The third week 13 reading!

1. I would tell the source that I would attend the dinner on the conditions that I paid for myself. I would do this because accepting gifts or bribes is unethical according to the MEAA code of ethics (AJA, 1996) and although a dinner bill is not really technically a bribe, you never know how it may be interpreted by others. So as Conley and Lamble suggest, I would pay for myself to ensure my “independence and integrity” (2006, p.398) are maintained. The fact that the newspaper would not reimburse my costs does not worry me.
Conley and Lamble (2006) also note that journalists should understand that if they accept a gift from a source, that person may believe that they will consequently receive favourable coverage. Because of this, I would also make it clear to the source that there are no guarantees that the information they provide me with will be published.

2. In this situation I would tell the truth regardless of the complications it may cause in regards to the advertising contract. I would do this because according to the MEAA code of ethics, it is a journalist’s responsibility to “report news with honesty” and to not “distort the truth” (AJA, 1996). Also, according to Conley and Lamble (2006), “journalists who write travel features have special responsibilities, not only to openly reveal any sponsorship of travel, meals and accommodation, but also to be totally honest with their readers in their assessments of resorts and destinations” (p.397).
Finally, the demands made by the airline to change my copy are outrageous. This would be clearly unethical and as a result, I would not allow them to do so. My reputation as a journalist is far more important than an advertising contract.

3. I would most definitely compose a correction for publication. This question states that a source has told me there was an error in my story. It does not however, state that the source is a person who is affected by the error. This means that in time, those whose reputations are tarnished by the error could discover it and consequently report it to the APC.
Also, you must always consider why you are being asked to do something. The fact that the source insisted I not publish a correction and asked me to publish a separate story based on a new angle is suspicious. Obviously they have underlying motives and due to this, I would try and figure out what they are.
In the end, I would say goodbye to my pay rise and compose the correction. Once again, the loss of a pay rise is far better than the loss of my reputation and possibly, my job.

4. I actually laughed when I read this question. Could the circumstances have gotten any worse?
The age of the defendant is not stated. Although she is a teenager, is she 18 years or older? If she is 17 or under, she cannot legally be named within the paper. If however, she is over 18 years old which I am presuming she is, I would suggest to the girl that she applies for the judge to suppress her name.
According to Conley and Lamble (2006), “Sometimes defendants who say their lives and reputations will be ruined by publication of their names will make an application to the court” (p. 250). Conley and Lamble also note however, that “unless there are major, extenuating circumstances, such requests are usually denied” (p. 250). If this was the case, I would have no choice but to report the case because it would be unfair towards other people who have been charged with similar offences which have been reported. Also, although it sounds harsh, if the girl was so concerned about her reputation why did she resort to prostitution in the first place?

Journalism Issue.
A journalism issue I found of interest this week was the issue of conflicts of interest that can arise while working as a journalist.
Conley and Lamble (2006) propose that there are ethical complications of living in small communities when reporting news. This is because there is often the scenario where everyone knows everyone along with their business and this makes it hard to report accurately without offending people or allowing emotions to influence your writing.
They note that “Journalists can hardly avoid being part of their community” (Conley & Lamble, 2006, p.396).
I come from Maitland and this is most definitely the case. Although it is one of the fastest growing regions in the Hunter, everyone is linked either socially or in the form of relationships. I thought this would make it easier for me to be a journalist for say, The Maitland Mercury as I have ties with several reliable sources seeing as I work as a lifeguard, have attended three different schools in the area and also work for a community after-school care group. In some instances it will, however after reading this chapter, I have realised that it may also make it difficult because I must ensure I don’t let my personal opinions influence my stories.
This chapter raises the question, “ Is it reasonable to expect a journalist to give up his career and livelihood if their spouse or another close relative is elected mayor or becomes superintendent?” (Conely & Lamble, 2006, p.396).
I think that in relation to ensuring your work is ethical no, because although it would be difficult not to let your feelings influence your writing, as a professional you must not allow it to happen. In regards to family relationships however, it may be required for you to leave your job because you may be forced to report the negative actions of your family member, consequently affecting your relationship.
It’s a difficult situation and all I can say is that I hope it’s one I do not have to face.
References:

Conley, D., & Lamble, S. (2006). Ethical journalism: Is it an oxymoron? In Conley, D., & Lamble, S. (Eds.), The daily miracle: An introduction to journalism. (3rd ed). (pp. 373-407). Victoria: Oxford

Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance and Australian Journalists' Association (1996). Ethics review commitee final report. Retrieved August 10, 2007, from http://www.gwb.com.au/99a/ethics.html.

Week 13.

Chapter 13.
1. I believe that before media companies can expect journalists to work in converged news rooms, they should provide journalists with the opportunity to undertake courses on the forms of media they are not familiar working in. For example, print journalists should have courses on radio and television reporting available to them to ensure they are comfortable and confident in these mediums.
Most importantly, media companies should ensure that their journalists have a sound understanding of international journalism law. This is because according to Conley and Lamble (2006), international differences in defamation and contempt laws become a problem when reporting on the internet. This is because articles published on the web can be accessed by people all over the world as opposed to a local newspaper which will only be viewed within Australia.

2. I couldn’t find anything within the chapter to guide me in answering this question, except for a strike which occurred in 2000.
This was when Fairfax journalists “held stop-work meetings to protest management requests that they produce both print and online versions of their stories” (Conley and Lamble, 2006, p.300).
This suggests that a journalist may choose to refuse this order and perhaps go on strike. However, I think this would be extremely pointless and that as a result, a journalist who did strike, or refused to comply with management’s requests would be fired. I believe this would be the most likely outcome because there are plenty of journalists who are capable of cross-reporting and would do so for a job.

