Journalism Final

Selection problem

Which harms are defined as 'crime news' - a structural and political choice, not an objective one

Volume problem

How the number of stories shapes public perception independently of actual crime rates

Moral panic

A disproportionate societal reaction to a perceived threat, often manufactured through media volume and framing

Copaganda

Karakatsanis's term for police-favorable information flowing through news media, shaping public perception of crime and safety

Engineering of consent

Bernays: manufacturing public approval using indirect methods that target unconscious desires rather than rational argument

Third-party technique

Using a credible outside party as the public face of a campaign to conceal the real client's involvement

Front group

An organization that appears independent but is created or funded to advance a client's interests

Creation of circumstances

Staging apparently spontaneous events to generate news coverage - a core Bernays technique

Whataboutism

Deflecting criticism by raising a counteraccusation; a form of the tu quoque logical fallacy

Tu quoque

Latin: 'you also' - the logical fallacy of deflecting criticism by pointing to the accuser's similar behavior

Engaged journalism

A practice in which newsrooms and communities are mutually responsive; defined by listening before reporting

Firewall

Institutional separation between a newsroom's editorial decisions and its business/advertising/ownership interests

Shield law

State (or proposed federal) legislation protecting journalists from being compelled to reveal sources

Journalist's privilege

The legal and ethical claim that reporters should not be compelled to disclose confidential sources

Prior restraint

Government action to prevent publication before it occurs; presumptively unconstitutional under the First Amendment

Branzburg v. Hayes

1972 Supreme Court case: First Amendment does not give reporters an absolute right to refuse grand jury testimony

Actual malice

Standard for defamation against public figures: knowing falsity or reckless disregard for the truth (NYT v. Sullivan)

Whistleblower

A person who exposes fraud, abuse, or wrongdoing - often at personal risk - by providing information to journalists or authorities

Reader-first model

A revenue approach in which a news organization's primary accountability is to readers and donors rather than advertisers or corporate owners (Drop Site News)

News avoidance

The active choice by audiences to disengage from news consumption, often driven by information overload or emotional distress

Attention economy

The competitive marketplace in which tech platforms and media organizations compete for users' limited attention, often prioritizing engagement over information quality