Student Instruction Rating System (SIRS Online) collects student
feedback on courses and instruction at MSU. Student Instructional
Rating System (SIRS Online) forms will be available for your students to
submit feedback during the dates indicated:
JRN 200 005: 11/24/2014 - 12/24/2014
Students will receive an email from the SIRS Online system when evaluations are available and you may also direct students to https://sirsonline.msu.edu.
Students are required to complete the SIRS Online form OR indicate
within that form that they decline to participate. Otherwise, final
grades (for courses using SIRS Online) will be sequestered for seven
days following the course grade submission deadline for this semester.
SIRS Online rating summaries are available to instructors and department chairs after 12/24/2014 at https://sirsonline.msu.edu.
Instructors should provide copies of the rating summaries to graduate
assistants who assisted in teaching their course(s). Rating information
collected by SIRS Online is reported in summary form only and cannot be
linked to individual student responses. Student anonymity is carefully
protected.
If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Carlson, (mcarlson@msu.edu, 432-5936).
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Out-Of-Class #3: No Time For Fatals ...
... yet we had a bunch.
In one story, inside of a quote we spelled significant as significate. A misspelling inside of a quote that changes what was uttered is an automatic fatal.
In another story's quote, we wrote go when we meant gone. That again is a fatal.
In yet another story's quote, we said, "there will students ..." when I think you meant, "there will be students ..." Dropping that word is a fatal.
In another story, we wrote that a teacher was walking down the isles, when we meant aisles. There is a difference that changes the meaning here; an aisle is a walkway, while isles are groups of islands. That's a fatal.
In another story, we identified a police sergeant as being with the Lansing Police Department. In fact, she was with the MSU Police Department.
Now, what are the solutions? You know 'em. We've gone over those time and time again. We need to be implementing those solutions, and never skipping a single step.
And that's no matter how well you've done to date. One person who fataled has been downright brilliant in this class sofar, and this person still fataled on something simple like a spelling.
One more time: avoiding fatals has nothing to do with talent; just vigilance.
In one story, inside of a quote we spelled significant as significate. A misspelling inside of a quote that changes what was uttered is an automatic fatal.
In another story's quote, we wrote go when we meant gone. That again is a fatal.
In yet another story's quote, we said, "there will students ..." when I think you meant, "there will be students ..." Dropping that word is a fatal.
In another story, we wrote that a teacher was walking down the isles, when we meant aisles. There is a difference that changes the meaning here; an aisle is a walkway, while isles are groups of islands. That's a fatal.
In another story, we identified a police sergeant as being with the Lansing Police Department. In fact, she was with the MSU Police Department.
Now, what are the solutions? You know 'em. We've gone over those time and time again. We need to be implementing those solutions, and never skipping a single step.
And that's no matter how well you've done to date. One person who fataled has been downright brilliant in this class sofar, and this person still fataled on something simple like a spelling.
One more time: avoiding fatals has nothing to do with talent; just vigilance.
Job Shadows: What You Saw, Part 2
Here's
a
sampling of some of the various job shadows done by you all (this will
be updated as job shadow reports are turned in, so please check back
frequently). Take a look
and see what you can learn from everyone's visits. There's a lot of
good stuff here to help you decide what you want to do with your lives;
what you need to be doing to get there; and what to expect when you do
get there.
Please give each one of these a quick read, will you?
Please give each one of these a quick read, will you?
*****
While
exploring job shadows opportunities, it was very confusing to decide what I
wanted to do with this job shadow experience — I’ve already worked at a
newspaper and at a radio station, so broadcast was the only one I haven’t
explored. Omar happened to call me to his office one day at work and offered me
to do a job shadow with freelancer Steve Friess.
I’m
not going to lie; when Omar first told me about him I agreed because I thought
it was going to be a challenge find a job shadow on my day off at work. Besides
that, I had no idea who Steve Friess was, so my journalistic sense started to
look on Google who was Steve Friess and what his work consisted. Steve Friess’
work has appeared in Politico, New York Times, USA Today, The Daily Beast and
most recently in Al Jazeera America. Friess worked in Beijing as a
correspondent too.
Friess
picked me up at MSU on Sep. 18. We went to the Michigan State Capitol where we
met with state Rep. Joseph Haveman of Holland, Michigan and the chairman of the
House Appropriations Committee. He is a Republican who is sponsoring
legislation that might help alleviate the expenses of the prison system by
finding ways to release elderly prisoners. Friess told me he was an interesting
source for his in-depth story about America’s problem retaining older people in
prison.
It
was very interesting to go to the MI Capitol for the first time and see the
dynamic between a real, famous journalist and a state representative. Friess
was very straightforward with his questions and would not mind at all to ask
follow-ups. He would analyze and listen to Haveman; he would then ask
questions. Friess was not afraid either of asking for help — he asked the
representative to help him go into one of the prisons with the highest
population of elderly people in Michigan.
