Is ‘buying news sources’ ethical? Not here
June 5th, 2009
Almost universally in journalism schools, professors teach you never to buy news or buy access to news makers. Never. Don’t do that. Yet, radio and television students dash out and go to work in their field and quickly follow their employers’ policies of buying the news. Obviously one of the reasons they do this is that these broadcasters are limited by the number of reporters in the “news center.” Broadcasters simply skimp on hiring reporters, and even then they seem to seek good looks more than intelligence.
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Stand behind your comments: Use name
April 28th, 2009
You can chalk this up to the grumblings of an old fart who refuses to see bliss and wisdom in progress, but I grew up believing that standing behind what you say, write, and even murmur was the better choice. If you write something, you should put your name at the top and be ready to defend it. That’s integrity. It shows you have fiber and strength. To refuse to stand behind your own words reveals you as dishonest and gutless. It shows you are at least a weenie.
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Media Ethics: A short course
January 16th, 2009
The man in the water did the right thing, gave the ultimate gift, and did not have time to weigh the options. He did the right thing because he already knew and lived by a value system ingrained in his life. His ethic was clear: He valued most highly the lives of his fellow human beings. That value, among others, certainly, became the heart of his ethics.
This podcast discusses media ethics but does not provide dozens and dozens of rules. For the best code, go here: http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp
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Learn to look over the horizon
January 7th, 2009
By looking over the horizon, I mean to look carefully through the evidence available today, finding the patterns often readily visible, and reporting the consequences, the inferences your examination produces. Go to experts and present what you’ve found and get their considered evaluations, too. While it is unlikely you’ll find patterns experts have not yet seen, it does happen. In either case they will be thrilled to discuss them with the reporter who has revealed a mind behind the face.
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Four important flaws of journalism
November 27th, 2008
I’m always rather pleased with the competence of news people. They might be idiots, however, and I’m just comfortable talking with them. But today we’re not in good economic times while newspapers and magazines have been in a depression for several years. Their answer to tight money, disappearing advertising, and declining circulations is to buy out the expensive veteran news staff and replace them with younger, greener people. Many medium sized newspapers use nothing but college interns to report on the same complex stories veterans used to cover. The point here is that the competence of the news media just ain’t what it used to be a mere five years ago. While this is great news for college journalism programs, it is bad news for American readers.
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Newspaper beats organize news coverage
October 19th, 2008
The newspaper beat system can be very confusing.
The newspaper beat system could not be simpler.
Neither statement is true, and both are true. Yeah, that’s how I see it. However, that and a buck-80 can get you a soft drink. The truth is, newspapers – and you can include magazines and many TV stations – handle the beat system differently. There is no correct beat system. But, here are some thoughts about how a beat system works.
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Criminal Court 101: A primer for writers
October 11th, 2008
In the newspaper business, the editor introduces you to the court system when someone is on vacation or sick. “You, Roat, the guy the cops arrested yesterday faces arraignment in about 45 minutes. Cover it.” What you want to say is, “Huh?” But what you say is, “Yes, sir,” while figuring out how to learn who the cops arrested, where the arraignment is, and what the hell is arraignment, anyway?
That’s my mission today. I need to help you through those awkward moments getting introduced to strange terms in big court buildings run by experienced and egotistical judges. And you’ll get a real delight from hallways full of lawyers, too. Oh, how exciting they are.
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Open records/open meetings: Democratic notions
October 2nd, 2008
Governments have a lot of information, much of it hard to sort and difficult to access. While we’d like to think our governments’ records are always there for public inspection, that’s just Disneyland. I’ve worked for government at least three decades (even as a professor I was a state government employee, you know), and I’ve watched administrators hide information just because someone might read it. Duhh. As for meetings, you’d be surprised how often government employees and politicians sneak around so people won’t see them discussing the public’s business.
This is a primer on open record and open meeting laws. Every journalism professor thinks you already know this.
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Use active verbs, pursue an active life
September 13th, 2008
If you say things like, All my decisions are made by someone else, or, Things just seem to happen to me, or, My grades are being destroyed by circumstances. Do you get the idea? Let me put that passively for you: Was the idea gotten by you? Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? It’s worse than ridiculous. That mode of existence can and will demolish your self-respect, dismantle the respect from others who can make a difference for you, and will undermine your future.
This podcast goes beyond advice about using active rather than passive verbs and urges you to begin living active lives. This is the cheapest and best psychological lesson you will get today.
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Interviewing: How to be professional in a casual world
August 6th, 2008
There you are with your list of questions – carefully worded, sometimes sinister, but always clever – now clenched in your clammy fist as you sit down for your first professional reporting interview. You smile, and the subject smiles. You both sip coffee. You adjust your blank sheets of paper on your knee. As you attempt to write a date, then pen jabs through five sheets and puts indelible ink on your new pants. Staying cool, you unfold your list of questions, and you read the first one: Could you tell me how much money you make? Oh, dear, you poor, pathetic rookie. You received your interview training from an idiot.
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