1. Is it necessary to tell the story?
2. Does it help the community at large?
3. Will it offend the reader/viewer?
4. Will victims suffer more because of details?
5. Will the details help police solve the crime?
Above all, this section made the point that it is not the journalist job to judge, they should only tell the truth through reporting and writing. Every choice the writer makes while covering crime should be based on the best possible way of telling the story, not his or her personal feelings.
Chapter 7: Covering the Courts
The court beat has been increasing in importance since the O.J. Simpson case. Today publications and all types of media are expected to keep track of high profile cases and ones that will matter to its audience, after all, "law shapes and holds society together."
I feel that for a journalist to be good at covering the crime beat they need to have a lot of base knowledge of the court system. It's definitely a complicated system that could take a journalist years to understand. There is the difference between state and federal courts and between civil and criminal court.
Not only will journalist have trouble understanding the process, it is a beat where getting in touch with sources is nearly impossible. Judges, attorneys, plaintiffs and defendants are understandably busy during a case. Because of the difficulty speaking with these key figures the reporter is often times left with only their notebook and a stuffy seat in the back of the court room.
Journalists also tread a fine line in their coverage. The reporting should not portray the wrong opinion to the audience. A lot of time a person's guilt of innocence in the minds of the public is shaped more by media coverage than by any other source. Part of this is probably because the media does its best to translate legalese into plain English. (A task that isn't exactly easy!)
It's hard for me to decide whether or not journalists should take a really active role in following a court case. On one side, the public has a right to know what's going on and the media serve as a watch dog but on the other hand coverage often shapes public opinion.
Journalists tread the line between the first amendment of freedom of speech and the sixth amendment that guarantees the defendant a fair trial.
Blog Comments
1. Marcus: http://pierulesyou.blogspot.com/ "Odd"
2. Bryan: http://bryannews1.blogspot.com/ "Hillary vs. Everyone"
3. Antonina http://ladyantoninakrystyna.blogspot.com/ "Illigal immigration and border control"
4. Kayla: http://kaylasnewsblog.blogspot.com/ "They sure don't make first ladies like they used to!"
5. Briana: http://brianaword.blogspot.com/ "Chapters 11 and 12"
6. Laura: http://newsreportingandwriting.blogspot.com "How do you like it, how do you like it, M(g)ore M(g)ore M(g)ore"
7. LuAnn: http://flongit.blogspot.com/ "More than words"
8. Ryan: http://6078287.blogspot.com/ "Truthiness in '08"
2. Bryan: http://bryannews1.blogspot.com/ "Hillary vs. Everyone"
3. Antonina http://ladyantoninakrystyna.blogspot.com/ "Illigal immigration and border control"
4. Kayla: http://kaylasnewsblog.blogspot.com/ "They sure don't make first ladies like they used to!"
5. Briana: http://brianaword.blogspot.com/ "Chapters 11 and 12"
6. Laura: http://newsreportingandwriting.blogspot.com "How do you like it, how do you like it, M(g)ore M(g)ore M(g)ore"
7. LuAnn: http://flongit.blogspot.com/ "More than words"
8. Ryan: http://6078287.blogspot.com/ "Truthiness in '08"
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