After
the meeting with Rep. Haveman, we met with some groups of advocates for elderly
people in prison. They were very helpful and they told us about their day
lobbying in the Capitol. There, I had the opportunity to see Friess interact
with some of the advocates and he even let me record one of the interviews. He
would constantly ask me questions about the interviews, like asking me for
feedback. He was really helpful and genuinely cared about my learning
experience with him.
After
the interviews, we talked about his journalism career and tips to become a
better journalist. He told me he graduated from Northwestern University’s
Medill School of Journalism. He told me the best thing I can do, as a
journalist, is to ask questions and then, ask more questions. It was an amazing
opportunity and I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to job shadow
Steve Friess.
*****
On Saturday October 11 the Detroit Red Wings played the Anaheim ducks at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. While the teams were getting dressed in their respective locker rooms I was climbing the back stairs up to the uncharacteristically small press box with Helene St. James.
Shadowing Helene St. James was so exciting for me. I learned a lot and all my expectations were met and were exceeded.
*****
*****
On Saturday October 11 the Detroit Red Wings played the Anaheim ducks at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. While the teams were getting dressed in their respective locker rooms I was climbing the back stairs up to the uncharacteristically small press box with Helene St. James.
Helene
is the Red Wings beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. She’s been working for
the paper since 1996.
After
emailing back and forth for about a month we finally settled on the Anaheim
game for me to shadow her. For me even walking in the media entrance and
picking up my media pass was amazing. I then got to walk in the bottom of the
Joe past the Zamboni entrance, past the visitor’s locker room and met Helene in
the media dining room. I was excited and
nervous. I know that I want to be in the press box for hockey games as a career
but I had never been in one until that game. It lived up to all my
expectations.
While
the teams below were warming up and fans were pouring into their general
admission seats Helene and I talked about the career she’s had and exactly what
she does for each game.
Every
game morning she attends the morning skate and after writes a summary of what
to expect that night. During the game she writes a detailed outline of what
exactly happens during the game. She details penalties, goals, and assists.
Also during the game she writes her story. During the game she also gets an
idea who she wants to interview after the game and what questions she wants to
ask them.
During the game I
just sat beside Helene and watched her and the other journalists work. Helene
seemed to know everyone in the box. At one point Kris Draper, who had been in
an adjoining room with Mickey Redmond and Ken Daniels broadcasting for Fox
Sports Detroit, walked by and stopped to say hello to Helene. As he was walking
away he said hello to me as well. I grew up watching Draper play for the Red
Wings and so for him to see me and say hello to me was pretty amazing. I wasn’t really doing anything during the
game but it was still a great experience just to be in that atmosphere and get
a feel for what I would be doing in the future.
One tip she gave
me was that as a reporter you technically cannot root for one team or another
but you root for the game to end in regulation. If the game goes into overtime
and/or a shootout it messes with the 10:25pm deadline. That night all the
reporters were big Ryan Getzlaf of Anaheim fans as he scored the game’s winning
goal with about 20 seconds left in regulation.
My
favorite part of the whole night was when we basically ran to the locker room
after the game for the post-game comments from the players and coach. Luke
Glendening, Niklas Kronwall, Gustav Nyquist, Henrik Zetterberg and Coach Mike
Babcock all came out to speak to the reporters in the locker room. Helene was
the most vocal one, asking most of the questions. I was surprised to see how
few reporters were actually in the room. There were only about seven of them. I
was the youngest person in the room by about five years and aside from Helene
the only woman in the room. After Coach Babcock was done speaking, Helene went
back to the media dining room to add the quotes into her story and add the
finishing touches before sending it in.
When she went to
finish her story I left her to write and walked back to meet my dad who was
waiting for me outside. As I passed the visitor’s locker room on my way out,
Anaheim’s Ryan Kesler walked right in front of me. I realized I could be in
this profession when I didn’t try to talk to him or ask him for a picture. It may
sound like a small, obvious thing but
for me not to ask for anything from one of the game’s stars, or even cheer when
the Red Wings scored that night, was a big accomplishment for me and I knew I
could handle the professionalism that has to come with the job.
Shadowing Helene St. James was so exciting for me. I learned a lot and all my expectations were met and were exceeded.OOC MM #3: Let's Look At Everything!
Here
are links to all our preview and recap posts, and tweet streams, on
order in which they were turned in to me (the first one is first, and
the last one is last).
