WEEK 8- Chapter 8 ‘Small path, big story’
1. Which type of story would you rather do and why: a) A ‘paper chase’ conducted entirely by computer and telephone that takes half the time it would have taken if you had left the office? B) A ‘paper chase’ involving visits to half a dozen government offices and in-person interviews that puts you under extreme deadline pressure?
I hate sitting on my ass, I have sat on my backside throughout uni so I’d prefer to take option B. Face to Face contact is an important part of journalism and how well you communicate. I also work better under pressure and there is the likely hood you would make more contacts/sources from option B. The story would also be more reliable and more satisfying to write.
2. Would you be willing to pursue a corruption investigation or an investigation into organised crime if it included many unpaid hours of extra work and personal risk?
Corruption and organised crime is always enticing. It is something I am personally interested in as long as it did not put my family at risk. I would be more inclined to do it as an investigative journalism piece. Also I would be more likely to pursue an investigation like this while I am young because it would be highly likely I would have fewer commitments in terms a family etc. Things such as the drug trade, underground-organised crime and the illegal prostitution trade are areas that I would definitely consider.
3. Would you be willing to act together as a unit with competing reporters at a media conference in an effort to get maximum information if it meant giving up your best question, which you had intended to ask privately after the conference?
I would be willing to work together with other reporters, as the most important thing is to inform the audience with the best possible story. If the chances of a more informative story for the public meant working with competitive reporters then I would not hesitate.
4. Who really owns government-held information: the government or the people? Why?
The government owns government-held information. But as a journalist you can obtain information through FOI, freedom of information act. If you undergo the right procedures for obtaining information through FOI then you should not have a problem, but just get your company to reimbursement you for expenses.
5. If you were assigned to report on the proceedings of a conference and you had to choose between attending different sessions being conducted at the same time, how would you decide which to attend?
I would research and evaluate which conference would be the most beneficial to attend before attending. If all the conferences had equal value in attending I would ask fellow colleagues to assist me in attending the other conferences for me. If not I would ask if I would be allowed to put a recorder in each conference room for reporting purposes.
Journalism Issues
The section in the chapter that I found most interesting was the topic of ‘Whistleblowers’. Whistleblowers are a valuable source for journalist as they generally contact the media when wrongdoing has occurred. However if not treated with care they could feel used and abused! A point that made me giggle was, ‘whistleblowers can become obsessed with their cause.’ A whistleblower reminds me a childish dobbing. However I am not undermining how valuable a whistleblower can be. http://www.whistleblowers.org.au/ The following website is Whistleblowers Australia. It even holds a conference and you become a member. If you look on the website under constitution there is an outline of the ACT that they fall under.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
WEEK 7- Chapter 7 ‘A word’s mouth’
WEEK 7- Chapter 7 ‘A word’s mouth’
1. At what educational level of readers should newspapers be aimed at? Do you think your main metropolitan newspaper is hitting the mark? Why or why not?
I think that different newspapers target the demographic they want to appeal to by using certain language. Readers are generally able to find an newspaper that suits their needs in terms of language. Therefore I do not think newspapers should be aimed at one educational level, it all depends on the newspaper. For instance I do not think the Australian uses the same language as the Newcastle Herald. I think the Herald hits its target audience in terms of language and issues covered.
2. To what extent do you think reporters should be able to interpret news events and inject their thoughts into news stories?
Nil. To be a reporter you have to maintain and strive for objective journalistic practises. A reporter should report the facts but obviously when interpreting events each reporter will interpreter the events unconsciously in different ways. We all view things in different ways, no two sets of eyes are the same.
3. English is growing and ever-changing language of new words evolve and old ones fall into disuse. What then of the idea of a global language? Does it really matter that our language is being tainted with Americanisms and US spellings?
This rings the bell of the growing concern of is it Globalisation or is it Globalization? I view the idea of a global language simply as being English and English-speaking countries will give English their own nationalistic approach. I highly doubt if you compare a British paper to an Australian paper the English terms and phrases used would be the same. Honestly, I do not think it matters if our language is being tainted by Americanisms and US spellings.
4. Based on your own experience and your reading of newspapers, do you think newspapers have a serious commitment to accuracy?
Yes of course, accuracy is very important but in regards to this I have contradicted my answer to an earlier question on reporting an untrue comment. Maybe I should review my thinking on journalistic practices. Accurate news reporting is essential; if news is not accurate it may as well be a game of Chinese whispers and PR publicity stunts.
