A very, very brief history of
Euro-American print
journalism and the elements of
news…
In the beginning…
There were cave drawings
17,000 years ago --humans’
earliest attempts at
representation,
communication, and art
Caves at Lascaux, France
(aren’t they beautiful and
amazing?)
Fast forward to 1450, Germany, &
Johannes Gutenberg!
Developed a method of
printing from movable
type that was used
without important change
until the 20th century.
…China and Korea did have movable type long
before…but…
The first known movable type system was
invented in China by Bi Sheng out of ceramic
between 1041 and 1048 AD.
Metal movable type was first invented in
Korea during the Goryeo (Koryo) Dynasty
(around 1230).
This led to the printing of the Jikji in 1377—
today the world's oldest extant movable metal
print book.
Neither movable type system was widely used,
probably because of the enormous amount of
labor involved in manipulating the thousands
of ceramic tablets, or in the case of Korea,
metal tablets, required by the use of Chinese
characters.
Knowledge explosion in Europe!
Commoners reading!
The rapid spread of
knowledge made possible
by Gutenberg's printing
press contributed to the
Renaissance, the Scientific
Revolution, and the
Protestant Reformation.
The Penny Press, 1830s, U.S.
The labor and lower classes were able to
purchase a paper and read the news.
As more people began buying papers
throughout the country, news and journalism
became more important overall.
Newspapers also began paying more attention
to the public it served.
Information from police stations, criminal
courts and divorce courts to fill their paper and
make it more appealing to their new public.
The heavy dependence on advertising allowed
for the low price (1 penny compared to 6 cents)
The purpose of journalism
“The central purpose of journalism is to provide
citizens with accurate and reliable
information they need to function in a free
society.”
Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in
Journalism
(The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press is
an independent, non-partisan public opinion research
organization that studies attitudes toward politics, the
press and public policy issues.)
Journalism has many roles
Helping define community,
creating common language and
common knowledge,
identifying a community's goals,
heroes and villains,
and pushing people beyond
complacency
Other requirements: being
entertaining, serving as watchdog
and offering voice to the voiceless
The theory of journalism, 9 core
principles
Over time journalists
have developed nine
core principles to meet
the task.
They comprise what
might be described as
the theory of
journalism:
1. Journalism’s first obligation is
to the truth
Democracy depends on
citizens having reliable,
accurate facts…
…put in a meaningful
context.
Journalists should be as
transparent as possible about
sources and methods…
…so audiences can make their
own assessment of the
information.
…obligation to the truth…
Even in a world of expanding
voices, accuracy is the
foundation upon which
everything else is built--
context, interpretation,
comment, criticism,
analysis and debate.
The truth, over time, emerges
from this forum.
2. Its first loyalty is to citizens
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.
…loyalty to citizens…
Commitment to citizens
also means journalism
should present a
representative picture of
all constituent groups in
society.
Ignoring certain citizens
has the effect of
disenfranchising (deprive
them of civil or electoral
privileges) them.
3. Its essence is a discipline of
verification
When the concept of objectivity
originally evolved, it did not imply that
journalists are free of bias.
It called, rather, for a consistent method
of testing information--a transparent
approach to evidence--precisely so that
personal and cultural biases would not
undermine the accuracy of their work.
…a discipline of verification…
The method is objective, not the
journalist.
Seeking out multiple witnesses,
disclosing as much as possible
about sources, or asking various
sides for comment, all signal such
standards.
This discipline of verification is
what separates journalism from
other modes of communication,
such as propaganda, fiction or
entertainment.
4. Its practitioners must maintain an
independence from those they cover
Independence is an underlying
requirement of journalism, a
cornerstone of its reliability.
Independence of spirit and
mind, rather than neutrality, is
the principle journalists must
keep in focus.
…independence from those they
cover…
While editorialists and
commentators are not
neutral, the source of their
credibility is still their
accuracy,
intellectual fairness and
ability to inform--not their
devotion to a certain group
or outcome.
In our independence,
however, we must avoid
any tendency to stray into
arrogance, elitism, isolation
or nihilism.
5. It must serve as an independent
monitor of power
Journalism has an unusual capacity
to serve as watchdog over those
whose power and position most
affect citizens.
The Founders recognized this to be
a rampart (fortification) against
despotism (absolute rule) when they
ensured an independent press;
Courts have affirmed it;
Citizens rely on it.