Let's compare the work of each other and see what we did well, and what ideas we can get from others. Also, examine how the mediums complement each other: the preview does just that; the tweet stream allows you to follow what was previewed, as it actually happens; and the recap wraps it all up. Here we go:
*****
Kelsey F.: community aid video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #phsshoebox
*****
Jason R.: awareness campaign video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #itsonusjrn200
*****
Laurel Y.: international students video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #internstu200
*****
Emma-Jean B.: gay rights video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #gayrights
*****
Romero H.: roommate assignments video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #jrn200goingblind
*****
Anna S.: drinking on campus video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #jrn200drinking
*****
Chelsea S.: drinking age video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #jrn200wasted
*****
Asha D.: college stress video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #collegeistoomuchjrn200
*****
Meg D.: social media video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #socialmediajrn200
*****
Travis D.: sleep habits video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #theneed4sleep
*****
Sergio M.-B.: study abroad video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #educationabroadmsu
*****
Mary A.: nutrition in college video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #nutritionincollege
*****
Alana E.: black/white parties video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets
*****
Maddie S.: college drinking video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #jrn200drinking
*****
Emily N.: student health video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #jrn2health
*****
Let's compare the work of each other and see what we did well, and what ideas we can get from others. Also, examine how the mediums complement each other: the preview does just that; the tweet stream allows you to follow what was previewed, as it actually happens; and the recap wraps it all up. Here we go:
*****
Kelsey F.: community aid video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #phsshoebox
*****
Jason R.: awareness campaign video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #itsonusjrn200
*****
Laurel Y.: international students video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #internstu200
*****
Emma-Jean B.: gay rights video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #gayrights
*****
Romero H.: roommate assignments video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #jrn200goingblind
*****
Anna S.: drinking on campus video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #jrn200drinking
*****
Chelsea S.: drinking age video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #jrn200wasted
*****
Asha D.: college stress video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #collegeistoomuchjrn200
*****
Meg D.: social media video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #socialmediajrn200
*****
Travis D.: sleep habits video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #theneed4sleep
*****
Sergio M.-B.: study abroad video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #educationabroadmsu
*****
Mary A.: nutrition in college video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #nutritionincollege
*****
Alana E.: black/white parties video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets
*****
Maddie S.: college drinking video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #jrn200drinking
*****
Emily N.: student health video and blog post and follow-up post and tweets #jrn2health
*****
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Fatals: One Last One
KCTV chief meteorologist Chris Suchan laughs and tells me that “sometimes you’re up against the clock” and type ASS when you mean AS. (That’s his colleague, Gary Amble, on the air this morning.)
Courtesy jimromenesko.com.
Out-Of-Class #2 Rewrite: A Great Example
JRN 200
11/4/14
Slug: Social Media Benefits
In a era of #YOLO and #tbt, members
of the Michigan State University community say virtual communication has
positive uses beyond trending hashtags and meaningless texting.
MSU students, professors and
researchers said social media sites and other online communities aid education
and information-sharing.
According to Christine Greenhow, an assistant professor in
the College of Education at MSU, online communities can be beneficial to student
learning.
“Now, with low barriers to online
participation and widespread adoption of mobile internet-connected devices
students can seek and solicit help from their online social networks as well as
readily share ideas and information,” said Greenhow via email.
In a study published in the Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, four
sections of the same class used Twitter for class purposes and three sections
did not. The Twitter using sections reported higher engagement levels
and had a higher average GPA, beating the non-Tweeting group by about 0.5 points
on a 0-4.0 scale.
MSU senior Mitchell Alpiner said he
likes using Twitter for class activities because he hates “watching a talking
head reading off a PowerPoint slide that's posted online. Reading and
interacting and making snarky comments keeps me engaged in the material, and
helps me feel like I have a voice in the class.”
Karl Gude, Graphics Editor-in-Residence in The College of Communication Arts and
Sciences at MSU, said he uses social media in his classes as a way for
students to collaborate and ask questions.
“It’s dynamite for online classes.
Student can communicate when you’re not around and it even allows students
around the world to collaborate with students on campus,” said Gude.
Beyond class use, students said
they utilized social media to gather information about friends, celebrities and
various businesses.
“I just like to check to see what’s
going on with people that I know” along with “musicians, and actors that I like
and companies that I would like to find stuff out about,” said MSU freshman
Nicholas Russo.
Russo said he checks Twitter every
couple of hours throughout the day and discovers new information posted about
events and business promotions.
According to Brandon Van Der Heide,
an assistant professor and researcher of communication at MSU, the presence of
businesses on social media and online customer reviews has increased customer
knowledge and awareness.
Research from the Harvard Business
Review Analytics Services said 50 percent of businesses that use social media
claim their target customers have an “increased awareness of our organization,
products or services” due to social media accounts.
Van Der Heide said the availability
of information on social media “is certainly different from the way we used to
find out about a good restaurant. It used to be the case that you would either
hear about it from a friend primarily, or advertisements or a mass media
source.”
According to Van Der Heide, online
communication is not replacing in-person interactions but is just a different
way to give and receive information.
Van der Heide said, “Often people
will tend to assume face to face communication is this gold standard where in
really true interpersonal messages can be transmitted,” but online
communication is an effective way to quickly share information.
MSU freshman Grace Hough said she prefers
to meet up with people in-person but she relies on texting for a convenient way
to arrange meeting times and places.
“It’s fun to meet up with people
places instead of just texting them because you can do things like meet in a
cafeteria and have coffee with someone, and it’s just fun to interact and be
around people,” said Hough.
Alpiner said he also prefers to
meet up with people in-person because “being in-person lets me react quicker
and hear the inflection, as well as see the body language of the people I'm
interacting with.”
Alpiner said though in-person
communication has benefits, he also enjoys online communication because “being
online gives me a few more seconds and minutes to think about what I'm going to
say next.”
