Before I took Journalism I, I liked the idea of becoming a journalist because it seemed like a fun way to express my feelings on current events to the world. However, I had no idea how much work was involved, and how wrong I was about the job! I thought a journalist was strictly someone who writes for a newspaper on weekly, daily, or monthly time periods. I was shocked to find out that the role I was describing was that of a columnist. My thoughts that the purpose of journalism was to inform people have remained the same throughout the course. I did not know, however, that journalists had to follow such strict ethical rules before I started this course; I thought that journalism was allowed to be opinionated and was actually encouraged to be. I knew that there was both impartial reporting and opinion writing, but I thought that a writer who does either could be considered a journalist. I now know that journalists must be impartial reporters.
Today, I still like the idea of becoming a journalist, but for different reasons. My experiences in this class have helped me realize that I actually want to consider journalism as a career. My definition of a journalist has changed from someone who can write opinionated stories to an impartial news reporter who can report on TV, radio, newspapers, the Internet, etc. I still believe that the purpose of journalism is to inform people but know that, ethically, it must be truthful and unbiased reporting and informing. Before, I thought journalists could state their opinions. My understanding of the difference between impartial reporting and opinion writing has only changed in the sense that I now know who can and who cannot use opinion writing. I think that the future holds an endless necessity for solid journalism because as the world evolves, there must be people to inform society.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
06.01 Your Interest Inventory
A career in journalism that interests me most is freelance writing. I found a job for HubPages that is a blogging and writing career. The topics would be ones I "know and love" and I must have an understanding about what people are searching for online. It allows me to share what I'm an expert at and help others achieve what they're searching for. The job is located online and a person in this position can not expect to make enough money that will fully support them, since they will be paid based on posting frequency and internet variables including page views, subscriptions, session length, and advertiser interest. Required skills are great writing skills, consistency and commitment to publish regularly, interest in growing and interacting with readership, and a passion for sharing what I know. There is no level of education or experience required, which is good because I am still in high school and do not have much work experience.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
6.00 Thinking About Careers
Anderson Cooper, once a fake-press-pass-attaining aspiring journalist, is now one of the most known names in American journalism. As soon as he finished college at Yale, he got a job as a fact checker for a small news organization called Channel One. Since then, he has worked at ABC, CNN, and CBS as multiple positions. Along with having experience as a fact checker, he has some as a correspondent, a co-anchor, an anchor, and a prime-time anchor! These definitely add up to quite an impressive resume and an expert level of experience in journalism.
Now, Cooper hosts his own show called Anderson Cooper 360°. The show is a mixture of journalism and a talk show, which Cooper not only co-produces, but stars in. This job differs from his previous news positions in that it focuses solely on him and not his news team as a whole, but is similar in the sense that it is still reporting current events to the public. With so many accomplishments achieved, Anderson Cooper is definitely at the top of his career, and will hopefully stay on top for a long while.
Now, Cooper hosts his own show called Anderson Cooper 360°. The show is a mixture of journalism and a talk show, which Cooper not only co-produces, but stars in. This job differs from his previous news positions in that it focuses solely on him and not his news team as a whole, but is similar in the sense that it is still reporting current events to the public. With so many accomplishments achieved, Anderson Cooper is definitely at the top of his career, and will hopefully stay on top for a long while.
Friday, February 3, 2012
5.00 Reporter's Notebook
1. I think that writing is one of the best things in life and I rely on it thoroughly. The written word has so many benefits to every person; it can help one express their feelings, understand others' and teach them without having them even realize it! Every time someone reads something new, they're learning, and I find learning to be one of the most important things in the world. For me, writing is a vital tool to survival. Without writing in my journal every night, I don't know what my life would be like. The sense of calm that comes over me when I finish processing my thoughts into concrete words is so overwhelming that I am able to silence my mind and fall asleep soundly. Without it, I wouldn't be able to sleep, and sleep is necessary for survival!
2. While I find it possible to truly write impartially, I think that it would be extremely difficult. I know that credible news reporting companies consider themselves to be impartial, but I also know that there are human beings behind the reports; there's no way that a little bit of bias or opinion isn't put into the writing of a news report, even if they don't mean for it to. Therefore reporters cannot remain completely impartial in their work, unless they have no biases or opinions about anything at all, which is seemingly impossible.
2. While I find it possible to truly write impartially, I think that it would be extremely difficult. I know that credible news reporting companies consider themselves to be impartial, but I also know that there are human beings behind the reports; there's no way that a little bit of bias or opinion isn't put into the writing of a news report, even if they don't mean for it to. Therefore reporters cannot remain completely impartial in their work, unless they have no biases or opinions about anything at all, which is seemingly impossible.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
4.00 Introduction to Persuasion
Persuasive media messages are everywhere--commercials, the Internet, billboards, etc. In order to properly understand persuasive media, I observed three different places. Said places were the Internet, the television, and the radio. I looked and listened for specific words in each message and asked myself a few simple questions: were the messages effective in their attempt to persuade me and why were the messages effective or not?
