Elements of Journalism

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Elements of Journalism

• ASNE/Missouri Journalism WorkshopJuly 13, 2009

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Journalists Creed
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Mikes Conclusion
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Our Text
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Journalisms Purpose

• The primary purpose of journalism is to provide
  citizens the information they need to be free and
  self-governing.
• The primary purpose of journalism is to provide
  citizens the information they need to fulfill
  their potential.

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Big Hurdle

• Framing issues

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Creed Origins
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Creed Origins
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Creed Origins
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Journalism is not rocket science
Its harder
Writing is art craft --
custom work
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Journalism is
Science-like
Journalism is
Verification
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Origins of Journalism
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Elements of Journalism

• Verification
• Think like a scientist about news
• Focus on methods and processes in gathering
  and presenting

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Techniques

• Involve colleagues
• Verify content of other reports from other media
• Use multiple sources
• Present many sides
• Dont add what was not there

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Techniques

• Avoid/prove modifiers
• Test assumptions
• Limit use of anonymous sources
• Conduct accuracy checks
• Disclose sources, methods

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Origins of Journalism

• Journalism becomes democratic

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Elements of Journalism

• Make news comprehensive proportional
• Make good maps
• Learn from youraudience
• What informationdo they needto fulfill their
  potential?

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Elements of Journalism

• Its essence is a discipline of verification
• Peel the onion
• Ask answerimportant questions

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What well consider

• Purpose of Journalism
• Elements of craft
• Essence of journalism verification

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Benefits

• Meaning Purpose
• Frame to evaluate it
• Confidence to produce it

Elements of Journalism
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Origins of Journalism

• Social Responsibility
• Objectivity
• Process
• Not the outcome

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Origins of Journalism

• Journalism of Affirmation
• Journalism of Assertion
• Journalism of Aggregation

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Journalisms Purpose

• provide our audience the information they need

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Elements of Journalism

• Journalisms first obligation is to truth
• Functional truth
• Get facts right
• Get the right facts
• Report truth about the facts
• A sorting-out process

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Elements of Journalism

• Its first loyalty is to the audience
• Loyalty Independence

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Elements of Journalism

• Maintain independence from factions
• Open-minded
• Commentators share same allegianceto facts

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Elements of Journalism

• Serve as independent monitor of power
• And give voiceto voiceless

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Elements of Journalism

• Provide public forum
• Invite feedback

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Elements of Journalism

• Present engaging, relevant stories
• Storytelling informationnot at odds
• Consider widerrange of story types

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Elements of Journalism

• Exercise your personal conscience
• Create spirit of questioning
• Challenge content approaches not personal
  integrity

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Journalisms Purpose

• provide the audience the information they need

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Transparency

• Black box to fish bowl

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Verification

• Fiction
• Creates facts
• Persuasion
• Selects Confirms
• Journalism
• Verifies
• Peels the onion