According to Van Der Heide, people
use social media and other online communities to carefully craft messages and
express their best qualities, but this is not a new concept.
“We’ve always had the hand written
letter so we have always had the opportunity to carefully present ourselves,
but I think the ubiquity and the ease of access to computer mediated
communication has led to a more regular use of that kind of thing,” said Van
Der Heide.
Van Der Heide said the availability
of social media also helps people communicate with friends and family who are
far away.
According to a Common Sense Media
research study, 88 percent of teens with social media accounts said it helped
them keep in touch with friends they cannot see regularly.
Hough said she uses social media
and texting to communicate with her sisters who are in high school because she
cannot see them in-person very often.
“It’s a nice way to keep in touch,”
said Hough.
Word Count: 823
Christine Greenhow
Assistant Professor
Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Special
Education
Ed.D., Harvard University
http://www.cgreenhow.org/
513F Erickson
517-432-0425
Brandon Van Der Heide
Assistant Professor of Communication
Mitchell Alpiner
MSU Senior
alpiner.mitchell@gmail.com
Nicholas Russo
MSU Sophomore
810-860-8385
Grace Hough
Freshman
616-298-5899
houghgra@msu.edu
Harvard Business
Review Analytics Services http://www.sas.com/resources/whitepaper/wp_23348.pdf
Journal of Computer Assisted Learning http://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/administration/president/sparc/meetings/docs/StudentEngagementArticle.pdf
Common Sense Media
Research
Job Shadows: What You Saw, Part 1
Here's
a
sampling of some of the various job shadows done by you all (this will
be updated as job shadow reports are turned in, so please check back
frequently). Take a look
and see what you can learn from everyone's visits. There's a lot of
good stuff here to help you decide what you want to do with your lives;
what you need to be doing to get there; and what to expect when you do
get there.
Please give each one of these a quick read, will you?
Please give each one of these a quick read, will you?
*****
I job shadowed Dan Ray, a photographer at WLNS. I first sat
in on the morning meeting where Assignment Director Cheryl Fritze went over the
news items for the day. Others at the meeting contributed ideas for news
stories and reporters were assigned to specific jobs. Ray was assigned to go to
the set of ESPN First Take at the MSU Union, ESPN GameDay, and the Ingham
County Animal Shelter.
An intern reporter joined us at First Take and Ray took a
variety of video shots of the show’s set, followed by interviews conducted by
the intern reporter. The reporter was
trying to get an interview with campus security so we went several places on
campus trying to get in touch with someone. She ultimately had to do without
the interview, as MSU Police Sergeant Taylor could not be reached to approve
any officers to speak.
We returned to the station with the footage and interviews
and swapped the memory cards for new ones and dropped off the reporter.
We continued to the Ingham County Animal Shelter to report
on an event they were having for Veterans Day. We spent about 20-30 minutes
there in which Ray took video of dogs up for adoption along with other shots.
He interviewed a man who was in charge of the shelter asking about the event.
By 3:30 p.m. we were back at the station and Ray had to edit
the video on time for the 5:00 p.m. news. He uploaded the shots and briefly
showed me the editing software they use. He had the video ready by 4:00 p.m.
One of the biggest things I got out of my job shadow was
watching Ray and the reporter do everything in their power trying to get an
interview with security. They asked several security officers in the Union who
referred them elsewhere. They went to the GameDay premise and spoke with an
officer who said he would talk but needed the approval of Sergeant Taylor.
After a call and a persistent visit to the police station they discovered
Taylor was gone for day but still called three more people in attempt to reach
her. They were a good example of the “act like a 20-year-old trying to get into
a bar” concept we discussed in class.
I also learned a lot about the daily processes of the WLNS
newsroom and the day-to-day routine of a photographer there. I really enjoyed
the shadow and it increased my desire for a career in photojournalism.
*****
*****
I spent the afternoon on Oct. 10
with Jason Colthorp at WILX TV 10 in Lansing. I met him at the studio and he
showed me how he was entering teases for his segments in the computer. I walked
around the studio and talked with other journalists and producers. While Jason
was getting ready for the 5 o’ clock news, another journalist took me around
the studio, into the control room and had me sit at the desk where Jason and
Lauren Evans do their broadcast. I met Andy Provenzano, the weather
broadcaster, and then the news was about to start.
I watched the 5 o’ clock news and
it was so cool to sit behind the scenes. During news segments or during commercials
I got to ask Lauren and Jason questions about where they went to school and how
they got to be interested in this profession.
I learned that Jason and Lauren
move the prompter with their foot because there is a pedal under their desk.
Jason talked about never using the word continues in a teaser because then you
are telling the audience that there is nothing new to say. He also talked about
knowing when to add a funny teaser and when to be respectful of the subject. He
had a funny teaser about Batman and Ben Affleck but then a serious one on the
subject of Ebola. He really stressed thinking about what the most interesting
facts of the story are and what the audience would want to know/hear about.