5. What would you do if you made a serious mistake in a story you wrote but no one contacted the paper to complain?
As lazy as it sounds I could just let the mistake go and not make a correction but then obviously I be conducting poor journalistic practices. To cover my ass I would make the correction because you never know when this could come and bite you back from not making a simple correction.
Journalism Issue
A topic that the chapter outlined, that I found interesting was style and substance. ‘A journalist without style is a journalist without substance.’ In regards to my own experience with studying journalism, adapting to the stylistic expectations has been something that has not come naturally to me. Hopefully over then next year I can develop and improve my journalistic style. The chapter outlines two types of journalistic styles, style writing and house style. House style is basically a set of rules and formulas a journalist must follow in the newsroom. It seems that house style leaves little room for creative layouts. Another issue that the reading pointed out was language to avoid. These included: lengthy explanations, clichés, unnecessary adjectives and jargon. The list reinforced how simple journalism writing is.
1. At what educational level of readers should newspapers be aimed at? Do you think your main metropolitan newspaper is hitting the mark? Why or why not?
I think that different newspapers target the demographic they want to appeal to by using certain language. Readers are generally able to find an newspaper that suits their needs in terms of language. Therefore I do not think newspapers should be aimed at one educational level, it all depends on the newspaper. For instance I do not think the Australian uses the same language as the Newcastle Herald. I think the Herald hits its target audience in terms of language and issues covered.
2. To what extent do you think reporters should be able to interpret news events and inject their thoughts into news stories?
Nil. To be a reporter you have to maintain and strive for objective journalistic practises. A reporter should report the facts but obviously when interpreting events each reporter will interpreter the events unconsciously in different ways. We all view things in different ways, no two sets of eyes are the same.
3. English is growing and ever-changing language of new words evolve and old ones fall into disuse. What then of the idea of a global language? Does it really matter that our language is being tainted with Americanisms and US spellings?
This rings the bell of the growing concern of is it Globalisation or is it Globalization? I view the idea of a global language simply as being English and English-speaking countries will give English their own nationalistic approach. I highly doubt if you compare a British paper to an Australian paper the English terms and phrases used would be the same. Honestly, I do not think it matters if our language is being tainted by Americanisms and US spellings.
4. Based on your own experience and your reading of newspapers, do you think newspapers have a serious commitment to accuracy?
Yes of course, accuracy is very important but in regards to this I have contradicted my answer to an earlier question on reporting an untrue comment. Maybe I should review my thinking on journalistic practices. Accurate news reporting is essential; if news is not accurate it may as well be a game of Chinese whispers and PR publicity stunts.
5. What would you do if you made a serious mistake in a story you wrote but no one contacted the paper to complain?
As lazy as it sounds I could just let the mistake go and not make a correction but then obviously I be conducting poor journalistic practices. To cover my ass I would make the correction because you never know when this could come and bite you back from not making a simple correction.
Journalism Issue
A topic that the chapter outlined, that I found interesting was style and substance. ‘A journalist without style is a journalist without substance.’ In regards to my own experience with studying journalism, adapting to the stylistic expectations has been something that has not come naturally to me. Hopefully over then next year I can develop and improve my journalistic style. The chapter outlines two types of journalistic styles, style writing and house style. House style is basically a set of rules and formulas a journalist must follow in the newsroom. It seems that house style leaves little room for creative layouts. Another issue that the reading pointed out was language to avoid. These included: lengthy explanations, clichés, unnecessary adjectives and jargon. The list reinforced how simple journalism writing is.
WEEK 6- Chapter 6 ‘Upside-down Pyramids’
WEEK 6- Chapter 6 ‘Upside-down Pyramids’
1. Would you include balancing comment (in the form of a source’s statement) in a story if you knew that the statement was untrue but could not say so or prove that it was untrue, and the source insisted the comment be included?
I would include the balancing comment, as if I did not, readers may feel that I could have been biased to the issue when writing the article. Also readers should be aware that not everything they read is true even quotes that come straight from the horses mouth. It is up to the reader to judge whether to believe the comment or not.
2. Because you could not locate a source for a balancing comment, would you withhold a story on which you have worked hard? Would your decision change if you knew that an opposing newspaper was planning to run a similar story, reducing the value of your effort?
I would run the story and comment that the other source was unavailable to comment. I don’t think my decision would change either even if an opposing newspaper was also going to run the story. There is always going to be competition.
3. You are sent to report from the scene of a major uncontrolled fire in a high-rise building. People are trapped inside. What dangers should you look out for? Who would you interview? When would you start writing your story?
