Journalism & Democracy Final

Plagiarism

To steal or pass off ideas as ones own

Structural Bias

Objectivity

Neutrality in order to not show a bias - gathering of information, discipline of verification and process of news construction

Private Figures

Under privacy law can be protected from overzealous news reporters

Public Figures

Publicity hounds, celebrities - harder time winning libel suits

Public Officials

Government officials, political candidates - harder time winning libel suits

Libel

Harmful statement in a fixed medium - writing, picture, sign, broadcast

Slander

Harmful statement in a transitory form - speech

Defamation

Communication of a statement that makes a false claim, expressively stated or implied to be factual. May harm the reputation of a business, product, group, government, or nation.

Near v. Minnesota (1931)

The freedom of expression has limits

The New York Times Co. v. The United States (1971)

Pentagon Papers; National security vs right to know

Clarence Brandenburg v. State of Ohio (1969)

Imminent lawless action test

R.A.V. v. St. Paul

Hate speech

Texas v. Gregory Lee Johnson (1989)

Flag burning

New York Times v. Sullivan (1964)

Libel

First Amendment Protects

1. Freedom of Religion

2. Freedom of Press

3. Freedom to Assemble

4. Freedom of Speech

5. Right to Petition

SPJ (Society of Professional Journalists)

• Seek truth and report it

• Minimize harm

• Act independently

• Be accountable and transparent

NPPA (National Press Photography Association)

• Primary role is to Report

• Trustees of Public

• Faithful and comprehensive depiction

• Reveal, expose, inspire, and connect

• Promote highest quality work

• Strengthen public confidence

• Serve as an education tool

RTDNA (Radio Television Digital News Association)

• Identify sources whenever possible

• Confidential sources should only be used when in public interest

• Label opinion and commentary

• Add needed information to public context

W.D. Ross

• 20th Century British Philosopher

• influence on moral framework that affected tradition in American journalism ethics

• Perfect duties

• Imperfect duties

Ethics

Set of moral principles

Sponsored Content/Paid Post

A specific section of content located on a website that is often sponsored by a single advertiser. Often matches subject matter and target audience.

Paywall

Access is restricted to users on a website unless users pay for a subscription to the site.

Legacy Media (News) Outlets

Media products predating the internet, typified by a dependence upon heterogeneous audiences, advertising income and one-way communication from sender to receiver.

Beat

Specific topic area of news coverage

Enterprise Stories

Original stories that rely on sources journalists have developed through their areas of coverage, typically goes in depth

Information Subsidies

Ready to go news stories

News judgment

How journalists determine which events and information are important enough to cover as news

Journalism of Assertion

Subjecting what others say to scrutiny

Confirmation Bias

The tendency for people to accept information or evidence that confirms the beliefs they already hold while rejecting information or evidence that challenges those beliefs.

Neutrality

Taking no position on an issue. While such detachment can be beneficial in Journalism, it also can get in the way of Journalists' truth-telling mission if it reduces journalism to merely reporting what each “side” of an issue says.

Engagement

Depth of the involvement that a news customer has with a media product. Can be measured empirically or through anecdotal evidence.

Muckraking

Verification

Adversial Relationship

Public Forum

Deliberative Democracy

Self-Governance

Public Norm

Checks and Balances