Lauren said that she wished she had
kept in contact with the people she had done internships with in college. She
said she thinks it is important in college to make connections and keep those
connections throughout your life, not only when you need something, but just to
get coffee and catch up. Jason said that in college he wished he had done more
internships. He said he thinks he would have gotten his starting job at WILX
faster. Jason started as a sports reporter, which he thinks his internship with
the MSU hockey team helped with.
Monday, November 17, 2014
RFTM Ch. 6: Communications Law
First, let's look at some general concepts:
Libel is defamation by written words, including stories, headlines, photo captions, TV scripts that are then read out loud, online content, ect. It's a degree apart from slander, which iss defamation by spoken word.
There are several elements of libel, including ...
... defamation. Did the words injure a reputation? It must be phrased in a literal way.
... identification. Was the person identified, directly or by reference?
... publication. Was the item actually published?
... falsity. Is the statement false? The burden is on the plaintiff -- not the defendant -- to prove it was false.
This is where most libel cases are thrown out of court, provided that the news organization did their due diligence in reporting and the story is, in fact, clearly true. If it's true, then there cannot be libel.
... injury. Did the accused actually suffer some form of harm as a result, such as monetary losses, harm to reputation, humiliation and/or mental anguish?
... fault. Did the news organization make the statement intentionally, recklessly or negligently? Did the news org know it was false, and shared it anyway? Did the news org fail to do due diligence in checking out the claim before reporting it? Did the news org have a reckless disregard for the truth?
Fault is very difficult to prove. The plaintiff must prove the news org knew facts that would call the story into question; refused to examine contradictory evidence; relied on an inherently unbelievable source; published/posted/broadcast the story without investigating; and/or simply made up the story. This is what is known as actual malice.
It's not enough for the plaintiff to prove there were simple unintended mistakes in handling the story, or that the defendant simply disliked the plaintiff. Fault is almost impossible to prove IF proper due diligence --like verifying facts, getting multiple sources to confirm information; giving the story subject a chance to rebut allegations -- is done in reporting, writing and editing the story.
Many journalists are frequently threatened with libel suits -- in my professional career I was threatened many dozens of times! -- but the vast majority are never sued, because the story is true.
There are several libel defenses. Those inlcude ...
... truth; that the gist of the charge is true. If there is no falsity, then there cannot be libel. A story that harms a reputation but is true is called the truth. From a legal standpoint, a story need not be correct in every detail; just the point the defendant is claiming to be libelous.
There are, however, exceptions to the truth rule. For example, if a quote is defamatory, but cited correctly without investigation into substance. (That's why we need multiple sources on things.) Or the omission of facts that create a misleading conclusion. Or the misuse of words to create a false impression. (We have to get context right.)
... fair report privilege. That is when we correctly quote defamatory statements during (but not before or after) public meetings in all levels of government, such as those offered during a city council meeting or a criminal trial or in an official document like a police report.
... fair comment and criticism. That is, opinions based on true facts, including opinions in news stories. Yes, an unattributed opinion in a news story is bad journalism, but it enjoys the same legal protections as good journalism.
The textbook offers a good libel avoidance checklist on p. 137; please review it.
Now that we talked about libel, let's move on to invasion of privacy. It involves intrusion, or intentionally intruding on someone's privacy in a highly offense manner.
For it to be invasion of privacy, this must take place in a place where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as if the reporter was trespassing in a private home, private property or a business open to the public but privately-owned (like a shopping mall), or using an eavesdropping device, or looking inside a person's home uninvited.
Courts do not consider ordinary newsgathering techniques to be intrusive, such as examining public records naming the person; interviewing their friends, relatives, associates and enemies; requesting interviews; and anything happening in a public place (like public streets, sidewalks, parks, and publicly-owned buildings).
Next, there is the issue of publicizing private facts. To be off-limits, the information must truly be private; that is, it's information not available via any public record; facts that are not widely known; and regarding a matter that is "highly offensive" and not just embarrassing; and that there is no legitimate public interest in disclosure.
There is also false light. That's where reporting creates a false and offensive impression. Legally, it's similar to libel, and a defendant must prove actual malice. Again, if we interview a wide variety of sources, double-check our information, give the story subject an opportunity to respond and keep the context of the story based on what we discovered and confirmed, then this should never be a real threat to us.
Let's now move on to access to public proceedings and records. First, at a breaking news scene like a car accident or house fire, it's important to remember reporters have no greater rights than citizens to gather at a news scene. Officials may extend access as they see fit, and they often do. But it's their call.
To help mitigate that, always carry press credentials identifying yourself as a working journalist; don't trespass on private property or cross marked police lines without permission; and obey all orders from police, even ones you don't think are right. You can always complain later.
Often, reporters access documents by citing state or federal Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) laws, regarding access to such documents. FOIA requires government to make most documents publicly accessible, but there are exceptions.
Those exceptions usually include: classified information; information regarding internal personnel rules and practices;; trade secrets; confidential commercial information; memos that would reveal decision-making processes; information that would intrude on personal privacy; police investigative files which, if disclosed, could cause harm or compromise an ongoing criminal investigation; and other limited exceptions.
