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THE DYNAMICS OF MASS COMMUNCATION Joseph R. Dominick University of Georgia--Athens. Specific Media Professions. Chapter 12. News Gathering and Reporting. Deciding What Is News Categories of News and Reporting The News Flow Technology The Wire Services
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THE DYNAMICS OF MASS COMMUNCATION Joseph R. Dominick University of Georgia--Athens
Chapter 12 News Gathering and Reporting • Deciding What Is News • Categories of News and Reporting • The News Flow • Technology • The Wire Services • Media Differences in News Coverage • Readership and Viewership • News Online • News Gathering and Reporting Chapter Outline
Deciding What Is News • Five elements of newsworthy events • Timeliness • Proximity • Prominence • Consequence • Human interest
Deciding What Is News • Economic factors also determine coverage • Cost of covering stories • Fit within the organization’s look • Conflicts of interest
Categories of News and Reporting • Three categories of news • Hard news • Who, What, Where, When, How • Public events • Significance for large numbers of people • Print media • Inverted pyramid form • Hard lead • Broadcast media • Square format • Hard or soft lead
Categories of News and Reporting • Soft news, or feature news • Interests the audience • Informs, entertains, instructs, inspires • Uses most formats except inverted pyramid • E!People 60 Minutes
Categories of News and Reporting Investigative reports unearth significant information about matters of public importance through the use of time-intensive, non-routine news-gathering methods.
The News Flow • Print Media • Sources of news – staff reporting and wire services General-assignment reporter Copy desk City editor The Flow Managing editors
The News Flow • Broadcast Media • News sources– wire service, news services, and reporters Assignment editor News producer News anchor Newswriters and production assistants Field reporter and camera crew The Flow Tape editor Newscast
Technology • Advances have changed mobile live news coverage significantly • Small, lightweight digital video cameras • Satellite dish-equipped vans or trucks • Laptop computer video editing • Videophones stream audio and video over a satellite phone connection
The Wire Services • Provide newspapers with external coverage • Primary U.S. wire services • Associated Press (AP) • United Press International (UPI) National Wire State bureau chief Local bureau chief WIRE SUBSCRIBERS Local event story
The Wire Services • Competition for AP and UPI • The New York Times News Service • Los Angeles Times News Service • Washington Post News Service • Gannett’s News Service • Britain’s Reuters • France’s Agence-France-Press
Media Differences in News Coverage • The news media – unique strengths and weaknesses • Print: in-depth, more coverage, handles details difficult to get by voice, good at facts and information, permanence • Broadcast: greater immediacy, personal, credibility, presentation of impressions, public, no interaction required • Online: links to other information and activities, audio and video possible, credibility an issue, good at presenting facts and information, permanence
Media Differences in News Coverage • Print, Online, and Broadcast Journalists • Broadcast news anchors achieve star status • Appearance and personalities important to the public • Print and online reporters remain relatively anonymous • News Consultants • Most noticeable in broadcast • Introduced the audience survey to news coverage • Have homogenizing effect on local news
Media Differences in News Coverage Similarities Among the News Media Journalistic principles Integrity Objectivity Honesty Accuracy Balance
Readership and Viewership • Pew Charitable Trusts Research Center Survey (2002) • Internet is a significant news source • 35% of Americans go online for news 1+ times/wk • Number of people who get their news from broadcast or print
Readership and Viewership Source Credibility Major online news sites TV highest Print media News on portal sites lowest
Online Journalism • Types of online news sources • Mainstream general • CNN.com • usatoday.com • News aggregator • Google • Yahoo • Specialized news focus • ESPN.com Blogs • W.S. Journal: http://online.wsj.com/public/us
Journalist’s perspective New tools for reporting More access for less work CAR required Backpack journalism Audience’s perspective More news sources Customizable news Email alerts Searchable archives News Online Profession’s perspective Problematic entry requirements Threat of shoddy journalism Economic threat of sites with little to lose
News Gathering and Reporting • Jobs scarce even in an improved economy • Newspapers & magazines reduced hiring • Most radio stations reduced or eliminated news • Fierce competition for TV positions • Online journalism positions down • Some hope for producers and videographers • Start small and local, then work up and out