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Mental Blabberings Flash back to 1998, I was a junior in high school in the Philippines. I would have been at the equivalent of 9th grade in the US educational system at age 15. At this point in my life I had been given one of the best opportunities to experience a whole new culture and lifestyle. I had a chance to be an exchange student in middle America for one full year. Note: This is Part 2 of a series about my early choices in life which have gotten me to where I am today. The Rotary Club Back during those days my parents had been invited to be part of the Rotary Club in the small town we lived in. If you haven't experienced being part of the Rotary Club, I would like to give a perspective that's a little different from an actual member -- as a child of parents who were active in the club. I only actually have good things to say about the club. The opportunities afforded to the children of families that are part of the club are bordering on obscene. Born or Made? Oh the Politics Debating Team Leadership
objectivity and journalism: an essay Objectivity is the dominant ethos of modern journalism. It underscores notions of fairness, accuracy and lack of bias in the media. But although central to journalist behaviour, objectivity is a troubled idea. Is objectivity merely a code for journalists to go through the motions and avoid tackling the hard issues? According to the dictionary, the word “objectivity” means concentration on matters independent of the mind, or, a presentation of an external world that is observable or verifiable, especially by scientific method. The first journalists had more urgent matters to attend to than the pursuit of objectivity. Despite Franklin’s own policy of editorial impartiality, news was mostly reported in partisan fashion until the 19th century and the arrival of Reuters. But consensual validation didn’t last long. But objectivity, whether measured by method or content, has a major difficulty. But what is this establishment point of view? Few doubt the agenda-setting powers of the media.
Principles of Journalism The first three years of the Project’s work involved listening and talking with journalists and others around the country about what defines the work. What emerged out of those conversations are the following nine core principles of journalism: 1. Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth Democracy depends on citizens having reliable, accurate facts put in a meaningful context. 2. While news organizations answer to many constituencies, including advertisers and shareholders, the journalists in those organizations must maintain allegiance to citizens and the larger public interest above any other if they are to provide the news without fear or favor. 3. Journalists rely on a professional discipline for verifying information. 4. Independence is an underlying requirement of journalism, a cornerstone of its reliability. 5. Journalism has an unusual capacity to serve as watchdog over those whose power and position most affect citizens. 6. 7. Journalism is storytelling with a purpose. 8.
Objectivity and Fairness - Objectivity and fairness in news stories You hear it all the time – reporters should be objective and fair. Some news organizations even use these terms in their slogans, claimed that they are more “fair and balanced” than their competitors. But what is objectivity, and what does it mean to be fair and balanced? Objectivity Objectivity means that when covering hard news, reporters don’t convey their own feelings, biases or prejudices in their stories. But for the beginning reporter accustomed to writing personal essays or journal entries, it can be hard to keep one’s own feelings out of one’s stories. Example: The intrepid protesters demonstrated against the unjust government policies. Just by using the words “intrepid” and “unjust” the writer has quickly conveyed his feelings on the story – the protesters are brave and just in their cause, the government policies are wrong. Fairness Let’s say the local school board is holding a public forum examining whether to ban certain books from the school libraries. A Reporter’s Conduct
Chapter 57: Fairness In this chapter, we discuss the reasons for fairness in reporting. We advise on ways of maintaining fairness throughout news gathering and news writing. We discuss the need for special care in writing comment columns, in campaigning journalism and in reporting elections and court cases. There are three basic qualities which should guide the work of a good journalist - it must be fast, fair and accurate: Speed comes from increasing knowledge, confidence and experience. Accuracy comes from constant attention to details and from hard work in finding, checking and re-checking details. Fairness is the hardest to define, but it has a lot to do with avoiding bias, treating people equally and allowing people to have equal chances to do things or express themselves. What is fairness? Even if you are not able to put it into words, you may have a natural understanding of fairness if you care about other people and are sensitive to their needs. Fairness is made up of two parts: ^^back to the top Language
Rethinking Objective Journalism | Media July 8, 2003 | Like this article? Join our email list: Stay up to date with the latest headlines via email. In his Mar. 6 press conference, in which he laid out his reasons for the coming war, President Bush mentioned al Qaeda or the attacks of Sept. 11 fourteen times in fifty-two minutes. When Bush proposed his $726 billion tax cut in January, his sales pitch on the plan's centerpiece -- undoing the "double-taxation" on dividend earnings -- was that "It's unfair to tax money twice." Before the fighting started in Iraq, in the dozens of articles and broadcasts that addressed the potential aftermath of a war, much was written and said about the maneuverings of the Iraqi exile community, the shape of a postwar government, and the cost and duration and troop numbers. That all changed on Feb. 26, when President Bush spoke grandly of making Iraq a model for retooling the entire Middle East. Or did it? Tripping Toward the Truth As E.J. An Ideal's Troubled Past The More Things Change
The Importance of Objectivity in Journalism And Now a Word from the Other Side: As a journalist trained in action rather than via textbooks, I learned very early to consider viewpoints other than my own when composing articles for publication. I recently came across a headline accusing Democrats of "highjacking democracy" through election corruption. Well, you remember how the late ACORN lobbyists were "caught in the act" of registering hardly enough Mickey Mouses to change election results anywhere, least of all Disneyland. . . . However, I have it from a distinguished and esteemed Independent why and how Democrats steal elections beyond those ACORN employees who may have been paid per voter registered. According to Jeffrey Carter (in a 10/24/10 blog titled "Chicago Election Judge Training"), a widely published expert on finance and marketing, inter alia, we Democrats steal elections by signing up illegal immigrants and sometimes allowing them to vote twice. And so, not only are illegal immigrants allowed to vote; Mr. Mr.
Opinion Journalism vs. Objective News Reporting : Media and Communications Policy The rise of opinion journalism, not just among cable and the newer media but elements of the legacy media as well, magnifies the problem of the dearth of objective news reporting. About five years ago even the Associated Press announced a turn toward opinion, euphemistically referred to as “accountability journalism,” while the Washington Post and the New York Times have for years now been foundering in the stuff. Makes one wonder where to turn (outside, perhaps, of the business and financial journals) for investigative and feature news that is not in service to some political party, ideology, or special interest. And what a loss! For all the talk about the new media, much of it online, is there anyone so credulous as to believe they’re getting unvarnished facts in a “news report” published by such as Slate, Salon, or the Huffington Post? A story posted on Aug.11, by Bloomberg reporter Jonathan Weil, adds a wrinkle to the subject.
Objectivity (journalism) Journalistic objectivity is a significant principle of journalistic professionalism. Journalistic objectivity can refer to fairness, disinterestedness, factuality, and nonpartisanship, but most often encompasses all of these qualities. Definitions[edit] Sociologist Michael Schudson argues that "the belief in objectivity is a faith in 'facts,' a distrust in 'values,' and a commitment to their segregation Criticisms[edit] Advocacy journalists and civic journalists criticize the understanding of objectivity as neutrality or nonpartisanship, arguing that it does a disservice to the public because it fails to attempt to find truth. Another example of an objection to objectivity, according to communication scholar David Mindich, was the coverage that the major papers (most notably the New York Times) gave to the lynching of thousands of African Americans during the 1890s. Brent Cunningham,[6] the managing editor of Columbia Journalism Review, argues that objectivity excuses lazy reporting.