It's hard for courts to close or otherwise restrict courtrooms or court proceedings to the press, unless media attention threatens the fairness of a trial. Courts may sequester jurors, issue gag orders to witnesses, seal some court files, or delay trials, but only in very rare instances can they legally shut the press out of a courtroom.
Libel is defamation by written words, including stories, headlines, photo captions, TV scripts that are then read out loud, online content, ect. It's a degree apart from slander, which iss defamation by spoken word.
There are several elements of libel, including ...
... defamation. Did the words injure a reputation? It must be phrased in a literal way.
... identification. Was the person identified, directly or by reference?
... publication. Was the item actually published?
... falsity. Is the statement false? The burden is on the plaintiff -- not the defendant -- to prove it was false.
This is where most libel cases are thrown out of court, provided that the news organization did their due diligence in reporting and the story is, in fact, clearly true. If it's true, then there cannot be libel.
... injury. Did the accused actually suffer some form of harm as a result, such as monetary losses, harm to reputation, humiliation and/or mental anguish?
... fault. Did the news organization make the statement intentionally, recklessly or negligently? Did the news org know it was false, and shared it anyway? Did the news org fail to do due diligence in checking out the claim before reporting it? Did the news org have a reckless disregard for the truth?
Fault is very difficult to prove. The plaintiff must prove the news org knew facts that would call the story into question; refused to examine contradictory evidence; relied on an inherently unbelievable source; published/posted/broadcast the story without investigating; and/or simply made up the story. This is what is known as actual malice.
It's not enough for the plaintiff to prove there were simple unintended mistakes in handling the story, or that the defendant simply disliked the plaintiff. Fault is almost impossible to prove IF proper due diligence --like verifying facts, getting multiple sources to confirm information; giving the story subject a chance to rebut allegations -- is done in reporting, writing and editing the story.
Many journalists are frequently threatened with libel suits -- in my professional career I was threatened many dozens of times! -- but the vast majority are never sued, because the story is true.
There are several libel defenses. Those inlcude ...
... truth; that the gist of the charge is true. If there is no falsity, then there cannot be libel. A story that harms a reputation but is true is called the truth. From a legal standpoint, a story need not be correct in every detail; just the point the defendant is claiming to be libelous.
There are, however, exceptions to the truth rule. For example, if a quote is defamatory, but cited correctly without investigation into substance. (That's why we need multiple sources on things.) Or the omission of facts that create a misleading conclusion. Or the misuse of words to create a false impression. (We have to get context right.)
... fair report privilege. That is when we correctly quote defamatory statements during (but not before or after) public meetings in all levels of government, such as those offered during a city council meeting or a criminal trial or in an official document like a police report.
... fair comment and criticism. That is, opinions based on true facts, including opinions in news stories. Yes, an unattributed opinion in a news story is bad journalism, but it enjoys the same legal protections as good journalism.
The textbook offers a good libel avoidance checklist on p. 137; please review it.
Now that we talked about libel, let's move on to invasion of privacy. It involves intrusion, or intentionally intruding on someone's privacy in a highly offense manner.
For it to be invasion of privacy, this must take place in a place where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as if the reporter was trespassing in a private home, private property or a business open to the public but privately-owned (like a shopping mall), or using an eavesdropping device, or looking inside a person's home uninvited.
Courts do not consider ordinary newsgathering techniques to be intrusive, such as examining public records naming the person; interviewing their friends, relatives, associates and enemies; requesting interviews; and anything happening in a public place (like public streets, sidewalks, parks, and publicly-owned buildings).
Next, there is the issue of publicizing private facts. To be off-limits, the information must truly be private; that is, it's information not available via any public record; facts that are not widely known; and regarding a matter that is "highly offensive" and not just embarrassing; and that there is no legitimate public interest in disclosure.
There is also false light. That's where reporting creates a false and offensive impression. Legally, it's similar to libel, and a defendant must prove actual malice. Again, if we interview a wide variety of sources, double-check our information, give the story subject an opportunity to respond and keep the context of the story based on what we discovered and confirmed, then this should never be a real threat to us.
Let's now move on to access to public proceedings and records. First, at a breaking news scene like a car accident or house fire, it's important to remember reporters have no greater rights than citizens to gather at a news scene. Officials may extend access as they see fit, and they often do. But it's their call.
To help mitigate that, always carry press credentials identifying yourself as a working journalist; don't trespass on private property or cross marked police lines without permission; and obey all orders from police, even ones you don't think are right. You can always complain later.
Often, reporters access documents by citing state or federal Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) laws, regarding access to such documents. FOIA requires government to make most documents publicly accessible, but there are exceptions.
Those exceptions usually include: classified information; information regarding internal personnel rules and practices;; trade secrets; confidential commercial information; memos that would reveal decision-making processes; information that would intrude on personal privacy; police investigative files which, if disclosed, could cause harm or compromise an ongoing criminal investigation; and other limited exceptions.