Again, safety first. I would not create danger or be a nuisance for the fire fighters, victims and any other people involved. Once I know the situation is maintained and I was not being a distraction or nuisance I would start reporting. I would interview anyone involved in the crisis, fire fighters, affected people, relatives of the affected people and bystanders.
4. From your reading of news stories, do you think the inverted pyramid remains the most effective method of structuring material?
If the inverted pyramid was not the most effective way of structuring a news article then it would not be taught religiously to students or aspiring journalists. Even as a student majoring in PR I believe it is the most effective way of writing a news article as well as a press release. It tells the reader all they need to know in the first pars and if they want more details the reader can read on.
Journalism Issues
Building Blocks helps to understand a story's structure, by recognising the indvidual parts invovled. The following buliding blocks allowed me to better understand each the components of a story.
Narrative: telling the story in a sequence, inform and illustrate to the reader how it occured.
Description: conveys what an eyewitness saw to the reader. Describes, people, places, events and the five senses.
Quotations: makes readers assess the impact of the event
Paraphrasing: less direct, weaker than a quote but uses less words.
Expositons: it requires the reporter to 'talk' directly to the reader.
1. Would you include balancing comment (in the form of a source’s statement) in a story if you knew that the statement was untrue but could not say so or prove that it was untrue, and the source insisted the comment be included?
I would include the balancing comment, as if I did not, readers may feel that I could have been biased to the issue when writing the article. Also readers should be aware that not everything they read is true even quotes that come straight from the horses mouth. It is up to the reader to judge whether to believe the comment or not.
2. Because you could not locate a source for a balancing comment, would you withhold a story on which you have worked hard? Would your decision change if you knew that an opposing newspaper was planning to run a similar story, reducing the value of your effort?
I would run the story and comment that the other source was unavailable to comment. I don’t think my decision would change either even if an opposing newspaper was also going to run the story. There is always going to be competition.
3. You are sent to report from the scene of a major uncontrolled fire in a high-rise building. People are trapped inside. What dangers should you look out for? Who would you interview? When would you start writing your story?
Again, safety first. I would not create danger or be a nuisance for the fire fighters, victims and any other people involved. Once I know the situation is maintained and I was not being a distraction or nuisance I would start reporting. I would interview anyone involved in the crisis, fire fighters, affected people, relatives of the affected people and bystanders.
4. From your reading of news stories, do you think the inverted pyramid remains the most effective method of structuring material?
If the inverted pyramid was not the most effective way of structuring a news article then it would not be taught religiously to students or aspiring journalists. Even as a student majoring in PR I believe it is the most effective way of writing a news article as well as a press release. It tells the reader all they need to know in the first pars and if they want more details the reader can read on.
Journalism Issues
Building Blocks helps to understand a story's structure, by recognising the indvidual parts invovled. The following buliding blocks allowed me to better understand each the components of a story.
Narrative: telling the story in a sequence, inform and illustrate to the reader how it occured.
Description: conveys what an eyewitness saw to the reader. Describes, people, places, events and the five senses.
Quotations: makes readers assess the impact of the event
Paraphrasing: less direct, weaker than a quote but uses less words.
Expositons: it requires the reporter to 'talk' directly to the reader.
WEEK 5- Chapter 5 ‘The lead: will the reader follow?’
WEEK 5- Chapter 5 ‘The lead: will the reader follow?’
1. What sections of a newspaper do you read and why?
If I am reading the Herald I tend to skim over the paper reading the headlines and the first few paras that catch my attention. I am not a consistent reader in, as I do not focus one section of the paper. It also depends on what paper I am reading, for instance when I am home in Adelaide I read all the news articles relating to local issues and skim over the international issues.
2. How much time do you spend a day watching television compared with reading? What would encourage you to spend more time reading your local paper?
T.V always over the local paper, the Newcastle Herald does not entice me. SBS and ABC news over local news stations. It is always interesting to see how local content is covered differently in each state. I try not to watch too much T.V but the weekly quiz has encouraged me to buy the paper and take the time out to sit enjoy reading.
3. You have the perfect opportunity to write a ‘trick intro’ that will get readers at least into your second paragraph. But it would be at the expense of the central news value, which isn’t very strong anyway. What do you do?
Writing an article with a trick intro does not necessarily mean you are being dishonest to the reader. If it attracts the readers attention then, why not! I would still mention the central news value which isn’t very strong anyway.
4. You have done your research and conducted your interviews and have the basis of a great story but the intro just won’t gel. What will you do?