3. Journalistic convergence is not a just a trendy fad that will run its course then be forgotten about. This is implied by Conley and Lamble (2006), as they state “Each medium will, however, continue to spread its wings on the web, as will mass media organisations. The web offers new organisations, journalists, editors, and news producers a platform for print, sound and vision in a true multimedia environment” (p. 299).
Conley and Lamble (2006) also note that the introduction of broadband Internet technology enhances the ease of which different mediums of journalism can converge. They state that “News and current affairs websites are where print, radio, and television journalism are converging. That is simply because the widespread introduction of broadband Internet technology is allowing the web to develop as a brilliant platform for each mdium...in combination with other media" (Conley & Lamble, 2006).
Conley and Lamble (2006) also suggest that this convergence will continue to grow in the future as they note that "other commercial players will enter the market as more and more consumers convert to broadband and as more services become available via broadband” (p.299).
This suggests that there are great opportunities available from journalistic convergence and that its future looks promising, suggesting that it is not just a fad.

4. The long-term outcome in Australia of relaxed cross-media ownership laws could be deliriously beneficial or devastating.
These laws allow media organisations to converge, particularly to online mediums. In some cases, this means people can read news on the web for free.
If however, this causes news consumers to stop buying newspapers and advertising revenues fall in comparison to circulation and ratings, media organisations may go broke(Conely and Lamble, 2006).
Alternatively, if news organisations begin charging for online news, such as The Newcastle Herald and advertisers can be persuaded to promote their products online, revenues can be made.

5. Firstly, to be politically correct you do not tell a crystal ball information, you actually ask it questions and it gives you the answers. This question is thus wrong. But, going along with the question I would tell it that the future of the web is going to be ENORMOUS.
US Futurist Katherine Fulton (as cited in Conley and Lamble 2006), argues that in a few decades, the Internet will absorb all other forms of media thus making them less prevalent. She claims that newspapers and television broadcasts may become a “mere ‘add-on’ for multiservice providers” (p.302).
I believe this is an insightful statement, as I find out news first on the Internet during the day, then watch it on television at night just to see how they report it. I do not see television news programs as my primary source of news.
As for the future of television, I would tell the ball that Fulton is right. Television will become less popular than the Internet, however it will not disappear. This is because unlike the web, it is unable to provide immediate news when breaking news hits. It is a lot faster to quickly type an article and publish it on the web with a single click for the whole world to access than to prepare a television broadcast.
Finally, I believe that radio will disappear because it is much easier to access the Internet. This is because today people either do not have time to sit and listen to the radio or due to technology making us impatient and wanting news straight away, no-one will have the patience to listen to an entire radio broadcast.
Also, select news can be accessed instantly via the web, for example if you wanted to only know entertainment news you could access this alone. If you were listening to the radio however, you would have to listen to the entire broadcast until it was announced. Also, due to podcasts being available to download and listen to on ipods while keeping on the move, I would tell the crystal ball that the number of people listening to the actual radio will continue to decline in the future until radio no longer exists.

6. Yes, I think that the idea of multiskilling should be integrated into every course in university journalism studies to a certain extent.
While Conley and Lamble (2006) state that the idea of journalists trying to be skilled across all mediums in the media is a fallacy, they do state that “journalism students who can become confident working across two or more different media platforms will dramatically increase their chances of finding employment and building a solid career” (p.301). Therefore, I think students should have the opportunity to become multiskilled. I don’t necessarily think that it should be essential for students learning to become print journalists to know how to be excellent broadcast journalists as this could result in them not being sufficiently skilled in a major area, but I do think they should have a brief knowledge of what is needed. If however, one is capable of being skilled across a number of mediums, they should definitely have the opportunity to pursue this.


7. I do believe that society is getting to a point where life as we know it could not survive without the Internet and web. We now rely on the Internet to not only provide us with information and entertainment, but also for the completion of many daily activities. Fulton (as cited in Conley and Lamble, 2006) states that “People need banking, but they don’t necessarily need banks. People need news and information of all kinds, but they don’t necessarily need newspapers or tv” (p. 302).
The Internet is required if we want to quickly get a bank statement before heading out to the shops, or if we want to purchase clothes from the US. The Internet is also an essential component in completing a university degree, as access to Blackboard is needed to gain instructions on assignments.
Thus, it can be argued that society has reached a point where without the web, we would be lost.

Chapter 17.
1. In this situation it would depend what the defamation was regarding.
If it was regarding her business, I would grant the woman’s desire and publish a story about her business as this would compensate for my staff member’s mistake. I would also do this because if she did sue, I would not have any defences.
If however, the defamatory statement was not regarding her business, I would offer her the option of expressing her side of the story regarding the defamatory claims. I would not promote her business as this would be unethical. It is similar to taking a bribe. This way, if she does decide to sue I have offered her the option to put forward her beliefs and even though the offer was not taken, I can plead qualified privilege.

2. Yes, I would support a ‘public figure’ defence for the media that would limit the rights of certain types of public figures to take out defamation suits against the media.
According to Conley and Lamble (2006), “While truth can be a legal defence…something that is perfectly true can also be highly defamatory” (p.411).
I believe this is unjust. The actions of public figures, for example politicians need to be published for public benefit, especially if their own actions have damaged their reputation as the public has a right to know. Perhaps a ‘public figure’ defence would allow for such issues regarding public figures to be rightly published without the fear of defamation.