It's hard for courts to close or otherwise restrict courtrooms or court proceedings to the press, unless media attention threatens the fairness of a trial. Courts may sequester jurors, issue gag orders to witnesses, seal some court files, or delay trials, but only in very rare instances can they legally shut the press out of a courtroom.
RFTM Ch. 7: Ethics
What are ethics? Simply put, acting and thinking morally and being able to distinguish between right and wrong. It's
key to establishing credibility. But the answers to what is ethical and
what is not can be elusive, situational and judgmental.
In ethical decision-making, there are several guiding questions. Among them:
Who will be hurt by this story?
Who will be helped?
What do we usually do in similar situations?
Is this the best alternative?
Can you look yourself in the mirror tomorrow and believe you did the right thing for the right reasons?
Can you justify your actions to the public?
What principles or values can you apply?
Does this decision fit the kind of journalism you believe in and the way people should treat one another?
What is the objective of this story?
Will my decisions contribute to the reason for writing the story?
Is there a greater good that you're trying to accomplish that outweighs whatever bad that may result from my actions?
There are several issues central to ethics. First, we must maintain objectivity. We must put aside personal biases; be accurate, and offer proper context based on the facts we find.
Second, we must be on guard against exploiting grief. It's important to establish the true human impact of a bad happening; that's why we try to talk to victims and survivors and their loved ones. But that's difficult because of the state of victims and their families. We risk hurting victims again by creating a "second wound" of retelling and detailing a tragic event.
So, we need to weigh the importance in the community being able to appreciate the full, tragic weight of an event versus the harm that may be done to victims.
I mean, would you feel the same about something like 9/11 if you didn't hear the personal stories of what people went through that day? That's what made 9/11 news; not that planes hit buildings, but that those events altered scores of human lives like ours.
Then again, how must it be for victim families to hear those details reaired, not only to them but to the whole world? There is no perfect answer; so we try to come up with the best imperfect answer we can.
Third, we should never steal or fabricate information. There's no grey area here; it's never acceptable. We're in the truth business. We tell the truth. It's the same as not tolerating a cop who steals or a firefighter who's a pyromaniac or a doctor that murders people.
Fourth, we must take care in handling rumors and speculation. Ideally, reporters investigate rumors and come up with evidence so they can turn rumors into facts, or debunk rumors. We don't just report rumors.
Fifth, when witnessing a crime or disaster, we need to weigh the risk to the victim versus the value of information gleaned. If we come across a victim that is not being assisted, we should be human first and help others in need. If those hurt are already being assisted, do your job and let professional responders do theirs.
As journalists, we are trying to assist humanity. Our primary way of doing that is by sharing stories of importance to the greater world. It also means using common sense, being a human being and not being a dick when the circumstances call for humanity.
Sixth, conflicts of interest should be avoided. We are in a conflict of interest when we or someone close to us are in a position to benefit from a story we cover. Circumstances that create a conflict of interest include ...
... accepting freebies. We should not accept anything of even minimal value from a news source. Whether or not the freebie actually influences a story is irrelevant; it can create a reasonable appearance of a conflict of interest, and it's that appearance we're trying to avoid.
... free trips. We cannot accept transportation or lodging for an event that would otherwise be inaccessible. If we must be embedded with those we cover, we need to pay back the cost of our access.
... participating in the news. We should not hold public office, help with campaigns or special-interest issues, or write about issues in which we have a direct or indirect interest. For example, if we're the member of a fraternity, we shouldn't be the one writing about that frat's fund-raiser. If we think we have a conflict of interest, alert your boss and ask to be reassigned.
... dating and cronyism. Don't date who you write about. If you do, ask to be reassigned. Plus, don't allow similar conflicts with friends, family or your own private interests.
... "scratching backs." Don't write stories with the purpose of currying favor with a source. You write stories only because they are in the public interest, not your own. Try to have multiple sources in any subject area so you are not beholden to any single source for info.
In ethical decision-making, there are several guiding questions. Among them:
Who will be hurt by this story?
Who will be helped?
What do we usually do in similar situations?
Is this the best alternative?
Can you look yourself in the mirror tomorrow and believe you did the right thing for the right reasons?
Can you justify your actions to the public?
What principles or values can you apply?
Does this decision fit the kind of journalism you believe in and the way people should treat one another?
What is the objective of this story?
Will my decisions contribute to the reason for writing the story?
Is there a greater good that you're trying to accomplish that outweighs whatever bad that may result from my actions?
There are several issues central to ethics. First, we must maintain objectivity. We must put aside personal biases; be accurate, and offer proper context based on the facts we find.
Second, we must be on guard against exploiting grief. It's important to establish the true human impact of a bad happening; that's why we try to talk to victims and survivors and their loved ones. But that's difficult because of the state of victims and their families. We risk hurting victims again by creating a "second wound" of retelling and detailing a tragic event.
So, we need to weigh the importance in the community being able to appreciate the full, tragic weight of an event versus the harm that may be done to victims.
