ENGL 534

Quizzes

1. Intro + pages 3-16

   1. In the book, how do the authors say they will use the term "citizen"? What will it refer to?

      1. A civic actor in our community

   2. In the introduction, the authors say people are not abandoning the news but are abandoning

      1. A traditional format of news

   3. The authors say the purpose of journalism is defined as

      1.   the function news plays in the lives of people 

   4. The Awareness Instinct has to do with

      1. People craving the news

   5. In America, newspapers were first put out by

      1. Politicians

2. Pages 17-41

   1. According to the book, the idea of the press as gatekeeper no longer defines the role of the press in society.

      1. True

   2. One new role of the journalist is authenticator, helping news consumers know what information about an event or issue they should believe.

      1. True

   3. The authors of The Elements of Journalism believe the public and computers (machines) can displace the fact-finding role of journalists.

      1. False

   4. The authors believe one of the things journalists must do is try to focus on issues of common concern to one's audience that cut across demographics.

      1. True

   5. The theory of the interlocking public says journalists must work to get readers to agree with each other on most issues.

      1. False

3. Chapter 2

   1. According to the authors of the book, journalistic truth is a sorting-out process.

      1. True

   2. Accuracy in journalism is the foundation upon which everything else is built.

      1. True

   3. "Organized collaborative intelligence" got to the truth of Ian Tomlinson's death.

      1. true

   4. Fairness and balance can be substituted for the truth, according to the book's authors.

      1. False

   5. Journalists should rush to interpret the news.

      1. False

4. Chapter 3

   1. The book's authors say the effort to turn newsroom leaders into cost managers failed in part because if made it difficult for the leaders to advocate for the public interest.

      1. True

   2. Journalistic independence equals allegiance to citizens.

      1. True

   3. The book says loyalty to employers should come first for journalists; after that can come loyalty to citizens.

      1. False

   4. The scandal involving the Los Angeles Times and the STAPLES Center sports arena made readers question whether the Times was a profitable business.

      1. False

   5. One of the keys to independence of news organizations is allowing journalists to have the final say over news.

      1. True

5. Pages 100-129

   1. The objective method would allow journalists to rearrange events when telling a story so that the events do not occur when they did in real life. For example, a journalist could could include a siren at the beginning of a story even if the siren really didn't blare until halfway through the event the journalist is recounting.

      1. false

   2. The journalism of objective method would include this: Rely on your own original reporting.

      1. True

   3. The authors of The Elements of Journalism say the cultural homogeneity of American newsrooms undermines their obligation to tell the truth.

      1. True

   4. The original meaning of objectivity in journalism had to do with the idea that journalists were without bias.

      1. false

   5. Journalism of Verification includes talking to multiple eyewitnesses to an event.

      1. True

• Chapter 1: Roles Journalists Play and Criteria for Newsworthiness

  • Primary purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with the info they need to be free and self-governing

  • Types of news

    • Hard news

      • Stories that are timel, about events or conflicts that have just happened or are about to happen. need/ want them out quickly

    • Soft

      • News that entertains/ informs with emphasis on human interest and novelty

      • People, places, issues that are not timely

  • Roles (p18-20):

    • Authenticator

      • Verifier

      • Using contacts, clout, networking to get people to talk 

    • Sense maker

      • Puts the facts into a context that makes sense to the public

      • Why did this happen, who was involved, why does this matter, how do we know this is true, what happens next?

    • Bear witness

      • Reporting what they can observe 

      • Helps ground us in what is happening when it is not local

    • Watchdog

      • Acts as a watchdog on govt and anyone/thing that has power over the common people

  • Criteria for Newsworthiness

    • Timeliness

      • Getting things out fast but also making sure it’s accurate

    • Proximity 

      • How close geographically a story is to audience

      • Wildfires in California is an example of exceptions

    • Prominence

      • Celebrity news > ordinary people for example 

      • Careful about where lines of privacy lie

    • Impact 

      • How many people does this affect and how seriously

    • Conflict

      • Between people, communities, on different scales

    • Novelty

      • Unusual, first/ last time it'll happen?