3. No I would not reveal this confidential source in court.
Firstly, it is not ethical to do so and there is no proof of who the source actually is. This means that if I did reveal the source, she could deny it was her and sue me for defamation.
Secondly, I would loose all credibility as a journalist, because future sources would not trust me when asking to remain confidential in the future.
Finally, Conley and Lamble (2006) state that "Newspapers must accept the consequences of what they publish, whether sources are reliable or not” (p. 427). As a journalist, it is my responsibility to research my stories and ensure that the information provided to me from sources is correct. Seeing as I did not identify this, I must suffer the consequences and face the defamation case.

Journalism Issue from chapter 13: The multiskilled journalist.
After reading about convergence, I became excited of the prospect of being skilled in a number of different forms of media.
When I first started university, I was determined to become a print journalist and I thought that this is all I would learn. However, the communications degree requires completing digital courses which involve creating and publishing my own work on websites, a skill that many current journalists would not have had the opportunity to learn when completing their course due to the lack of technology available to them.
Conley and Lamble (2006) note that technology has assisted in ensuring journalists are multiskilled to a certain extent. For example, the invention of digital cameras and compact video cameras have allowed journalists to also become photographic journalists and cameramen.
Conley and Lamble (2006) also note that on the job experience, such as working at a local paper can allow you to become multiskilled. This is because you “quickly learn to take your own photographs, write all sorts of different articles from hard news to soft features, report courts and sport, write picture stories and obituaries” (Conley and Lamble, 2006, p.301).
I believe that this involvement would suit me as a journalist, as I am a very independent person who likes to be successful at a wide variety of things and have everything completed perfect. In some cases, the only way to do this is to do it yourself and therefore the idea of being multiskilled sounds excellent to me.


References.

Conely, D., & Lamble, S.(2006). Online news: Journalism's strands converge. In Conley, D., & Lamble, S. (Eds.), The daily miracle: An introduction to journalism. (3rd ed). (pp. 296-314). Victoria: Oxford.

Conley, D., & Lamble, S. (2006). Perils of defamation. In Conley, D., & Lamble, S. (Eds.), The daily miracle: An introduction to journalism. (3rd ed). (pp. 408- 433). Victoria: Oxford.

Week 12.

1. This question required some research of the reasons for and effects of the privatisation of the ABC, as I believe the textbook was a bit vague regarding arguments about this issue.
Firstly, it is important to understand that privatisation is “the process of moving from a government controlled system to a privately run, for-profit system” (Blenheim Capital Partners).
Editor of the Australian Institute of Public Affairs publication IPA Review, Michael Warby has argued that the ABC should be “privatised, dismantled or radically reformed” (Conley & Lamble, 2006, p.269).
I agree with this however, the powerful statement that swayed my decision for the privatisation of the ABC was written by Rudi Michelson on October 16, 2006 in The Australian. He wrote: “The Government has a clear role to regulate media, but there is no compelling reason why it should own and operate an entertainment business.”
I totally agree with this, as the Government does have a role to ensure ethical practice within the media, however why would it want to control and fund an entertainment business? The only reason I can think of is for political propaganda. This fear is reinforced by Conley and Lamble, (2006) as they state that “concerns about government manipulation of the ABC reached new levels during 2000 following the appointment of Jonathan Shier as the corporation’s managing director. Shier had Liberal Party connections” (p.268).
I therefore have lost a substantial amount of trust in the ABC and thus believe it should be privatised.

The privatisation of the ABC would have a big impact on broadcast journalism, as Michelson provides a number of benefits the ABC and broadcast journalism as a whole would receive.
Firstly, a new-look ABC would eliminate the bureaucracy within this form of broadcast journalism (Michelson, 2006).
Michelson suggests that the first preference of the ABC after privatisation may be “management buy-outs especially in regional Australia where the people who operate the radio station could own it” (2006).
He also notes that talented and hard-working ABC staff would benefit from the privatisation of the ABC by recieving greater rewards in the form of more autonomy and professional workplaces(Michelson, 2006).
Finally, as for broadcast journalism in general, he states that the privatisation of the ABC might allow for several smaller media groups of TV and radio stations similar in size to the public company Southern Cross Broadcasting to develop, thus providing us with more diversity in the form of broadcasting(Michelson, 2006).
Therefore, for the above reasons I believe that the ABC should be privatised.

2. As a television news director, I would hire the 38 year old female for a number of valid reasons.
Firstly, the question states that the female is “of ‘average’ appearance but has considerable skill and experience” (Conley & Lamble, 2006, p.294), while the male is “telegenic,” with “reasonable skill and experience” (Conley & Lamble, 2006, p. 294).
Conley and Lamble (2006) state that “Most news directors would prefer to hire a competent reporter who is ‘average’ but well groomed in appearance than a semi-competent reporter who is destined for a Who magazine photo spread” (p.288).
I believe this is a fair, sensible approach to broadcast journalism because although an attractive reporter is pleasant to look at, people primarily watch the news to be informed, not mesmerized by the reader. Consequently, I would hire the female.
Also, even though the staff consists of only one male, this does not influence my decision because during the 1960’s all newsreaders were male(Bertrand, 1996). This means that females may find it uplifting to see that women are now beginning to feature more often on television.
Also, the woman’s age of 38 does not present to be a problem in my eyes, because I saw 38 year old JLo on 60 Minutes recently and she is definitely not a sight for sore eyes.
Finally, Dagan (2004, as cited in Conley & Lamble) states that the key quality a journalist must possess is passion. I agree as I believe that competency and passion overrule appearance, gender and age, thus causing me to hire the female.

