Week 14: Journalism 2001

1. Week 14: Journalism 2001 April 30, 2007

2. Class Evaluations • Standard evaluation, open-ended questions • Need volunteer to deliver evaluations to Composition Department

3. Announcements • Address an envelope if you would like me to return your final stories • KBJR-KDLH TV Tour • Tour highlights

4. Meet the Press Interview • Another overall good job! • Tips for improvement: • Stick to past tense • Quotes: blah blah,” he said. • Just use said – not stated, mentioned • Avoid questions before quote • Need background info!

5. The president of Virginia Technical College spoke Sunday night on NBC about the community’s reaction to last week’s shootings and said classes would be re-opening tomorrow. President of Virginia Tech spoke with MSNBC’s Tim Russert on Sunday about the aftermath of the shootings on campus just seven days earlier. The Virginia Tech president spoke on NBC’s “Meet the Press” less than one week after the massacre about his thoughts on the shooting and the deaths. On Sunday’s NBC Meet the Press, the president of Virginia Tech spoke about how the campus is coping with the recent massacre that struck the community last week. In an interview on MSNBC’s Meet the Press yesterday the Virginia Tech president said his campus is ready to get back on track after the recent shootings that took place there.

7. Chapter 27: Ethics and Fairness: Responsibility to Society • The Fairness Movement • American Society of Newspaper Editors: Journalism Credibility Project • Five-year, $1.2 million project: 1990s • 1998: Focusing on the problem • Surveyed 3,000 Americans, 1,714 working journalists • 1999: Developing and testing solutions

8. Freedom Forum’s Free Press/Fair Press Project • Major reasons credibility is declining: • News coverage does not adequately reflect all of reality. • Lack of news staff diversity leads to missing stories, failing to provide important context, or using language in stories that reflects unconscious prejudices and stereotypes. • Reporters come to stories with preconceived notions of the story line and the roles different sources are to play. • Reporters lack expertise in the subjects they are covering. • Trying to get corrections published or broadcast is an exercise in futility.

9. Best Practices forNewspaper Journalists* • Newspapers are unfair when: • They get the facts wrong • They refuse to admit errors • They won’t name names • They have ignorant or incompetent reporters • They prey on the weak • They concentrate on bad news • They lack diversity • They allow editorial bias in news stories • They can’t admit that sometimes there’s no story * Written by Robert Haiman, president emeritus and distinguished editor in residence at the Poynter Institute; Part of the The Freedom Forum Free Press/Fair Press Project

10. The Media and the Public • Criticism of the press • Media Critics • Ombudsmen: “middle person” • Objective newspaper employee who listens to complaint from readers and, when justified, passes them on to the appropriate reporters or editors. • Organization of News Ombudsmen

11. Code of Ethics • Associated Press Managing Editors Association • American Society of Newspaper Editors • Society of Professional Journalists • Associated Press Sports Editors

12. Ethical Issues • 150 daily editors surveyed on ethical issues • Fairness and objectivity • Misrepresentation by reporters • Economic pressure • Privacy versus the public’s right to know • Conflicts of interest • Anonymous sources • Gifts • Compassion versus policy • Journalistic arrogance

13. Ethical dilemmas • A reporter for a 15,000 circulation daily covers city and county government. Each day, she dutifully makes her rounds: the police department, the county sheriff’s office, the clerk of the court, the city engineer’s office, the city clerk’s office, etc. During the holidays, three of her regular sources give her gifts: a small box of chocolates, a novel and an inexpensive pen and pencil set. Should she accept the gifts?

14. Is this libel? • Couple falsely accused of stealing

15. The wife of the education reporter for a 25,000-circulation daily in a community of 40,000 decides to run for city council. The education reporter is not involved in coverage of city government issues or in coverage of the city council. The managing editor calls the reporter into his office. The managing editor tells the reporter that he has two choices: persuade his wife to drop out of the political race or resign his job because of a potential conflict of interest. Do you agree with the managing editor?

16. Minneapolis Star-Tribune • Kate Perry: The Reader’s Rep

17. Washington Post • Ombudsman with Minnesota ties

18. Montague or Montaque??

19. Careers for Journalists/Writers • UMD Communicators Council • http://www.d.umn.edu/currents/cc.html • UM Twin Cities Communicators Forum • http://www1.umn.edu/umcf/ • Journalism Careers • http://careerservices.class.umn.edu/students/careerandmajorinfo/wcidwami/journalism.html

20. Internship Information • UMD: • http://www.d.umn.edu/~msozansk • UM Twin Cities: • http://www.sjmc.umn.edu/undergrads/jobsintern.html • St. Thomas: • http://www.stthomas.edu/careerdevelopment/joblistings/search.asp?category=14

21. Final deadlines • Feature Story Assignment • Final article due: April 30 • Final eportfolio project: Due May 7

22. Final Project: Due 5/7 • Create presentation in eportfolio • Share with lkragnes@d.umn.edu • Include at least five articles in your portfolio • Goal: Create portfolio presentation of your best work that you can share when applying for internships, jobs

23. Egradebook • Doublecheck assignments correct in egradebook: • http://www.d.umn.edu/egradebook

24. Have a great summer! • Keep me posted on your writing pursuits!

25. Final In-Class Assignment • Is Josh Wolf a journalist? • Share your opinion with me in 300 words or less • Information about Josh Wolf on: • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Wolf_(journalist) • Let’s watch news coverage of his release • http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_093141504.html