Keep persisting. I would persist till it sounds just how I want it. I would also ask for other colleagues’ help or opinion. If you do not have a strong and captivating intro readers may be less inclined to read the rest of the article. It also may help to look at writing the article at a different angle.
5. You have written a well-researched story but when it appears in the paper you see that a sub-editor who though they knew more about the topic then you did has added a new intro which is not only wrong but ruins the whole article and offends your sources. What should you do?
First of all I would point out and inform my sub-editor of the issues reading the article and how it has also offended my sources. If my sub-editor does not chose to rectify the article then I would just have to bear it. I would also apologise to my sources and explain the situation.
Journalism Issue
Two sections in the text that I found to be the most important for me to remember and apply when writing a newstory was: the questions to ask when formulating a lead and what lead would be best to use.
When writing a lead I should ask the following questions:
· What is the big question?
· What are the implications of what has been said or done?
· Why and how did it happen?
· How does if affect the public?
· What is the unusual or different about what has occurred?
· What news values, or angles did other co-workers have in mind?
· What is the most interesting thing about this story?
When writing a news story these questions should assist me in which news values should be used in the lead.
I had not come across intro styles before I read this chapter. I was briefly introduced to delayed leads in CMNS1090. The various types I could use are:
· Direct
· Attribution
· Summary
· Decision
· Delayed
· Question
· Quotation
· Direct address
It could be interesting to use one story and apply various lead types to see how different it comes across. Choosing the right lead to use can ultimately make or break the story.
1. What sections of a newspaper do you read and why?
If I am reading the Herald I tend to skim over the paper reading the headlines and the first few paras that catch my attention. I am not a consistent reader in, as I do not focus one section of the paper. It also depends on what paper I am reading, for instance when I am home in Adelaide I read all the news articles relating to local issues and skim over the international issues.
2. How much time do you spend a day watching television compared with reading? What would encourage you to spend more time reading your local paper?
T.V always over the local paper, the Newcastle Herald does not entice me. SBS and ABC news over local news stations. It is always interesting to see how local content is covered differently in each state. I try not to watch too much T.V but the weekly quiz has encouraged me to buy the paper and take the time out to sit enjoy reading.
3. You have the perfect opportunity to write a ‘trick intro’ that will get readers at least into your second paragraph. But it would be at the expense of the central news value, which isn’t very strong anyway. What do you do?
Writing an article with a trick intro does not necessarily mean you are being dishonest to the reader. If it attracts the readers attention then, why not! I would still mention the central news value which isn’t very strong anyway.
4. You have done your research and conducted your interviews and have the basis of a great story but the intro just won’t gel. What will you do?
Keep persisting. I would persist till it sounds just how I want it. I would also ask for other colleagues’ help or opinion. If you do not have a strong and captivating intro readers may be less inclined to read the rest of the article. It also may help to look at writing the article at a different angle.
5. You have written a well-researched story but when it appears in the paper you see that a sub-editor who though they knew more about the topic then you did has added a new intro which is not only wrong but ruins the whole article and offends your sources. What should you do?
First of all I would point out and inform my sub-editor of the issues reading the article and how it has also offended my sources. If my sub-editor does not chose to rectify the article then I would just have to bear it. I would also apologise to my sources and explain the situation.
Journalism Issue
Two sections in the text that I found to be the most important for me to remember and apply when writing a newstory was: the questions to ask when formulating a lead and what lead would be best to use.
When writing a lead I should ask the following questions:
· What is the big question?
· What are the implications of what has been said or done?
· Why and how did it happen?
· How does if affect the public?
· What is the unusual or different about what has occurred?
· What news values, or angles did other co-workers have in mind?
· What is the most interesting thing about this story?
When writing a news story these questions should assist me in which news values should be used in the lead.
I had not come across intro styles before I read this chapter. I was briefly introduced to delayed leads in CMNS1090. The various types I could use are:
· Direct
· Attribution
· Summary
· Decision
· Delayed
· Question
· Quotation
· Direct address
It could be interesting to use one story and apply various lead types to see how different it comes across. Choosing the right lead to use can ultimately make or break the story.
WEEK 4- Chapter 4 ‘A ‘know’ for news’
WEEK 4- Chapter 4 ‘A ‘know’ for news’
1. How did Australian news outlets give proximity to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami?
Australian news outlets gave proximity to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami by focusing on the closeness of the geographical distance, the Australian death toll and the fact that it was a popular holiday destinations by Australians. These issues contributed to news outlets giving proximity to the tsunamis. Also the fact that it was such a massive natural disaster gave it global media attention.