I mean, would you feel the same about something like 9/11 if you didn't hear the personal stories of what people went through that day? That's what made 9/11 news; not that planes hit buildings, but that those events altered scores of human lives like ours.
Then again, how must it be for victim families to hear those details reaired, not only to them but to the whole world? There is no perfect answer; so we try to come up with the best imperfect answer we can.
Third, we should never steal or fabricate information. There's no grey area here; it's never acceptable. We're in the truth business. We tell the truth. It's the same as not tolerating a cop who steals or a firefighter who's a pyromaniac or a doctor that murders people.
Fourth, we must take care in handling rumors and speculation. Ideally, reporters investigate rumors and come up with evidence so they can turn rumors into facts, or debunk rumors. We don't just report rumors.
Fifth, when witnessing a crime or disaster, we need to weigh the risk to the victim versus the value of information gleaned. If we come across a victim that is not being assisted, we should be human first and help others in need. If those hurt are already being assisted, do your job and let professional responders do theirs.
As journalists, we are trying to assist humanity. Our primary way of doing that is by sharing stories of importance to the greater world. It also means using common sense, being a human being and not being a dick when the circumstances call for humanity.
Sixth, conflicts of interest should be avoided. We are in a conflict of interest when we or someone close to us are in a position to benefit from a story we cover. Circumstances that create a conflict of interest include ...
... accepting freebies. We should not accept anything of even minimal value from a news source. Whether or not the freebie actually influences a story is irrelevant; it can create a reasonable appearance of a conflict of interest, and it's that appearance we're trying to avoid.
... free trips. We cannot accept transportation or lodging for an event that would otherwise be inaccessible. If we must be embedded with those we cover, we need to pay back the cost of our access.
... participating in the news. We should not hold public office, help with campaigns or special-interest issues, or write about issues in which we have a direct or indirect interest. For example, if we're the member of a fraternity, we shouldn't be the one writing about that frat's fund-raiser. If we think we have a conflict of interest, alert your boss and ask to be reassigned.
... dating and cronyism. Don't date who you write about. If you do, ask to be reassigned. Plus, don't allow similar conflicts with friends, family or your own private interests.
... "scratching backs." Don't write stories with the purpose of currying favor with a source. You write stories only because they are in the public interest, not your own. Try to have multiple sources in any subject area so you are not beholden to any single source for info.
Ethics: 9/11's Falling Man, The Buzzard And The Girl, The Burn Victim
There's a fine line between showing readers the brutal truth of a
situation so that they understand the powerful truth of any story, and
showing readers a truth so brutal that readers ignore the point you were
trying to make and instead question your judgment.
I can think of no better example of this than the so-called "Falling Man" photo, taken by an Associated Press photographer during the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and published by The New York Times the next day. Here it is:
This remarkable article from Esquire Magazine in 2003 offers a summation of the complex and contradictory forces at play in deciding if running the image was the absolute right thing or the incredibly wrong thing to do.
If you were an editor on Sept. 11, what would you have done? And why?
Likewise, what would you do if you were a photographer covering an African famine and you came across a starving girl being stalked by a vulture?
That was a real-world decision for one photog, and it may have led to his own unfortunate end.
Finally, what would you do if you were the photographer who took this award-winning pic of this badly-burned girl in the Vietnam War?
Look carefully at each picture; read each link carefully and in its entirety; and then let's talk it out.
What I'd like you to do for each photo is to answer the following questions for each of the three photos and scenarios:
-- Do you agree with the course of action actually taken by the photojournalist? Why or why not? Cite ethical values we've discussed in the blog and read in the ethics chapter.
-- What you would have done and why if you were the photographer? Cite ethical values we've discussed in the blog and read in the ethics chapter.
I want to hear what you think, and why. I'm not looking for simply your personal opinions; I'm looking for your professional opinions, based on what we've learned and what we believe in as journalists and as human beings.
I can think of no better example of this than the so-called "Falling Man" photo, taken by an Associated Press photographer during the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and published by The New York Times the next day. Here it is:
This remarkable article from Esquire Magazine in 2003 offers a summation of the complex and contradictory forces at play in deciding if running the image was the absolute right thing or the incredibly wrong thing to do.
If you were an editor on Sept. 11, what would you have done? And why?
Likewise, what would you do if you were a photographer covering an African famine and you came across a starving girl being stalked by a vulture?
That was a real-world decision for one photog, and it may have led to his own unfortunate end.
Finally, what would you do if you were the photographer who took this award-winning pic of this badly-burned girl in the Vietnam War?
Look carefully at each picture; read each link carefully and in its entirety; and then let's talk it out.
What I'd like you to do for each photo is to answer the following questions for each of the three photos and scenarios:
-- Do you agree with the course of action actually taken by the photojournalist? Why or why not? Cite ethical values we've discussed in the blog and read in the ethics chapter.
-- What you would have done and why if you were the photographer? Cite ethical values we've discussed in the blog and read in the ethics chapter.
I want to hear what you think, and why. I'm not looking for simply your personal opinions; I'm looking for your professional opinions, based on what we've learned and what we believe in as journalists and as human beings.
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