What did you think of the reading? Who was most convincing, and which of the stories stands out the most?
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9 thoughts on “M1 Reflection”
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M1 Reflection
9 thoughts on “M1 Reflection”
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The story that resonated with me the most is “Does Journalism Have a Future?” because it truly impacted me with the shocking revelation that many of our theatricals are no longer accepted in. a culture where journalism norms are being accepted. It matters what the level of employment measures in the next few years. It must be measured rationally. The article points out that many journalism practices will be lost in a couple of years. This is evidenced by the statement that many papers and news organizations are laying off employees. But I believe this is because of the shift from print journalism to digital journalism the career has experienced in the past several decades. As long as there are reputable and strong journalists doing the reporting, there will be less room for fake news to be reported and more room for honest journalism to exist. Like the “Excerpt from Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now” says “great reporters are rightly celebrated, but they are generally as good as the institution that supports them. If their reporting genuinely challenges power, it means they will need organizational support behind them.” These sentences resonate with me because I know what it has been like to gain attention from interviewees and have them listen to you ask them a list of questions and most importantly form professional relationships with these sources.
In my opinion, with the current shift in journalism now moving and relying more in the digital age and the technological era. I also disagree with the quote “that there are not many places left to do quality journalism” This is a far stretch from the truth. I think it is possible and that there are still newsrooms and places left in the country that are not politically biased where you can do quality reporting. There are places like NPR or the USA Today. The main argument to be made here should be that everything can be better and fairly reported. It only takes a minimal amount of effort. This story also stands out as the most convincing of the two because it makes strong and convincing arguments that can be checked for, and unlike with the “Excerpt from Breaking News” piece it does a good job of convincing that now more than ever, journalism needs to be kept alive because it is important for democracy and society as a whole.
Hello Felipe,
I agree with your comments on this article. I don’t think that many practices will be lost in a couple of years. However, I have seen first hand how there has been a shift over the years from print to digital. This push to digital is something that I am currently facing in our news room. Not only from our news directors but also from our sales team. I do understand their thought process behind this move. Pushing stories on our digital platform allows our sales team to sale advertising to our digital audience. Which in turn brings in revenue to our station. It’s a win win for everyone. I enjoy connecting with our viewers on this platform. This is the new era of journalism and it’s our job to keep up with the trend.
Both of these readings opened my eyes to not only the need for strong journalism, but also to the need for quality, true journalism. As someone who has not had much experience with this topic, these two pieces pushed me to realize the importance of such writing, especially in our world today. The writing that stood out to me the most was “Breaking New: The Remaking of Journalism and Why it Matters Now” by Alan Rusbridger. This reading spoke on the current state of the world of journalism and of news and walked the reader through how we got to where we are today. The idea of “fake news” and its effect on journalists was incredibly interesting to me. It is true that we have never needed quality, true journalism more than now.
One of the quotes that touched me the most within this piece was “There were admirable, brave, serious, truthful journalists out there, some of them willing to die for their craft. But the commercial and ownership models of mass communication had also created oceans of rubbish which, in lazy shorthand, was also termed ‘journalism’.” Our society has never longed for journalists more than now. My hope is that these admirable and truthful journalists will still have the opportunity to share their work and that they would get the following that they deserve. The spreading of lies has to stop, and this begins with these true, quality journalists making a comeback.
Reading the two articles makes one understand the various issues surrounding journalism and journalists. An individual understands why many newspaper producers went out of business. It is from the articles that a person learns the various challenges journalists face in their profession. In the article ‘Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now’ by Alan Rusbridger, for instance, states some of the challenges include; journalists not having any stand on a platform above their supervisors, and they still lack a near-monopoly on the news. The reading also addresses the difficulties and states that journalists should adopt. Additionally, the articles help the reader understand the basic faults of journalism.
Alan Rusbridger was most convincing as, based on his experience running the British newspaper that broke significant news stories about phone hacking, Wikileaks, and the revelations about the National Security Agency, he evaluates the state of the news industry today. He explains how the internet has changed the site of journalism and how it has opened opportunities for a much larger audience. He also talks about the importance of fact-checking and accuracy in journalism and how that has been affected by how news is distributed online.
The story that stands out the most in the article is the narrative about the student journalist. This story shows the power of journalism in the digital age. The student was able to make an impact on the world and bring attention to an issue that might have gone unnoticed. Through the story, Rusbridger shows that journalism is still a valuable tool, and its impact should be taken seriously.
Hey Julia,
I agree with your thoughts on this week’s readings. I too am hopeful that quality journalists make a comeback. That is one of the many reasons why I went into this profession is because I wanted to be truthful in my story telling. I enjoyed reading this article too. I liked how he describes that although societies may not have much respect for journalists, they recognize the importance of having trustworthy sources of information. This really resonated with me because I think this is how many people currently feel about journalists. This feeling has only be magnified by the “fake news” effect.
Julia,
I agree with your points and also lingered on that quote by Rusbridger regarding the “oceans of rubbish.” One of the issues that I think some news organizations miss is the trend of high paid news personalities. The current model is not working. As Rusbridger and Lepore document, news consumers are not buying news. Yet, many new organizations are like the violin players on the Titanic and I also agree with you that now is the time that “quality, true journalism” is needed.
Hi Julia,
I agree with your statement that good, honest quality journalism is needed now. I think this is important, and I also think it is important that we have good journalists and reporters out there searching for the truth that is out there. We must stay diligent and responsible when it comes to reporting for the audience.
It was interesting to read Jill Lepore’s writing style in “Does Journalism Have a Future?”. Lepore uses nostalgia to take us from her death-defying newspaper throwing days, through back-to-back cautionary tales of news industry failures; and back to the awkwardness of collecting from customers who wanted to connect. Could Lepore be onto something here? Is trust and connectedness as important as straight facts?
Alan Rusbridger states statistical facts in “Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why it Matters Now,” when he takes us back to 2017 to point out the noticeable brokenness of news, the 20-year period of noticeable change, and the changes in how new consumers support news organizations. However, there seems to be a disconnect with news professionals when it comes to the impact of the divisiveness between Republicans and Democrats and so-called left and right wing media. As a classically trained journalist, I was taught and I still believe that unless a journalist publishes an op-ed, no one should be able to determine which political party they support. Additionally, the same rotating well-paid pundits often do not reflect the man on the street. When mainstream organizations cover the man on the street interviews, they are sometimes shocked by what they see. However, many of us live, work and engage with such individuals in everyday routines. Does a journalist’s condescending, disconnectedness help solve issues? Should connecting with viewers be special coverage or daily coverage? Should news directors shut down a reporter’s reaction to segments and allow news consumers to conclude things for themselves? I don’t have the answers. However, the numbers of failing media companies reflect that something is not working.
The story that really stands out to me is “He’s a Liar, a Con Artist and a Snitch. His Testimony Could Soon Send a Man to His Death.” by Pamela Colloff (ProPublica and the New York Times Magazine). This is a case that involves 2 men, Jack Pearcy and James Dailey who play a role in the gruesome murder of teenager, Shelly Boggio. There was no physical evidence to convict James Dailey, but he was sentenced to death based on the testimony of Paul Skalnik, an ex-police officer turned jailhouse informant who was serving 20 years in prison on charges of grand theft. Shalnik had a history of flipping on prosecutors and on those he testified against. His testimony against James Daily got him released five days later. This story is interesting because men are sent to die not based on any physical evidence but on people who will get benefits for giving cops information and sometimes that information is false. I believe Skalnik was trusted so much not because he was honest but because he was an ex officer. It makes you wonder should someone’s life hang in the balance based on a person of questionable character and the fact of any physical evidence.