Midterm journalist ideas

1. Midterm journalist ideas Sami Al Haq and Iraq Edward Murrow and the U.S. (circa 1950s) Veronica Guerin and Ireland Martha Gelhorn and the US circa (1930s and 1940s) Ernie Pyle—war reporting and the U.S.

2. American Media What’s Wrong…and What’s Right

3. The First Amendment

4. What motivated the founding fathers to give us this freedom? No freedom of expression had been tried—and they didn’t like it. The government isn’t always right—part of the ideals of democracy Freedom of speech (and the press) is the basis for other freedoms—seen as a foundational right Marketplace of ideas—when ideas compete (like any free market) the best ideas will win Safety valve—if you let people speak, they don’t riot Individuals need expression to achieve self-fulfillment Government needs a watchdog—the idea of a Fourth Estate Tolerant society

5. Benjamin Franklin Abuses of the freedom of speech ought to be repressed, but to whom dare we commit the power of doing it? But what happens when the abuse comes from the press itself?—Fara Warner

6. Ideals versus Reality Reality • Not all speech is protected—you can’t yell fire in a crowded theater; fighting words; obscenity; libel • If no one wants your product i.e. newspapers, your message can get drowned out in a free market • Neutral government regulations—time and place restrictions (decency, violence) do not violate the First Amendment • Literal readings of the First Amendment have not prevailed • What if anything is meant by the First Amendment is actually a mystery. Ideals • Right to speak includes the right to disseminate—the lone pamphleteer—or the lone blogger today • The right to speak includes the right not to speak: You can’t be forced to say the Pledge of Allegiance • Prior restraint is worse than subsequent punishment • If the First Amendment is in conflict with another law, generally the First Amendment wins

7. 1776-present: was this what the founding fathers envisioned? • 1700 and 1800s—partisan press was the norm: Federalist Papers are published, but written by politicians Hamilton, Madison and Jay • Late 1800s—”objective” press comes into being as papers use it as a selling tool; 1882 Dow and Jones begin publishing handwritten news bulletins • Marketplace of ideas giving way to the market—a clash between Jeffersonian ideals with the Monroe Doctrine • Wealthy publishers control the news—not the people; beholden to stock price and shareholders not the news • What bleeds leads—war, crime, sex scandals—it’s nothing new • Technology: printing press, telegraph, typewriter, photography, radio, television, Internet • While founders may have seen citizens, what the “press” saw were consumers. Today—some of the most pressing issues for US journalism are internal to the profession…not external pressures from government • Sourcing: going to the same people for the same quotes, not telling readers where sources receive their funding; showing articles to sources • Self-censorship: stopping ourselves before we even write • Getting paid to write articles that appear to be objective •  Spin from the gov’t and business—where was the press in the global financial mess •  Personal bias: Judith Miller • Race for the story: Jayson Blair, Stephen Glass;

8. Glory days? Corporate media is nothing new • Hearst: 1863-1951; already wealthy (his father owned stakes in big mines) he took over the SF Examiner when he was 24; bought the NY Morning Journal and begins competing with J. Pulitzer’s World • Pulitzer: investigative journalist Nellie Bly; cartoons “The Yellow Kid”; battled with Hearst for circulation through sensationalistic journalism • Bancrofts—owned the WSJ (benevolent and hands-off) until Murdoch buys the paper in 2007 • Grahams—Washington Post and Newsweek; more involved and attached to the ideals of journalism—Watergate • Sulzbergers—The New York Times, involved, Pentagon Papers

9. Today’s Press Barons • Murdoch: News Corp. owns newspapers around the world, television and satellite stations; MySpace, National Geographic Television; American Idol, Fox News, buys the WSJ for $5 billion from the Bancrofts • Tierney: former p.r. person who bought both of Philly’s largest newspapers • Zell: real estate tycoon who now owns the Tribune companies—but is now in bankruptcy • Singleton: privately held MediaNews Group; owns the Detroit News • Wendy McCaw: owns the Santa Barbara News Press and runs it as if it is her own publishing platform

10. Concerns for the U.S. media today…and what can we do • Return to the partisan press • Decline in foreign news • Increase in celebrity news • Large corporations and the fractured Internet—no one in between • Too much focus and fear on the Internet… • Remember our distance and impartiality, ethics • Focus on why global is local • Reduce dependence on this kind of news to sell • Support and read news that isn’t from either one of these—if you can still find it • Learn how to use the Internet as the perfect medium for journalism

11. Internal factors that inhibit press freedom The veil of objectivity Lack of transparency The race for the story—not necessarily the race for the truth Self-censorship Corporatization

12. There can be no liberty for a community that lacks the information to detect lies—Walter Lippman

13. Free or Not? A free press can of course be good or bad, but certainly without freedom, it will never be anything but bad….Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better, whereas enslavement is a certainty of the worst --Albert Camus

14. Celebrity Journalism From Slideshare.net

15. Spreading our view of a “free press” • Western media=U.S. press with a dash of the British involved—great economic powers are also great news powers • A Westerner’s right to know is the world’s right to know • Privatization of the world’s media—is that such a good thing? • Private media—too dependent on advertising and the whims of consumers? • Increasing disdain for the “Western” media and its parachute journalism • Counter to state-controlled media and development media • Privatization may not be all it’s cracked up to be—why not • News as a commodity, as a product to be sold

16. Who’s view of the world? • Western view usurps other views because of our money and global reach • An increasingly smaller and smaller view of our world—lack of international news coverage • Are we really capable of handling any world news event? • Citizen journalism—the tsunami, Mumbai attacks, Gaza • New views of the world—Al Jazeera and CCTV—are giving us a different side of the story • Reliance on footage shot by governments (example: Israeli Defense forces footage) and government statements or embeds • We only offer a snapshot of the world. • How do we combine traditional journalism with citizen journalism?

17. Or should this be what we promote? • Obligation to truth—or at least transparency of where we received our facts • Loyalty to citizens • Verification • Independence from faction • Independent monitor of power • Forum for public criticism • News that is comprehensive and proportionate • Exercise personal conscience

18. Next Tuesday Be caught up on readings for China Watch for postings on China and Singapore on the course website

19. Midterm projects/presentations 5-7 pages each Presentation: 5-7 minutes following the fall break

20. Media Journal Exercise Next week: Find an article in your media about China—if possible. If you can’t find an article in your media, you may choose from another country—including the U.S. Explain why you were drawn to the story. Discuss word choice, who is quoted, photos. Does there appear to be any anti-China bias? How can you tell? Find a discussion online about whether the media is covering the story correctly. For example, last year’s riots in Tibet raised questions about the anti-Chinese, pro-Western role of the U.S. and British media. It raised questions about coverage including this from Associated Content and CCTV