…independent monitor of power…
As journalists, we have
an obligation to protect
this watchdog freedom
by not demeaning it in
frivolous use or
exploiting it for
commercial gain.
6. It must provide a forum for public criticism
and compromise
The news media are the
common carriers of public
discussion, and this
responsibility forms a basis
for our special privileges.
…forum for public criticism…
This discussion serves
society best when it is
informed by facts rather
than prejudice and
supposition.
It also should strive to fairly
represent the varied
viewpoints and interests in
society, and to place them
in context rather than
highlight only the
conflicting fringes of
debate.
…forum for discussion and
problem-solving…
Accuracy and
truthfulness require that
as framers of the public
discussion we not
neglect the points of
common ground where
problem solving occurs.
7. It must strive to make the significant interesting
and relevant
Journalism is storytelling with a
purpose.
It should do more than gather an
audience or catalogue the
important.
For its own survival, it must
balance what readers know they
want with what they cannot
anticipate but need.
…make it relevant!
The effectiveness of a piece
of journalism is measured
both by how much a work
engages its audience and
enlightens it.
This means journalists must
continually ask what
information has most value
to citizens and in what form.
…a trivial society?…
While journalism should
reach beyond such topics as
government and public
safety…
A journalism overwhelmed
by trivia and false
significance ultimately
engenders a trivial society.
8. It must keep the news comprehensive and
proportional
Keeping news in proportion and
not leaving important things out
are also cornerstones of
truthfulness.
Journalism is a form of
cartography: it creates a map for
citizens to navigate society.
Inflating events for sensation,
neglecting others, stereotyping or
being disproportionately negative
all make a less reliable map.
…an inclusive map…
The map also should
include news of all our
communities, not just
those with attractive
demographics.
This is best achieved by
newsrooms with a
diversity of backgrounds
and perspectives.
9. Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise
their personal conscience
Every journalist must have a
personal sense of ethics and
responsibility--a moral compass.
Each of us must be willing, if
fairness and accuracy require, to
voice differences with our
colleagues, whether in the
newsroom or the executive suite.
…encourage individuals…
Nurture this independence by
encouraging individuals to
speak their minds.
This stimulates the intellectual
diversity necessary to
understand and accurately
cover an increasingly diverse
society.
It is this diversity of minds
and voices, not just numbers,
that matters.
6 Main Elements of News
1. Timeliness
2. Proximity
3. Prominence
4. Consequence
5. Human Interest
6. Conflict
1. Timeliness
On the day Michael
Jackson died, reports of
his death that day were
timely.
A report three weeks
later would not be
(obviously).
2. Proximity
News of Michael Jackson’s
death had proximity value all
over the world but especially
in his hometown of Gary,
Indiana.
1480, from M.Fr. proximité
"nearness" (14c.), from L.
proximitatem (nom.
proximitas) "nearness,
vicinity," from proximus
"nearest," superlative of prope
"near." Proximal is first
recorded 1727.
3. Prominence
MJ’s death was big news
because of his prominence
1581, "condition of being
seen," from L.L. visibilitas
(see visible). Meaning
"range of vision under
given conditions" is from
1914. Sense of
"prominence, fame, public
attention" is recorded from
1958.
4. Consequence
Obviously, the events
of 9-11 had far-
reaching consequences
not just for the people
in the twin towers that
day
5. Human Interest
A feature story that
discusses a person or
persons in an interactive
and/or emotional way.
Presents people and their
problems, concerns, or
achievements in a way that
brings about interest or
sympathy in the reader or
viewer.
6. Conflict
September 30, 2007
MINNESOTA'S NEW
STATEWIDE SMOKING
BAN
The Minnesota ban took
effect at 12:01 a.m. today.
In the United States, 22
states, Washington, D.C.,
and Puerto Rico have
passed smoke-free laws that
cover restaurants and bars.
Some states have yet to
enact their bans.
Review major points!
Gutenberg, 1300s, mass media
Advertising, affordability, democracy
Serve whole public not with neutrality but with
intellectual independence
Provide what we want to know and what we may
need to know
Public forum, debate, problem solving
To avoid the creation and maintenance of a trivial
society
6 Criteria for News: Timeliness, Proximity,
Prominence, Consequence, Human Interest, and
Conflict
