Journalism Lecture Notes

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The news system operates as a system of gatekeepers.
Gatekeepers, such as editors, decide what information gets printed or broadcasted.
They determine the placement and prominence of news articles.
Gatekeepers have criteria for choosing stories, which can vary by medium but also share overarching themes.

Impact: News stories must affect a large number of people.
Violence, Conflict, Disaster, and Scandals: News involving these elements tends to be selected.
Familiarity and Proximity:
- Physical proximity: Local or national news.
- Psychological proximity: Cultural proximity or shared nationality.
Timeliness and Novelty: News must be current and new.
Prominence: News featuring well-known or popular people.
Bizarreness: Unusual or unexpected events.
- Example: "If a dog bites a human, it’s not newsworthy. But when a human bites a dog, it is bizarre enough to be featured in the news."

In a democratic system, citizens must make informed choices.
The news media should inform citizens correctly and properly, combating ignorance and misinformation.
The news media acts as the "Fourth Estate," scrutinizing those in power.
News media serves as a watchdog, monitoring elected representatives.
They ensure those in power do not abuse it, thus fostering an informed citizenry.
The news media provides access to information about authorities that citizens typically do not have.

Investigative journalism exposes secrecy, corruption, and injustice within authorities.
It highlights the social responsibility of journalism.
Terms for this role:
- Muckraking: Investigating problems to stir public opinion, mobilize action, and bring about policy change or system reform.
Whistleblowers: Internal sources who provide crucial information and confirm difficult questions.

The Post: Expose of the Pentagon Papers relating to the Vietnam War. Nixon's administration attempted to cover up problems.
All the President's Men: About the Watergate scandal during Nixon's term.
Spotlight: Scandals involving Catholic priests in the Boston area; focus on the role and relationships of sources.

There are guidelines and standards, but they are not universally applied.
Building relationships with sources is essential for acquiring and confirming information.
Publishing sources and making them known to the public raises ethical questions.
Conflict of interest is a significant challenge.