3. Given the strengths and weaknesses of each medium, I believe television is the best communicator of any given story for a number of reasons.
The first is that it is easily accessible. Unlike information on the web which you have to locate and wait for to load, television news is reliable as it is on at 6pm every night on the same channel.
Conley and Lamble (2006) note that TV presenters and journalists can become so familiar, that we become comfortable with them, and don’t even think of them as visitors to our homes, but friends.
I believe this allows TV to be the best communicator as audiences build a sense of trust with these reporters and thus believe the news they are presented with. For these reasons, Conley and Lamble (2006) note that compared to print, television is “warm, entertaining and human. It brings people into lounge rooms in ways no newspaper can” (p.261).
Television can also be regarded as the best communicator because it is entertaining, as it combines digital sound, video footage and personalities to attract the attention of audiences. This causes them to be more likely to listen to the story being told.
Hilliard (1981) supports this statement, as he notes that “Television can combine the sound and the audience-orientation of radio, the live continuous performance of theatre and the electronic techniques of film. It is capable of fusing the best of all previous communications media” (pp. 15-16).
Consequently, it’s clear I believe that television is the best communicator.

4. It is extremely helpful that at present, a federal election is looming. As a result, there is enormous coverage of federal election campaigns within broadcast media to assist me in answering this question.
My personal opinion is that at present, there is much more focus on political personalities by broadcast media than issues.
Take for example Kevin Rudd. As opposition leader, the broadcast media tends to focus more on him as a person than on his campaign.
A media frenzy occurred when Kevin Rudd’s wife, Therese Reign’s business YES was discovered to be underpaying workers. Rudd also featured on broadcast media when he was reported to have visited a New York strip club during a drunken night out in 2003 along with having heart surgery 14 years ago. The latest news on Rudd presented on NBN News was that the Rudds were interested in purchasing a beach house worth $5 million at Tingiara Crescent at Sunrise Beach just south of Noosa. This fact was actually false.
It is thus clear that broadcast media focuses more on personalities rather than issues because how do any of these ‘news’ items affect Rudd’s political stance and issues he is passionate about?
Also, I raise the question, why isn’t broadcast media focusing on political issues rather than Kevin Rudd’s desire to buy a new holiday home?
Personally, I thought that coverage of these personal details by broadcast journalists was petty and ridiculous. I also find it terrible that I can list more personal details about Rudd than issues he is campaigning. This reinforces the fact that broadcast media stresses personality rather than issues.
I think that coverage about political issues should receive equal coverage to personalities within broadcast media and be emphasised more through news headlines on television and radio.

Journalism issue: Microphone voices: How are these defined and are they essential for radio?
Within this week’s reading I found the issue of what constitutes a good voice for radio presenting very interesting.
Boyd notes that advertising for radio jobs usually seek someone with “a good microphone voice” (1997, p.143).
This is described by Boyd as one which is “reasonably rich, crisp and resonant and free from obvious impediments, such as harelip, stammer or lisp” (p.143).
Conley and Lamble (2006) state that because person’s who listen to the radio are usually undertaking everyday tasks as well as listening to the radio, a reporter’s voice must have “the intonation, energy and authority to cut through traffic roar, snoring, and flushing toilets and say ‘Hey you, this is important!’”(p. 282).
In week 12 however, a tutorial presentation discussing the future of radio mentioned that Scott Levi, a radio reporter noted that although a good radio voice is needed, an exceptional microphone voice is not necessary because voice training can improve the sound of a person’s voice to an acceptable standard.
Conley and Lamble (2006) agree, however, they state that “If their voice makes dogs howl and babies cry, they probable won’t excel in radio” (282).
Thus, this week I learnt that overall, a voice that sounds pleasant, clear and concise on radio is essential, however, if your voice doesn’t sound outstanding to begin with, training can help to improve it.

References:

Blenheim capital partners. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2007, from http://www.blenheimcapitalpartners.com/definitions.htm

Boyd, A. (1997). Broadcast journalism: Techniques of radio and TV news. Focal Press: Oxford.

Conley, D. & Lamble, S. (2006). Broadcast journalism: The world’s town crier. In Conley, D & Lamble, S. (Eds.), The daily miracle: An introduction to journalism. (3rd ed). (pp261-296). Victoria: Oxford.

Hillard, R. (1981). Writing for television and radio. New York: Hastings House.

Michelson, R. (2006, October 16). Privatrise the ABC. The Australian. Retrieved October 15, 2007, from
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20586352-7583,00.html

week 11.

Chapter 11.
1. According to Conley and Lamble (2006), a police reporter’s role includes “acting as a watchdog” of the police’s "unofficial actions"(p. 243). They also state that “official inquiries have proven some police are corrupt” (p.243).
This suggests that the victim’s allegations may be true and as a police reporter, it would be my duty to expose corruption within the force. Also, a journalist’s role includes ensuring public interest is best served which leads me to believe that I would report the alleged incident.
The threat made by the chief-of-staff to be removed from the round did not come into account during making this decision, because in a major newspaper there are 20 or more rounds so chances are I would still have a position of employment.
As for the police officer’s claim, that no-one will speak to me again regardless of who writes the story, Conley and Lamble (2006) state that if this occurs, a meeting can be initiated between the editor and senior police to resolve this issue.
Ultimately, I would choose to follow the wishes of my chief-of-staff over the threat from the police because that way, I would have done the right thing by the public and my employer. Also, the problem of not receiving further information from the police would lie in the hands of the editor of the paper, not me.