2. If you were a reporter covering a story about a mentally ill Australian women who was found by Queensland police in Cairns talking what they thought was German, who was subsequently arrested and found herself locked up in an immigration detention centre in South Australia for 10 months, what main news value would you focus on when writing the story? In order of importance, what would be the next two subsidiary news values?
I remember this story being plastered all over the Adelaide Advertiser. It was an embarrassment for the police and immigration department. The next two subsidiary news values I would focus on would be human interest and unusual. Human interest, due to the fact that the police and immigration department made a huge mistake. Unusual as the whole case was not something you see in the media everyday.
3. As a reporter, which information would you feature more prominently: a) a mayoral announcement about an urban renewal plan to resolve inner-city crime problems or b) a comment by Prince Charles, in Australia on a visit, who says after the mayor’s speech that such problems can often be attributed to building regulations formulated by city councils?
If Prince Charles were not visiting this town that the mayor has commented on then obviously the mayor’s announcement would be more newsworthy. But if the Prince happened to be in the same town and at the same time as the major’s speech then I would use the prince as an attraction for the public to read the story then follow onto the mayor’s announcement in depth. Who doesn’t love the royal family? Dirty Harry.
4. Define ‘news’ in 20 words or less.
Information that would be in the publics interest and educate them about issues in the community, country or worldwide.
5. Should Kipling’s Six Strong Serving Men be assigned equal value when writing a news article?
What, why, when, how and who are all equal news values. But it would depend on what kind of news article was being written when deciding which of Kipling’s six strong serving men would have more news value.
Journalism Issue
Soft news v’s Hard news. It would be interesting to see what the main news agendas would be in the future. It is evident today that society prefers to read/view soft news rather than hard news. Within newspapers the preference of soft news is evident through the lifestyle sections, lift-out sections as well as the focus on celebrities. Could this reflect society wanting to detach from everyday life, preferring to be entertained and provided with infotainment. The softening of news is based on how news values have changed over time with society preferring to have weekend litfouts and celebrity scandals.
'Major print media outlets rate only marginally better than television at providing hard news over soft news coverage. The leading example of newspaper soft news journalism is the USA Today, which from its inception has adopted an editorial direction that seeks a "television in print" style, with a heavy emphasis on color, photos, flashy graphics, brief articles, and lifestyle, entertainment, and news-you-can-use coverage. '
http://www.csicop.org/genx/infotainment/
1. How did Australian news outlets give proximity to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami?
Australian news outlets gave proximity to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami by focusing on the closeness of the geographical distance, the Australian death toll and the fact that it was a popular holiday destinations by Australians. These issues contributed to news outlets giving proximity to the tsunamis. Also the fact that it was such a massive natural disaster gave it global media attention.
2. If you were a reporter covering a story about a mentally ill Australian women who was found by Queensland police in Cairns talking what they thought was German, who was subsequently arrested and found herself locked up in an immigration detention centre in South Australia for 10 months, what main news value would you focus on when writing the story? In order of importance, what would be the next two subsidiary news values?
I remember this story being plastered all over the Adelaide Advertiser. It was an embarrassment for the police and immigration department. The next two subsidiary news values I would focus on would be human interest and unusual. Human interest, due to the fact that the police and immigration department made a huge mistake. Unusual as the whole case was not something you see in the media everyday.
3. As a reporter, which information would you feature more prominently: a) a mayoral announcement about an urban renewal plan to resolve inner-city crime problems or b) a comment by Prince Charles, in Australia on a visit, who says after the mayor’s speech that such problems can often be attributed to building regulations formulated by city councils?
If Prince Charles were not visiting this town that the mayor has commented on then obviously the mayor’s announcement would be more newsworthy. But if the Prince happened to be in the same town and at the same time as the major’s speech then I would use the prince as an attraction for the public to read the story then follow onto the mayor’s announcement in depth. Who doesn’t love the royal family? Dirty Harry.
4. Define ‘news’ in 20 words or less.
Information that would be in the publics interest and educate them about issues in the community, country or worldwide.
5. Should Kipling’s Six Strong Serving Men be assigned equal value when writing a news article?
What, why, when, how and who are all equal news values. But it would depend on what kind of news article was being written when deciding which of Kipling’s six strong serving men would have more news value.
