Throughout the semester, we have learned about the importance of meanings certain words carry. Reporters and editors need to take into account taste, sensitivity and accuracy when covering any story. While watching Nancy Grace, one reporter was talking about the recent news story of 800 dogs being captured in an “elderly” couple’s mobile home. Accordingly, Grace said to the reporter, “how old were they?” The reporter answered that they were in their sixties. Grace asserted that she wouldn’t consider that elderly and that using the word implies a different image. This is a clear example of how something so simple as an adjective used carelessly can bring a complete different connotation for readers and listeners alike. I doubt any 60-year-old listening to the story would consider themselves “elderly,” and editors need to constantly look for possible misleading information.
Starbucks training – real??? March 4, 2008
When browsing the many discussions posted on the blog pages of Poynter Online, I came across an interesting opinion regarding training sessions from numerous businesses, particularly Starbucks. One reader commented that the training was just a ploy for the media to advertise and explained why stores were reluctant to allow reporters sit in on training sessions, saying “If they wanted to train employees, you know how they’d do it? They’d send out instructions to each store, possibly a video tape, and employees would be told to take 10 minutes to watch it. Closing all the stores? Unnecessary. But it gets free advertising.” The discussion on Poynter was about the suggestion of taking time out in order to train newsroom staff, which I believe is a terrible idea, especially when time is money and society has moved into a 24/7 news world.
However, the Starbucks discussion does bring up questions about certain roles of the media. The media are supposed to be independent, but if a story like this simply is a way of advertising, how independent are they? Perhaps, editors should question the actual newsworthiness of a story before reporting on it. Any Starbucks enthusiast wouldn’t really care about a new training of employees and the company already is monopolizing the coffee industry. Secondly, if it was so important, Starbucks locations could have provided their own press releases explaining to customers why they were going to be closed for training.
Prince Harry Media Leak March 4, 2008
In light of the recent criticism that the media have received regarding the leak of the fact that Prince Harry has been serving in Afghanistan from the Drudge Report, I believe that the media’s actions cross the line. The media often wonder why readers distrust them, and this is a clear example why. The media had a prior agreement with military defense to withhold the information. Not only does the leak bring up ethical concerns, but also legal ramifications as well. While Prince Harry is a public figure and does have a lower expectation of privacy, I don’t believe that there was any public benefit or newsworthiness in publishing the information. Under a democratic society, the media have stripped him of what we value most – liberty and freedom of choice. If anything, the publishing of the information puts individuals in harm’s way, considering it involves war and human lives. I really don’t think it would have hurt the media if they waited until Prince Harry was finished at battle to publish the story. If they could have waited, they probably would have a better story in the long run and greater positive feedback from readers. It would have been one thing if the media discovered on their own that the prince was in Afghanistan, but the fact that they went against the agreement is simply a portrayal of vindictiveness and loss of credibility on the media’s part.
Investigative Journalism in Natalee Holloway Case – ethical??? February 5, 2008
When I first saw the new update on the Holloway case regarding the investigative journalism by Holland’s reporter Patrick van der Eem, I couldn’t help but question the ethics behind the information gathering. Sure enough, as I found out on ABC news, a key question in the case is whether the videotape will be admissible for evidence. There then comes the conflict between private and public information. The undercover reporter videotaped Van Der Sloot under private conditions, after he gained his trust, despite what the suspect actually admitted to on videotape. Also, the undercover reporter gained his trust through marijuana, something illegal – revealing another problem. The fact that a reporter had to resort to illegal means to gain the trust of the suspect is questionable, and despite the benefit of acquiring the information, it is still deception. The SPJ code of ethics states that reporters should “diligently seek out subjects of news stories to give them the opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoing; (…) balance a criminal suspect’s fair trial rights with the public’s right to be informed; and (…) remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.” Even though the Holloway is an important, unsolved case in the media, there needs to be a balance between media’s role as news source and as watchdog. Having a reporter deal drugs hurts the credibility of the media and raises the question as to how far the media will go in order to collect information. Even though Van Der Sloot has been in the public eye, he deserves a right to a fair trial. The video is now part of pre-trial publicity that will infringe on his rights. Deception falls in to the gray area of what is ethically justified and what is not.