    • Engagement + solutions

      •  Recently incorporated by journalists today

      •  Will it get people involved in an issue

      • Are there expert solutions provided?

      • A story is not always enough but how can pple engage and solve problems

  • Who to talk to?

    • Factors in what story is being told, by who, and for who?

      • Who has the knowledge, who has the power, who is affected?

• Chapter 2: Journalistic Truth as a Process

  • News should be the “best obtainable version of the truth” and the truth changes as a story unfolds

  • Process of truth telling

    • 1st: initial details and what is known at the time

    • 2nd:Adds new info, corrects mistakes, adds context

    • 3rd: “

    • 4th: “

  • Types of interviews

    • Pact between interviewer/wee to give information if tey are treated with respect and not take info out of context

    • Types of questions

      • Closed (good)

        • When did you graduate, how many people

      • Leading (bad)

        • Would lead them to either agree or disagree with the question, not allowing for an in-depth conversation

    • On the record

      • Reporter can use the info from interview and attribute it to the source by name

      • Most reputable/ accountable/ wanted as a source

    • Off the record

      • Reporter cannot use the info unelss they get it from a second source on the record, but can not attribute it to the first source 

      • Like preliminary research that is verified by a second source

    • On background

      • The material can be used but cannot be attributed to a specific named source

  • Bias reading

• Chapter 3: Journalism’s First Loyalty

  • First loyalty is to citizens

  • How to be loyal at all levels:

    • Owner of a news org must be committed to citizens first

    • Owner must hire BMs who also put citizens first

    • Journalists must have the final say over news

    • News orgs must set and communicate clear standards internally

      • So everyone knows citizens come first on every level

    • News orgs must communicate clear standards to the public as well

• Chapter 4: Disciplines of Verification

  • The essence of journalism is the discipline of verification

    • Helps journalists be as objective as possible bc “completely unbias” isn’t attainable 

    • Method of verification

      • Evidence 

        • from knowledgeable and reliable sources

      • Empiricism

        • Idea that all learning fromes from direct experiences and observations

      • Verification

        • Process of establishing the truth, accuracy, and validity from a journalist

      • Transparency

        • How they know what they know/ their sources know

  • Principles of journalism (how to make stories objective, clear, and thorough)

    • Never add anything that wasn’t there

    • Never deceive the audience

    • Be as transparent as possible about methods and motives

    • Do your own original reporting

    • Exercise humility

      • Don’t say more than what you know to be true

      • Don’t assume without evidence

  • Social media use by journalists

    • Can be used to find story ideas

    • networking/contacting is easier and faster 

    • Allows reporters to add interactive elements

    • Crowdsourcing information

      • Putting out feelers so a large number of audience members to report a story 

        • General observations/ data

        • Breaking news

        • Asking consumers to crunch numebrs/ look over docs

        • Ask people to share personal experiences

    • Drawbacks

      • Misinformation

      • People can pretend to be whoever

      • Harassment of journalists is more frequent and accessible to others (especially marginalized communities

      • Tension between getting it right and getting it first since publishing can happen in an instant

  • Challenges of new technology

    • AI can help organize but also can’t replace human writers

  • Process of creating a news story

    • Come up with a story idea

    • Consult with the editor

    • Interview and research 

      • 3 main sources journalists look for 

        • People who have the knowledge

        • People who have the power to change things in connection with the news story

        • Those who are affected by what’s happening

    • Verify

      • Checking sources

        • Politifact

        • factcheck.org

        • Poynter

        • Other news sources

        • Witnesses 

        • Interviews

        • Associated press

        • Police + fire dept transmissions 

        • Social media

        • Govt reports

        • Trusted relations

    • Write the story

    • Story goes to editor to be reviewed and approved

  • Filter bubbles

    • A situation in which an internet user encounters only info and opinions that conform to and reinforce their own beliefs caused by algorithm that personalize an individuals online experience

    • Essentially a confirmation bias of technology catered towards your interactions online

  • Codes of ethics

    • Main pillars

      • Seek truth and report it

      • Minimize harm

      • Acti independently

      • Be accountable and transparent