2. This is a tough situation. An issue to consider is noted by Conley and Lamble (2006); that if exceptions are made for cases, it is unfair to others. They note, “Newspapers accept the principle of the higher duty to inform the community of legal processes” (p. 253). Further, if exceptions are made the Editor may receive complaints from the general public and requests for equal treatment. This defeats the purpose of court coverage.
For these reasons, the hypothetical newspaper referred to in the question has a policy of publishing all cases.
With these points aside, the issue presented; a woman stealing a pair of stockings, does not seem exceptionally newsworthy but we are not presented with enough facts to actually determine this.
Conley and Lamble (2006) note that "Sometimes defendants who say their lives and reputations will be ruined by publications of their names will make applications to the court" (p.150). Consequently, I would first tell the woman to lodge an application however, if this was denied I would not withhold this information from the chief-of-staff as it would harm my credibility because it is bound to be revealed by other court-reporters. I would discuss the matter with them and decide whether it is worth publishing the story or not.
If the case was of a more serious nature and the same threat applied, there would be no deliberations over whether to report the story.

3. This question is very simple to answer. Of course I would report the story because regardless of who you are, if you commit a crime as serious as this you will be reported about. I would not take the bribes because obviously, it would be unethical and against the MEAA Code of Ethics. Also, the scenario claims that I am the only journalist in the court room. Of course I would report the story, as I have a scoop!

4. According to Conley and Lamble (2006), the deliberations made by a jury cannot be reported during a trial, only after or during the appeal period. In NSW, reporters cannot approach a juror for information and they must not be identified without them giving permission for you to do so.
A positive aspect of this scenario is that a juror has approached me. This means that after the verdict has been reached and the defendant has been acquitted or charged, I would construct a story. I would ensure however, that I did not identify any of the jurors nor approach them for information. I would also inform the police headquarters of the allegations being made towards their force members and give them an opportunity to comment on the situation.

Journalism Issue.
Police reporting: A tiresome job.Within this chapter I was very disappointed to read about the level of corruption that is identified within the police force in regards to the reporting of stories. I was also made aware of the challenges of police rounds.
Conley and Lamble (2006) identify a journalist’s role as monitoring and reporting on both the official and unofficial actions of police. They state that new police reporters will often spend a shift in a police car to gain an understanding of police roles and how they operate. Nicholls, (as cited in Conley and Lamble 2006) notes that Jack Darmody, a former police reporter in Melbourne and Sydney said crime reporters once maintained close professional and personal contacts with police. These points suggest that there once was, and still is a slight relationship that exists between some police reporters and police.
Although these relationships are not as close today as Nicholls (as cited in Conley and Lamble, 2006) notes that police no longer think that it is healthy to have a great relationship with the media, this chapter still made me realise how difficult it must be to report corruption within the force you are used to associating with on a daily basis.
Furthermore, I did not realise that politicians place pressure on the police to quietly resolve crime-related problems affecting them which can result in the police attempting to silence the media or their sources. Conley and Lamble (2006) state that “given the results of various police inquires, who can say that an individual police officer will not use unreported media knowledge to victimise an honest whistleblower?” (p. 243). I find this suggestion horrifying, as police are meant to be the protectors of our society. The thought of them targeting innocent individuals is very threatening.
At least this chapter provides an answer to combat police enquires for media information with. This is “Sorry, everything we know or can talk about has been published” (Conley and Lamble, 2006, p.243).
Although interesting, this issue gave me an unwanted insight into the real world of police reporting.

References:
Conley, D. & Lamble, S. (2006). Reporting for duty. In Conley, D & Lamble, S. (Eds.), The daily miracle: An introduction to journalism. (3rd ed). (pp. 233-260). Victoria: Oxford.

week 10

Chapter 10.
1) According to Conley and Lamble (2006) "If there is little to recommend, the editor might interrogate the chief-of-staff about slow news days... The effect will be multiplied if the editor learns through other media that the story has been missed" (p. 223). Therefore, in this case I would tell the chief-of-staff even if it meant writing the article in one day for a number of reasons.
Firstly, if they found out that I knew about the story and did not inform them which resulted in them receiving criticisms from the editor they would not be very impressed. Also, if another media outlet covered it first I would not be very well regarded by both the editor and chief-of-staff. I think that my reputation of loyalty to the staff of my publication should outweigh that to the confidential source who only 'preferred' that I wait a day to write it.

2) Hypothetically, if I had received a tip about the filth in the kitchen of a major resort which had caused guests and staff to become ill this would be a major concern for the general public. Even if I received a phone call from a PR practitioner saying that bad publicity would result in the resort closing, I would still report this issue as the public would have the right to know about it.
Chris Mitchell, editor-in-chief of The Australian states that “Public relations officers…are paid large sums of money to hide the truth from the public.” (Sparks cited in Conley and Lamble, 2006, p.213-214). Although this is their job, to me it seems unethical because the public’s health is at risk. How can covering this up be considered as ok?
There is one problem. I would have to consider the fact that the insider source is one of the people that could become out of work. In order to protect this source I would ask them if they would like to remain anonymous. This means that when the story is published they will not be victimised for 'whistle blowing'. I would not tell them about the possible consequences of my story which were outlined by the PR practitioner however, as this may make them take back their statement.
Although it would be unfortunate for innocent employees of the resort to lose their jobs, the resort is posing threat to the publics health and this is the pressing matter. Those responsible for this problem deserve to be out of jobs.