Journalism Issue
Soft news v’s Hard news. It would be interesting to see what the main news agendas would be in the future. It is evident today that society prefers to read/view soft news rather than hard news. Within newspapers the preference of soft news is evident through the lifestyle sections, lift-out sections as well as the focus on celebrities. Could this reflect society wanting to detach from everyday life, preferring to be entertained and provided with infotainment. The softening of news is based on how news values have changed over time with society preferring to have weekend litfouts and celebrity scandals.
'Major print media outlets rate only marginally better than television at providing hard news over soft news coverage. The leading example of newspaper soft news journalism is the USA Today, which from its inception has adopted an editorial direction that seeks a "television in print" style, with a heavy emphasis on color, photos, flashy graphics, brief articles, and lifestyle, entertainment, and news-you-can-use coverage. '
http://www.csicop.org/genx/infotainment/
WEEK 3- Chapter 2 ‘Agents of Power’
WEEK 3- Chapter 2 ‘Agents of Power’
1. Which media function do you think is most important and why?
I think informing society would be the most important media function. Informing society educates society. Entertainment is still an important function because it grabs the reader’s attention. This is evident with the publics’ choice of news, soft news over hard news.
2. To what degree should journalists be concerned about their employer’s profitability and readership/viewership figures?
Wouldn't high readership/viewership figures result in profitability? If readership/viewership figures are high it represents that the publics demands are being meet and catered for. I think journalists should be concerned with readership/viewership figures as it is their job to cater for what the audience wants. With successful ratings in readership/viewership, profitability would increase.
3. Is it reasonable for the owner of a media outlet to direct editorial policy and to make editorial decisions on political and other issues?
It is not reasonable for owners of media outlets to direct editorial policy and to make editorial decisions on political and other issues. Media outlets must provide factual information and not bias views. We learn that the newspapers have the crucial role of being the fourth estate. However today I believe that this view has shifted and the media is always going to be politically involved.
4. Does investigative journalism really matter? Does it sell newspapers or increase ratings?
Investigative journalism is very important area of journalism but it is expensive time and consuming. Today consumers require the latest news updates frequently. Investigative journalism requires time and research, due to the demands of consumers, journalist cannot afford to research stories in depth. However investigative journalism still has a place in the media industry but just with certain publications rather than newspapers.
Journalism Issue
I am going to focus on the lecture this week that was conducted by the honour student. It was quite an interesting lecture as well as entertaining. The typical perceptions by the public regarding journalists were all negative views. 71% of the Australian public feel that journalist want to just make money. I found this amusing as I did not think journalist are paid enough for what they do, well the majority. Journalists provide news and entertainment for the public, they write and report what the public want. Then there is the paparazzi association with journalists. 51% of the Australian public do not trust journalist. Maybe this is an issue in general; whom can we trust these days. Despite all these negative views, there will always be a demand for new information.
1. Which media function do you think is most important and why?
I think informing society would be the most important media function. Informing society educates society. Entertainment is still an important function because it grabs the reader’s attention. This is evident with the publics’ choice of news, soft news over hard news.
2. To what degree should journalists be concerned about their employer’s profitability and readership/viewership figures?
Wouldn't high readership/viewership figures result in profitability? If readership/viewership figures are high it represents that the publics demands are being meet and catered for. I think journalists should be concerned with readership/viewership figures as it is their job to cater for what the audience wants. With successful ratings in readership/viewership, profitability would increase.
3. Is it reasonable for the owner of a media outlet to direct editorial policy and to make editorial decisions on political and other issues?
It is not reasonable for owners of media outlets to direct editorial policy and to make editorial decisions on political and other issues. Media outlets must provide factual information and not bias views. We learn that the newspapers have the crucial role of being the fourth estate. However today I believe that this view has shifted and the media is always going to be politically involved.
4. Does investigative journalism really matter? Does it sell newspapers or increase ratings?
Investigative journalism is very important area of journalism but it is expensive time and consuming. Today consumers require the latest news updates frequently. Investigative journalism requires time and research, due to the demands of consumers, journalist cannot afford to research stories in depth. However investigative journalism still has a place in the media industry but just with certain publications rather than newspapers.
Journalism Issue
I am going to focus on the lecture this week that was conducted by the honour student. It was quite an interesting lecture as well as entertaining. The typical perceptions by the public regarding journalists were all negative views. 71% of the Australian public feel that journalist want to just make money. I found this amusing as I did not think journalist are paid enough for what they do, well the majority. Journalists provide news and entertainment for the public, they write and report what the public want. Then there is the paparazzi association with journalists. 51% of the Australian public do not trust journalist. Maybe this is an issue in general; whom can we trust these days. Despite all these negative views, there will always be a demand for new information.
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