On the Internet, I visited google.com. Since I was interested in purchasing a ring online, I searched "rings." Right away I was guided to a web page with tons of different links of places to buy rings online, but there were three that were at the top, highlighted. These were the ads that Google provided, persuading me to visit those websites, even if they didn't really have to do with my specific search. This time, however, the messages were indeed effect in their attempt to persuade me. With the simple but catchy summary of what was on the website, they made me want to click on the website and buy what they were advertising--and I liked it! The messages was effective because it had a slight relation to what I was searching for in the first place, and they used persuasive and straight-forward words to get their point across; there was nothing boring about it.
However, on the radio, it was quite the opposite. I heard plenty of commercials filled with persuasive media messages that were trying to convince me to buy their product. The one that stuck out to me was a commercial for a plastic surgery clinic. It was definitely not effective in their attempt to persuade me because it seemed as if they were trying to guilt the consumers into buying the surgeries, rather than show what's good about their products using persuasive words, which are especially important over the radio since I could not see anything!
Lastly, I turned on the television and tuned into the TLC channel. On there I saw a commercial for a new type of makeup. It was effective in their attempt to persuade me because they made me feel as if I needed the new makeup! Their "new" technology intrigued me and made me want to go out and buy it. The messages were effective because they used aesthetically pleasing videos and used impressive statistics to prove that their product actually works. They also guaranteed that if you don't like it, you can send it back for free! Their use of descriptive words also helped make the persuasive message work. I'm definitely interested in buying their product now.
On the Internet, I visited google.com. Since I was interested in purchasing a ring online, I searched "rings." Right away I was guided to a web page with tons of different links of places to buy rings online, but there were three that were at the top, highlighted. These were the ads that Google provided, persuading me to visit those websites, even if they didn't really have to do with my specific search. This time, however, the messages were indeed effect in their attempt to persuade me. With the simple but catchy summary of what was on the website, they made me want to click on the website and buy what they were advertising--and I liked it! The messages was effective because it had a slight relation to what I was searching for in the first place, and they used persuasive and straight-forward words to get their point across; there was nothing boring about it.
However, on the radio, it was quite the opposite. I heard plenty of commercials filled with persuasive media messages that were trying to convince me to buy their product. The one that stuck out to me was a commercial for a plastic surgery clinic. It was definitely not effective in their attempt to persuade me because it seemed as if they were trying to guilt the consumers into buying the surgeries, rather than show what's good about their products using persuasive words, which are especially important over the radio since I could not see anything!
Lastly, I turned on the television and tuned into the TLC channel. On there I saw a commercial for a new type of makeup. It was effective in their attempt to persuade me because they made me feel as if I needed the new makeup! Their "new" technology intrigued me and made me want to go out and buy it. The messages were effective because they used aesthetically pleasing videos and used impressive statistics to prove that their product actually works. They also guaranteed that if you don't like it, you can send it back for free! Their use of descriptive words also helped make the persuasive message work. I'm definitely interested in buying their product now.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Introduction to Ethics
What does it mean to be ethical? This is a question that faces all of us in an uncertain world. The literal definition of ethical is "pertaining to or dealing with morals or the principles of morality; pertaining to right and wrong in conduct." (Dictionary.com) In simpler terms, being ethical means following a sense of what is right and wrong.
A person who is ethical is one who does what's right no matter what. For example, if a person with ethical morals found a $100 lying on the ground outside of a bank, he or she wouldn't take it; they would bring it back into the bank and ask them to find who it belongs to. By not taking the money that is not rightfully theirs, this person proves they are ethical. Someone of ethics also would inform a friend's parents if he or she had given out their address to a stranger online. Although there is a high possibility of the friend getting angry with them, it is more important to keep the friend safe and have him or her be mad at them, than letting them get hurt.
How does this all relate to journalism? Ethics takes a huge roll in journalism due to the fact that reporters must be generally ethical in order to be credible. For example, an unethical reporter would take bribes from a source to write a false story about someone the source does not like. Without being unbiased and fair, a reporter is not credible; therefore, the reporter would not be considered ethical because it is wrong to take bribes and write false stories. If all news were presented by unethical reporters taking bribes left and right from people with grudges, then the world would not be informed on one of the most important factors that comes with news: the truth.