3) According to Conley and Lamble (2006) if it is late, the editor, chief-of-staff and journalists are uncontactable and a sub-editor detects a fault with a news story, the sub-editor has a number of choices. These can include “replacing the story with something else..removing or altering the questionable section of story” (p.225), giving the story to a late-shift journalist to be checked and finally, letting it run as written.
Firstly, in this particular situation I would take into account that the solicitor sounds drunk. Even though alarm bells would be ringing in my head as I detect foul play, is printing the name of the defendant worth the consequences if this phone call turns out to be legitimate? According to Conley and Lamble (2006), consequences can range from abusive phone calls to a complaint to the APC which requires you to publish an apology, or at the very worst a defamation wit.
In this situation, I would chose not the publish the name just to be sure as Conley and Lamble (2006), suggest that as sub-editor, you can “remove or alter the questionable section of the story” (p. 225). This simple step, although it may lessen the effect of my story may save my career.

4) In this situation I would write my story to the angle desired by the editor.
I would do this for a number of reasons, one being that I am only a junior journalist and I am certain that the editor has more knowledge on writing news stories, so I would follow their lead. For all I know, the police rounds reporter may be trying to persuade me from not writing to my desired angle because I am uncovering mistakes the police made within their investigations.
Conley and Lamble (2006) also note that the legal responsibility for what a newspaper prints falls with the editor and that they also deal with public complaints. To sum it up, they are responsible for explaining the actions of the paper. This reinforces my faith in the editor’s wishes, as they would not ask me to do something that may cause them implications.
Also, Baker (as cited in Conley and Lamble, 2006) refers to the editor as the “terminal gate-keeper” of a newspaper who has the “authority to spike, approve, and alter…stories written for the news pages” (pp 136-7). After reading this I question the point in writing a story that is not parallel with the editor’s desires, as I would either be told to alter it, lose the story to another journalist or simply not have it approved for publication. It would be a waste of my time.

Journalism Issue.
Photography within newspapers,(pp 229-232.)
A picture paints a thousand words…
This cliché comes to mind when reading this chapter as Hepting (as cited in Conley and Lamble, 2006) states that one picture is “worth ten thousand words” (p. 229). This clever statement was made by US advertising genius Fred Barnard in 1927 in an advertisement for baking power. (Conley and Lamble, 2006).
I believe this phrase’s validity is amplified by recent world events. Sure, a picture of baking powder might have enticed potential customers in 1927 however, think about the images we were presented with through the press after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre. Or what about the photos of the Indian Ocean tsunami on Boxing Day 2004? No words could have expressed the devastation of loved ones, nor the extent of physical mass destruction that occurred on these days more than the images themselves.
This is reinforced by Conley and Lamble (2006) as they state that “more than a story, a photograph can confirm the importance of a person, place, thing or event.” (p.229).
One point I disagree with under the subheading “Photographers/artists” is that within newspapers, requests for photographs to be included displaying 50th wedding anniversaries are often fulfilled before cheque presentation images. According to Conley and Lamble (2006), this is because they are “dull, depicting two or more people starring at the camera with jaw-locked smiles” (p. 229). This shocks me as where are the news values within this picture? What’s more newsworthy? Mary-Jane and Bobby- Jim’s wedding anniversary or the Cancer Council being presented with a cheque for $100 thousand to fund research that will help save lives? The answer is obvious.
Therefore, although “Photography enchants the public” (Conley and Lamble, 2006, p. 229,) I believe that new values should outweigh how aesthetically pleasing an image is. This brings me back to my bible of the Gilmore Girls (2005-2006), where in the episode “You’ve been gilmored,” Rory states, “ I don’t care how funny a picture is of the professor with pie on his face is, if it’s not newsworthy, I would not publish the photo. Simple. However, if someone had pushed the pie into his face as a political statement, then that is definitely worth publishing.”

References.
Conley, D. & Lamble, S. (2006). The story factory. In Conley, D & Lamble, S. (Eds.), The daily miracle: An introduction to journalism. (3rd ed). (pp. 211-232). Victoria: Oxford.
Nardino, J. (2006). You’ve been gilmored. S. Clancy (Director). In Fass Palmer, P. (Producer), Gilmore Girls. California: Warner Bros Entertainment

Week 9.

Chapter 9.
It depends on the situation as to whether I would use a direct quote that is accurate but embarrassing to the speaker or one that is inexact but benefits them.
If poor language within a direct quote establishes character or contributes to the tone and theme of the story I would include it. A current example of this is George Bush’s recent ‘OPEC meeting,’ blunder. In this situation I would definitely use this direct quote because it provides an accurate insight into how incompetent Bush is at addressing the public.
If however, a citizen has been caught off guard and has made a number of small grammatical errors, I would edit these, thus using a quote that is inexact but improves the image of the speaker.
According to News Limited’s Style: A guide for journalists , “It is acceptable to tidy up people’s minor grammatical faults” (2003, p. 137).
Thus, by doing this I would not be altering the basis of their quote, but simply tidying it up.

2. Yes it is justifiable for a journalist to intimidate a source with a threat of ‘public exposure’ to get important public information. This is stated by Mencher (1994) as he states that “ Some stories require pressing sources to the point of discomfort, or implying a threat should they fail to respond. Journalism often becomes the business of making people say what they would prefer to keep to themselves” (p.304).

3. Within the text book, Conley and Lamble (2006) suggest that personal chemistry based on physical appearance can affect an interview. They state that giving more credence or paying more attention to sources because they are perceived to be attractive is unprofessional.
This question however asks if it is a reasonable strategy to use personal chemistry to get information from sources when there is public interest at stake. I believe that it is a very good strategy, because according to the Conley and Lamble, studies indicate that people react differently to others depending on whether they find them attractive or not. (2006). This suggests that if your interviewee thinks you are attractive, they may be willing to give you more information than they would to someone who is unattractive. So, of course you are going to use your looks to entice the interviewee into giving you more information.


