selection & presemtation of the media

How do time and resource constraints shape news production?

Strict deadlines and limited budgets prioritize readily available material.

What types of stories are often excluded due to time constraints in news production?

Investigative and complex stories are often excluded.

What percentage of national newspaper stories are based on second-hand sources according to Nick Davies?

Approximately 80% of national newspaper stories are based on second-hand sources.

What is 'churnalism' in the context of news production?

Churnalism refers to news shaped by financial and organizational pressures, leading to minimal fact-checking.

How do structural constraints in news production affect audience understanding?

They reduce scrutiny and compromise accuracy, influencing audience understanding.

What are technical constraints in news reporting?

Technical constraints shape which news is reported or ignored.

What challenges do reporters face in conflict zones?

Reporters in conflict zones face attacks, detention, equipment confiscation, and denial of access.

What happens to infrastructure in war-torn regions?

Infrastructure is often destroyed, leading to 'zones of silence' where reporting is too risky or costly.

How does the Gaza Strip affect news coverage?

Conflict areas like the Gaza Strip receive less in-depth investigative coverage compared to accessible domestic events.

What is a consequence of technical limits on news reporting?

Technical limits restrict public awareness of humanitarian crises and lead to underreporting of major global issues.

What factors shape news reporting beyond ideology?

Practical and technical limits shape news reporting, not just ideology or editorial choice.

How do financial constraints shape news production?

All media operate within limited budgets.

What is a common practice among smaller newspapers due to financial constraints?

Smaller newspapers buy stories from news agencies.

What impact do budget cuts have on investigative journalism?

Budget cuts lead to reduced investment in investigative journalism.

What does William argue about budget cuts in journalism?

William argues that cuts undermine quality and lead to a shift toward sensationalism.

What is the effect of financial pressure on journalistic sources according to Manning?

Financial pressure leads to reliance on powerful 'primary definers' and convenient, low-cost sources.

What is a consequence of economic pressures on journalism?

Economic pressures limit journalistic autonomy and narrow the range and depth of coverage.

How do corporate press briefings affect journalistic practices?

Corporate press briefings are used instead of time-consuming independent investigation.

What is prioritized in journalism due to financial constraints?

Cost-efficiency and sensationalism are prioritized, reducing critical scrutiny.

What are primary definers according to Hall?

Primary definers are elites or high-ranking professionals, such as government officials and academic experts, that journalists rely on for credible information.

How do journalists' backgrounds influence their reporting?

Journalists often share similar social and professional backgrounds with primary definers, leading to unconscious sympathy that shapes their reporting.

What was the coverage of the miners' strikes according to GMG?

The coverage prioritized the perspectives of employers and the government, while marginalizing the views of striking miners.

What is the hierarchy of credibility in media reporting?

The hierarchy of credibility leads to agenda-setting biases in coverage, privileging elite viewpoints and framing events to support existing power structures.

How does citizen journalism support mainstream media?

Citizen journalism can support and strengthen mainstream media by providing free or cheaper content, especially from citizens who are often first on the scene.

What advantage does citizen journalism provide to news organizations?

Citizen journalism enables rapid broadcasting and maintains a competitive advantage by providing access to dangerous or inaccessible locations.

How do news organizations utilize citizen journalism during events?

News organizations use mobile phone recordings from conflict zones and natural disasters, which are monitored through social media to stay relevant and avoid bias or delayed reporting.

What are the concerns associated with integrating citizen journalism into mainstream media?

The integration of citizen journalism into mainstream production raises concerns about verification and editorial control.

How does competition between media organizations affect news selection?

It shapes news selection and presentation to attract audiences and generate revenue.

What types of stories do editors prioritize due to competition?

Editors prioritize dramatic, sensational, and emotional stories.

What is often given less attention in the media due to competition?

Complex 'hard news' such as in-depth political analysis.

What do Barnett & Gaber argue about commercial pressure in media?

They argue it leads to conformist, less informed, and less critical reporting.

What type of content often replaces detailed scrutiny in media?

Simplified and entertaining content.

What is a characteristic of The Sun's news focus?

It focuses on celebrity scandals and emotive political headlines with limited policy analysis.

Who does The Sun primarily target with its content?

It targets a working-class readership.

What do pluralists believe about media competition?

They believe it reflects audience demand and that media respond to consumer preferences.

How does market competition affect public debate according to critics?

It narrows the scope of public debate, prioritizing profit and popularity over depth and critical engagement.

What is the impact of reduced depth and critical engagement in media?

It limits informed democratic discussion.

What impact does digital technology have on news production?

It shifts control of news production and dissemination to ordinary citizens, activists, and pressure groups.

How does digital technology affect traditional elite dominance?

It undermines traditional elite dominance, allowing elites to no longer fully control the flow of information.

What CAN Citizen journalism do?

It exposes offensive, illegal, or corrupt behavior and highlights stories ignored or downplayed by traditional media.

What was the significance of the George Floyd murder being filmed?

It exposed police brutality globally and bypassed traditional media gatekeeping.

How does new media empower audiences?

It allows audiences to challenge dominant narratives and critique powerful institutions.

What is the effect of new media on informational control?