Bibliography
A person who is ethical is one who does what's right no matter what. For example, if a person with ethical morals found a $100 lying on the ground outside of a bank, he or she wouldn't take it; they would bring it back into the bank and ask them to find who it belongs to. By not taking the money that is not rightfully theirs, this person proves they are ethical. Someone of ethics also would inform a friend's parents if he or she had given out their address to a stranger online. Although there is a high possibility of the friend getting angry with them, it is more important to keep the friend safe and have him or her be mad at them, than letting them get hurt.
How does this all relate to journalism? Ethics takes a huge roll in journalism due to the fact that reporters must be generally ethical in order to be credible. For example, an unethical reporter would take bribes from a source to write a false story about someone the source does not like. Without being unbiased and fair, a reporter is not credible; therefore, the reporter would not be considered ethical because it is wrong to take bribes and write false stories. If all news were presented by unethical reporters taking bribes left and right from people with grudges, then the world would not be informed on one of the most important factors that comes with news: the truth.
Bibliography
American Psychological Association (APA):
ethical. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved January 12, 2012, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ethical
Chicago Manual Style (CMS):
ethical. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ethical (accessed: January 12, 2012).
Modern Language Association (MLA):
"ethical." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 12 Jan. 2012. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ethical>.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE):
Dictionary.com, "ethical," in Dictionary.com Unabridged. Source location: Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ethical. Available: http://dictionary.reference.com. Accessed: January 12, 2012.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
2.04 Broadcast--Television
When I was assigned to watch one hour of news programming, I had so many options to choose from. I could have watched daily or nightly news, sports news, TV magazines, etc. However, I chose to watch an entertainment news show to keep my assignment lighthearted. The news show I watched is TMZ, which I would definitely classify as an entertainment news program.
As this is an entertainment show, I saw a LOT of opinion being expressed. For instance, one of their segments is called "Do You Really Think That's A Good Idea?" This automatically proves that an opinion will be expressed promptly. On the topic of Casey Anthony adopting a dog, one of the reporters exclaims, "No, that's not a good idea!" Then, they showed a picture of a puppy, and captioned it "Not her actual puppy. This one is safe," showing that their opinion is that it was definitely a bad idea.
For what I was expecting, the show was indeed effective in informing me about topics in Hollywood entertainment. It did many right things, such as quoting liable sources and researching their information. However, there were many things that could have been better; they could have included a lot less opinion, conducted interviews with celebrities, and made less of a joke out of their stories. I would watch the show again for its humor, but if I were looking for more serious stories, I would shy away from it.
As this is an entertainment show, I saw a LOT of opinion being expressed. For instance, one of their segments is called "Do You Really Think That's A Good Idea?" This automatically proves that an opinion will be expressed promptly. On the topic of Casey Anthony adopting a dog, one of the reporters exclaims, "No, that's not a good idea!" Then, they showed a picture of a puppy, and captioned it "Not her actual puppy. This one is safe," showing that their opinion is that it was definitely a bad idea.
For what I was expecting, the show was indeed effective in informing me about topics in Hollywood entertainment. It did many right things, such as quoting liable sources and researching their information. However, there were many things that could have been better; they could have included a lot less opinion, conducted interviews with celebrities, and made less of a joke out of their stories. I would watch the show again for its humor, but if I were looking for more serious stories, I would shy away from it.
Monday, January 2, 2012
2.01 Print--Newspapers.
Every day, news happens. However, not everyone can be aware of everything going on in the world. This is because we do not have the ability to inform everyone about everything happening every second of the day. We're close, though, as some newspapers publish daily. Surprisingly, daily newspapers are much different than weekly ones!
A weekly newspaper is published once a week; it is usually delivered on Sunday mornings. Due to the fact that it is not publishing daily, a weekly newspaper reports some of the more important events of the past week. These events are separated into different sections, such as "Obituaries" and "Sports." Overall, a weekly newspaper is provides a broader look at what has happened in the past week.
Daily newspapers, however, provide more detailed stories on events happening every day. They are published daily, and therefore are able to report news that has happened the day before. This provides mostly local news to the citizens, making them feel more in touch with their surroundings and "in the know." At the end of the week, a daily newspaper has provided more information than a weekly newspaper, but its not necessarily the amount of news that counts, it's the quality of the actual information being reported.
A weekly newspaper is published once a week; it is usually delivered on Sunday mornings. Due to the fact that it is not publishing daily, a weekly newspaper reports some of the more important events of the past week. These events are separated into different sections, such as "Obituaries" and "Sports." Overall, a weekly newspaper is provides a broader look at what has happened in the past week.
Daily newspapers, however, provide more detailed stories on events happening every day. They are published daily, and therefore are able to report news that has happened the day before. This provides mostly local news to the citizens, making them feel more in touch with their surroundings and "in the know." At the end of the week, a daily newspaper has provided more information than a weekly newspaper, but its not necessarily the amount of news that counts, it's the quality of the actual information being reported.
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