Reporter – Editor relationship January 29, 2008
After this past week’s case study, I became completely entrigued with the thought of being an editor who allowed a completely false story run in a major newspaper. I feel that in the fast-paced media business where everything, editors are not completely doing their jobs the way they should be doing them. I’m not saying that an editor should question the reporter constantly throughout the story progress, but there needs to be some check and balance system where the editor should be double checking sources as the reporter writes the story. In any job, it is not effective nor conducive towards success if everyone agrees with everyone. There needs to be someone disagreeing and questioning in order to uncover false stories and errors. I think Jimmy’s World, along with stories such as those created by Stephen Glass, are appealing in that they are different from the mundane news events normally in print or television and people truely want them to be an accurate account. However, while news is supposed to provide some sort of entertainment, it is not fiction. The news is what readers need to be informed about in our society. If someone wants to create a jaw-dropping story about drug-addicted or computer-hacking children, he should put his innovative talents towards writing the next bestselling novel.
Covering Suicides January 22, 2008
After talking about the article in the Alligator about the UF student who committed suicide, it really made me realize that the story should not have been published, at least in the manner that it was. The story originally ran as a completely objective and nameless story, simply providing the details of the student’s death. There were no quotes from close relatives or friends, and there was simply a shock value as a result. If the newspaper perhaps waited for relatives to allow what had happened to settle in and if a personal history and pictures were provided to the newspaper for an emotional feature story, then perhaps the story would have been newsworthy. Also, if the suicide happened in the dorms or if the student was a prominent individual on campus, then the story would have deserved more attention. The issue of right to privacy also comes in to play because someone obviously can not waive his right posthumously.
Places to find story ideas January 18, 2008
Here are a few ideas that I thought could be added to the list:
1) Research laws that are currently in state legislation and uncover the stories behind them. Interview state officials, city officials and individuals who the laws would affect
2) Medication commercials – Research new medications that are new to the market and what they are used for. Also, there are constantly medication commercials that inform about recent revealed side effects from medication taken in the past. One could interview pharmacists, patients who have taken the medication and now suffer from the negative effects.
Advanced Editing January 12, 2008
When I first heard we had to create a personal blog and update it throughout the course of the semester, I have to admit I was a little nervous at first. I had never blogged nor have ever thought about starting my own blog. Now, however, I am eager to learn something new in a society where technology and information are becoming more important.
Reporting on pro-anorexic Web sites March 18, 2008
This past week, I had to do a research paper analyzing the popular account of a topic compared to scientific and scholarly research. I chose to look at an article that reported on Web sites that promoted anorexia and unhealthy eating habits and behaviors. The sites mentioned provide users with an anonymous safe haven where they can normalize their disorder with others who can relate to them. While the information is valuable so that people can become aware of the dangers, there also comes an inevitable possibility that readers who may already feel insecure about their body images and may not already know about these Web-based communities may become curious and visit the sites themselves. Similar to covering suicides, covering such a controversial topic such as anorexia and disordered eating, there always comes the potential for a copycat effect. Journalists need to do their best in reporting such stories with appropriate tones, slants and omissions of facts. Unfortunately, “The winner dies,” which appeared in Salon, did not comply with the ethics and guidelines of traditional journalism. When the media are part of the social constructing process, journalists need to be careful of what and to whom they report. While Brown gives a detailed and accurate account of the Web sites, the article neglects to consider those that may be reading the article as a curiosity into the world of an anorexic. There are exact names and Web sites and links on the online article that allow users to actively search and browse the online communities, which paradoxically goes against the authorial intent. Similar to the pro-ana sites themselves, Brown’s article reinforces certain norms of body images through certain inclusions and phrases. She includes the “pro-ana commandments” and examples of extreme dieting tips, which are informative of what the sites contain, but there is no cautionary disclaimer warning readers or potential visitors that the behavior should not be condoned.
Furthermore, the article was not representative of the total population. Because of the western assumption behind eating disorders, there are many different social and cultural factors that affect body satisfaction in other cultures and races that professionals may not understand or fail to acknowledge. The article says that the pro-anorexic Web sites promote similar tips and advice to what you would see in “any women’s magazine.” However, Latinas and Black females do not have the same body ideals as what the mainstream culture in the United States tells them. Therefore, the reporter of the article is presuming that all women have the same ideals, and neglects the multi-cultural audience, failing to be objective and fair.
As research has shown, many studies are inconclusive as information is usually dependent on volunteers who wish to disclose their anorexic identities. For individuals who are part of minority cultures that don’t traditionally have the same values and body perceptions as the majority Western culture, many accounts go underreported and undiagnosed due to differences in causes and behaviors among different cultures. Consequently, as in many news publications based on statistics and surveys, the percentages used by Brown in the article can be misleading in that saying that 3 percent of all women have eating disorders in the U.S. These figures do not take into account the numerous unreported cases. While her facts come from a credible source, the average reader probably does not understand or is unaware of the factors that are behind the figures documented in the article. In addition, nowhere in the article does Brown mention male anorexia or the use of online forums by males, despite research and evidence that proves men do suffer from the illness as well.