It shifts informational control from elites to the public, promoting transparency.

What is citizen journalism?

Citizen journalism is the practice where ordinary individuals report news and share information, often challenging mainstream media narratives.

How does citizen journalism disrupt mainstream media power?

It provides alternative perspectives and reduces reliance on elite-controlled sources.

What is the role of Machsom Watch?

Machsom Watch is a group of women who monitor human rights at Israeli military checkpoints and document injustices ignored by established media.

How does Machsom Watch share its findings?

They gather firsthand evidence and share it via digital platforms to contest official narratives.

What impact does citizen journalism have on news selection?

Citizen journalism empowers individuals to influence news selection and framing, increasing accountability and diversifying perspectives.

What is a key benefit of citizen journalism?

It democratizes media by allowing more participation from ordinary people.

How does media ownership influence news content?

Media ownership shapes news content and reporting.

What do journalists/editors do to avoid offending owners?

They practice self-censorship.

Who controls resource allocation in media?

Owners control resource allocation.

What do owners decide regarding news stories?

Owners decide which stories get coverage and which are ignored.

What type of ownership encourages infotainment?

Profit-driven ownership encourages infotainment.

What does profit-driven ownership prioritize?

It prioritizes entertainment and audience appeal over accuracy and ethics.

What inquiry highlighted issues with media ownership and ethics?

The Leveson Inquiry highlighted these issues.

What happens to stories that challenge corporate interests?

They are often under-reported.

What type of topics are prioritized in media content?

Less controversial topics are prioritized.

How are media content and news objectivity affected by owners?

Media content is shaped by owners' interests, making news not purely objective.

What influences the media's economic and ideological priorities?

Owners' interests influence these priorities.

What effect does media ownership have on critical scrutiny of powerful groups?

It limits critical scrutiny of powerful groups.

Who discussed the concept of media shaped by profit motive?

Ben Bagdikian

What is a primary source of income for media organizations?

Advertising revenue

How does reliance on advertising revenue affect news content?

News avoids offending sponsors

What do media organizations aim to maximize through their content?

Readership/viewing

What type of viewpoints do media promote due to profit motives?

Broadly acceptable/non-controversial viewpoints

What happens to radical or critical perspectives in profit-driven media?

They are discouraged

What is often done to minority or unpopular views in profit-driven media?

They are marginalized or ignored

What effect do economic pressures have on media output?

It leads to conservative media output

What does conservative media output sustain?

The hegemony of dominant ideas

What do profit-driven media limit in society?

Critical debate

What do profit-driven media reinforce instead of questioning?

Existing social and political hierarchies

What ideology do profit-driven media reinforce?

Dominant ideology

What is the pressure that media faces to attract audiences?

Pressure to attract audiences in a competitive media market.

What is the consequence of media's pressure to attract audiences?

Leads to tabloidisation or 'dumbing down' of serious journalism.

What types of journalism are often replaced due to tabloidisation?

Serious journalism (politics, crime, global issues) is replaced by human-interest, celebrity, sport, gossip, and scandal.

What is infotainment?

Information packaged as entertainment rather than critical reporting.

What did Barnett & Gaber (2001) find regarding TV news?

There is a global increase in infotainment on TV news, leading to more confined and less critical political coverage.

How do market pressures affect the media's role?

Market pressures weaken the media's informative role and prioritize engagement over depth.

What is the effect of reduced depth in media coverage on public understanding?

It reduces public understanding of complex social issues.

What do pluralists argue about media's response to audience demand?

They argue that media reflects audience demand and responds to consumer preferences rather than manipulating them.

What is a characteristic of constantly accessible new media?

It provides 24/7 'breaking news'.

How do news organizations compete in the era of constantly accessible new media?

They compete to publish instantly to maintain audiences and advertising revenue.

What is prioritized over accuracy in constantly accessible new media?

Speed is prioritized over accuracy.

What effect does the focus on speed have on fact-checking?

It reduces fact-checking.

What is churnalism?

Reliance on pre-packaged material in news reporting.

What do online news sites do to keep their content fresh?

They provide continuous headline updates.

What issue can arise from continuous headline updates on online news sites?

They sometimes publish unverified details that are later corrected.

What structural pressures affect event representation in news?

Organizational constraints shape how news is represented.

How does the 24/7 news cycle affect journalistic scrutiny?

It weakens journalistic scrutiny.

What are the benefits of the 24/7 news cycle despite its drawbacks?

It expands the reach and immediacy of information.

What perspective may overstate the negative effects of constantly accessible new media?

The perspective that focuses solely on the drawbacks without acknowledging the benefits.

What do news values guide journalists on?

What is newsworthy

How is news described in relation to reality?

News is socially constructed and not a neutral reflection of reality

What influences the reporting of news?

Practical, ideological, cultural, economic, and social pressures

Who analyzed international news and identified news values?

Galtung and Ruge

What are some examples of news values identified by Galtung and Ruge?

Proximity and cultural relevance

What type of events are prioritized in news coverage affecting British citizens?

Events affecting British citizens are prioritized over distant countries

What type of news receives more coverage than local stories?

National news

What guides the selection and presentation of news?

Embedded values and assumptions