journalism foundations test

media

Means of transmitting information and the Organizations and industries that produce this content

news

Information about events, situations, and people that are timely, relevant, and useful to a public audience

consumers

recipients of messages; interpret and make meaning

ethical codes

voluntary principles that help add credibility and legitimacy to the profession

the news

has always been connected to the government and politics

technology has

and always will shape how we share news

Examples of technology that shaped the news:

paper, cameras, radio, television, social media, AI

our news is ideally:

Revelvant

Useful

Interesting

hard news

refers to topics that are considered timely, important, or consequential for society. This includes stories about politics, the economy, and science.

soft news

refers to topics that are often more entertainment-oriented in nature. This includes celebrity, sports, culture, and human-interest stories

public service

journalists provide a public service (as watchdogs or "news-hounds", active collectors and disseminators of information)

objectivity

Journalists are impartial, neutral, objective, fair, and thus credible

autonomy

Journalists must be autonomous, free, and independent

immediacy

Journalists have a sense of immediacy, actuality, and speed.

ethics

Journalists have a sense of ethics, validity, and legitimacy

Audiences define news by:

Topic

Source

Personal identity and attitude

first amendement

"Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press"

Schneck v. US

Free speech is limited in a clear and present danger

problems with free speech

Government censorship

Corporate control of platforms

Social pressure/ "cancel culture"

Challenges with freedom of the press

The government

corporations/advertisements

Political polarization

Public distrust

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

You/journalists have the right to request information from the federal government

State Action Doctrine

rule stating that you only have enforceable First Amendment rights against the actions of state and local governments, not those of private individuals

trial courts

hear evidence and make verdicts

appellate courts

do not re-hear evidence, but rather look at the methods, laws, and application of the lower courts used in order to affirm or overturn decisions

The law is about

people

What is the most heavily regulated form of media?

broadcasting

Ethical Codes

These are a voluntary set of principles that help legitimize the industry

SPJ (Society of Professional Journalists)

seek truth and report it

minimize harm

act independently

be accountable and transparent

RTDNA (Radio Television Digital News Association)

truth and accuracy above all

independence and transparency

accountability for consequences

NPPA (Visual Journalists)

Do not alter or stage photos

provide context

Be aware of the invasion of privacy

Do not sabotage the work of others

Grady Newsource

Serve the residents of Northeast Georgia by providing them with information that helps them make informed decisions about their lives and communities.

Verify sources and reports

correct and clarify

Since humans have existed,

We have wanted to share news

news origins:

spoken reports --> handwritten reports --> printing press

Newspapers must

be available to a large portion of the public, be published regularly and frequently, contain multiple stories, and have a consistent and recognizable title or format

Venetian Gazette

precursor to the modern newspaper.

the circulation of printed materials

was a powerful tool in swaying public opinion

Stamp Act

limited the freedom of the press in pre-revolution America. Required printers to use a stamp on each piece of paper they used

in the 1880s

Pictures began appearing in newspapers

reporting required

trained journalists who used the journalist method, which was "the pursuit of independently verifiable facts about current events through observation, enterprise, and investigation"

printed newspapers were

soon replaced by radio broadcasts

television news

relied more heavily on images to give viewers the sense that they, too, were watching history unfold

Now, with social media

We rely less on professional journalism and instead choose new ways to participate in a story