4. When a confidential source is concerned, there are a number of potential dangers that can come back to haunt a journalist who gets too close to the source. A journalist could end up in court facing charges of contempt if there is subsequent legal action from the story and they refuse to divulge the identity of the source. They can also face far more dire consequences from being too close to a source such as holding the source’s life, job, health and welfare in their hands. This is because in some cases, sources whose identities have been revealed by journalists have been murdered while others have lost jobs, families and their health. ( Conley and Lamble, 2006).
Therefore, there are a number of great responsibilities that a journalist must uphold when they get too close to a source and these may affect the lives of the source.

5. The most inarticulate, word-mangling public figure regularly in the news at present is George Bush. A current example of this is his recent blunder at the APEC summit when he called it the OPEC summit along with stating that John Howard had visited Austrian troops in Iraq. What he meant was Australian Troops. Coverage of this is available on the website: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/08/2027414.htm
I do not feel sorry for Bush at all and I would refuse to clean up his direct quotes because as President of the United States, it is his responsibility to know what he is talking about and as a result, accurately address the public. I believe that the public has a right to know about the ridiculous statements Bush uses in order to allow them to determine their own opinion towards him.


Chapter 14.
1. Seeing as I do not know what The Weekend Australian Magazine is, I analysed the cover story of last weekend’s edition of the Weekender. This story was written by my friend’s cousin, Ben Quinn and was about Tori Amos releasing her new album.
The introduction used within this article clearly fits into the summary style of intro. This is because it gives a brief overview of the main points that are covered within the article. It mentions not only her new album, but her struggle in fighting against the stereotyping of women’s gender associated roles within a male dominated society.
The intro sentence focuses solely on her journey for female justice within society as essentially, this forms the inspiration for her new album. The use of passionate, emotive language within this sentence such as “ a provocative advocate sympathetic to the so-called ‘place’ of women in a testosterone- fuelled society” (Quinn, 2007, p.12), captivates readers into reading the story.

The writing style of this article follows the focus structure. According to Conley and Lamble (2006), “The focus structure begins with an individual’s plight or circumstance, which is then carried forward through transition into the larger issue” (p. 341).
This article clearly follows this structure because it begins discussing her plight for women’s rights and then goes on to discuss her new album.
Obviously there is a justifier which promotes her new album and tour. The closer does refer back to the introduction, as it provides details of her upcoming performance in Newcastle to showcase her new album.


2. I do think that newspapers should give more prominence to feature articles as I believe promoting them is a way to increase newspaper sales.
Although persons aged 30 and up may be too busy to care about feature articles and are more concerned about reading the hard news facts out of a sense of duty, I know that myself and my peers read newspapers mainly for the feature articles.
Seeing as the younger generation are magazine worshipers rather than devout readers of newspapers, feature articles which consist of expressive language and flair tend to grasp the attention of this audience when it comes to newspapers.
Therefore, I believe that if newspapers gave more prominence to feature stories, they would appeal to a larger spectrum of readers and this would consequently increase sales.

3. Personally, I do believe that newspapers should be expected to limit cheap ‘imported’ features about Hollywood stars to make room for Australian writers and subjects.
Although staffing more Australian journalists will cost more money, I believe we should support our own nation rather than financing overseas and gaining trivial gossip in return.
Also, when you look at Australian magazines they are becoming covered with American stars and gossip. Do we really want our newspapers to turn out like this? We rely on newspapers to provide us with reliable information about what is occurring within our own nation and therefore, I think that it is important that we do not let market forces guide us and we try and keep our newspapers Australian orientated.

4. Yes I would like to be a full time feature article writer. I believe that I would enjoy working creatively with written language.
According to Conley and Lamble (2006) feature writing is enormously satisfying and involves researching, finding experts, interviewing and marshalling facts before the writing process starts. They also suggest it gives journalists space and freedom to work with language such as analogies, metaphors and sensory appeal compared to news reporting which is straight to the point.
For these reasons I believe I would enjoy writing feature articles more than news reports, as I have learnt throughout this course that sometimes I feel a little restricted by the constraints news articles demand.

5. Personally, after reading this chapter I believe that being a feature writer differs from a columnist in a number of ways.
This chapter explains that although feature writers build articles around news values, these values are expressed in a softer, broader and less obvious manner in comparison to news reports.
Conley and Lamble (2006) state that the best feature writer tells a story by showing, rather than telling, however news stories stress the importance of telling as they do not have the space to show. They also explain that feature writing relies more on how a story is written whereas news writing relies on why.
Conley and Lamble (2006) also suggest feature writers have more space and freedom to work with language such as analogies, metaphors and sensory appeal compared to news reporting which is straight to the point.
Keeble (1994) supports this, as he notes that feature articles “tend to contain more comment, analysis, colour, background and a greater diversity of sources than news stories and explore a large number of issues at a greater depth"(p.244).
Columnists however, usually write opinion pieces. Although they too are built around news values, they are much shorter than feature articles and therefore, tend to encompass only one major issue and be straight to the point. This means that unlike features, they tell rather than show.
Being a columnist is also quite different to being a feature writer because while feature writers have to be skilled in using colourful, descriptive language, columnists need to be persuasive and precise to get their intended message across skillfully.
Thus, there are major differences between the skills used by columnists and feature writers, the main one being that columnists tell and feature writers show.

Journalism issue for the week.
Within chapter nine, the information under the subheading ‘Appearances are not deceiving,’ stressed the importance of first impressions and therefore I found it very interesting.
Growing up we are all told to never judge a book by its cover and that it's what’s on the inside that counts. But deep down, we all knew that when it came to first impressions, attractive people were liked more than those who are less fortunate looking or those who didn’t have the right brands of clothes. Although unfair, it was and still is very true. Even though people who are not as fortunate usually turn out to be 100% more genuine and caring than those who are, in the world of journalism, success means you need to impress quickly.
Conley and Lamble (2006) state within this chapter that a journalist is expected to dress to suit the environment they are interviewing in, or likewise the person. An example they provide is a reporter who is proceeding to interview street kids wearing a suit and tie.
I believe that this would cause the street kids to be cautious or even resentful of the reporter, as he is dressed to resemble the life they desire. As a result, the reporter would not gain as accurate or in-depth information as he would like.
If however, he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt perhaps the children would see him as approachable and more of an equal, thus consequently causing them to provide him with valuable information.
Alternatively, you would not dress casually to attend a business convention, as this would result in you being considered as not only disrespectful, but incompetent.
I therefore learnt that appearance is important within journalism and seeing as I am interested in fashion, this issue appealed to me.



References:

Conley, D., & Lamble, S. (2006). Interviewing, a core skill. In Conley, D., & Lamble, S. (Eds.), The daily miracle: An introduction to journalism. (3rd ed). (pp. 182- 211). Victoria: Oxford.

Conley, D. & Lamble, S. (2006). Featuring writing. In Conley, D & Lamble, S. (Eds.), The daily miracle: An introduction to journalism. (3rd ed). (pp. 315-346). Victoria: Oxford.

Keeble, R. (1994). The newspapers handbook. London: Routledge.

Mencher, M. (1994). News reporting and writing. Dubuque: Brown & Benchmark.

News Limited (2003). Style: A guide for journalists. Sydney: Nationwide News Pty Ltd.

Quinn, B. (2007, September 8). I am women, Weekender, pp. 12-13.

Week 8.

1) I would much rather do a ‘paper chase’ which is conducted entirely by computer and telephone that takes half the time it would have taken if I had left the office. I would chose this option because the other one says that I would be put under EXTREME deadline pressure and I can assure you, although my ability to work under pressure is reasonably good, I would much rather get the facts quickly over the phone. This is because the extra time would allow me to ensure that I have enough time to create a very well written article.
Also, I don’t see why I would spend more time by leaving the office to conduct in-person interviews when I can get the same answers over the phone.

2. Yes, I would be willing to pursue a corruption investigation or an investigation into organised crime if it included many unpaid hours of extra and personal risk.
I would do this because these are the stories I wish to do journalism for. I want to uncover crime and other important issues within society that as a result, will make a difference within the community. I believe personal sacrifice is only a small price to pay if the outcome is success or benefiting others.

3. No, I would not be willing to act together as a unit with competing reporters at a media conference in an effort to gain maximum information if it meant giving up a crucial question that I had intended on asking privately after the conference.
The reason I say this is because the chapter this week really opened my eyes to what it is like for journalists at news conferences. I always thought that they simply asked a question, got their answer and moved on. Never did I consider the possibility that by asking your question you run the risk of giving away the entire, unique angle of your own story.
I also did not realise the disadvantage journalists who work within the print media face in reporting news.
For example, Conley and Lamble (2006) state that “Print, and to a lesser extent, web journalists are at a disadvantage when attending press conferences with broadcast journalists” (p.173).
“If they ask tough, well researched questions, radio journalists will record the answers, which can be broadcast within minutes.
“The print journalist is left to find a new story angle for the morning’s paper.
“And, if print or web journalists try to speak with the person interviewed before the conference, they may find a microphone thrust over their shoulders.” (p.173).

For these reasons, I would not risk asking my question within a media conference. I would wait until my private interview commencing after this.

4.
After reading this chapter however, I believe that the government owns the information it withholds within Australia, simply because of our system of government.
When comparing the US republic which has a definite separation of powers between legislature, judiciary and public service to Australia’s Westminster-style system of government, it is demonstrated that government-held information is not owned by the people within Australia.
In the US, government-held information belongs to the people because the US republic has constitutional guarantees of free speech and freedom of the press.
This is not the case within Australia however, because there is no real separation between the leaders of the government ie) the Prime Minister and the public service. (Conley and Lamble, 2006).
Lamble (2003), states “Australian state and federal ministers can, and do, interfere in the workings of the public service” (p.51).
This means that public servants are encouraged by politicians and their associates to inform public relations practitioners in their minister’s office when difficult FoI applications are lodged by journalists, thus resulting in them using tactics to block the application. (Conley and Lamble, 2006).
As a result, this limits our access to government-held information, thus making me believe that due to our form of government, the people within Australia do not own this information as the governments power over it is far to extensive.

5. There was not a lot of information within this chapter to help me decide how I would address this situation. However, I think that I would decide which to attend by contacting the organisers of the conferences and requesting the agendas for their conferences. I would also ask for copies of the speeches that will be made, discussion papers and advice on key note addresses. This information would help me to decide on which conference session would be more beneficial in providing me with quality information for a story. I would then be able to make an informed decision on which conference to attend.

Journalism issue.
A point I found interesting within this chapter referred to covering protest rallies. As a result, I learnt a number of valuable points to remember when doing this.
Firstly, an obvious point raised by Conley and Lamble (2006) was that protest rallies are often one-sided and people participating are usually very passionate and emotional. Protest rallies are usually held because persons disagree with an organisation’s actions or political decisions, so when reporting a story on this, journalists need to ensure that they create balance.
Conley and Lamble (2006) suggest contacting those who are criticised after the event (if they are not present), to receive their points of view.
Recording crowd numbers is also an important point journalists need to cover, as according to Conley and Lamble (2006), it gives readers an idea of an event’s importance.
Police usually provide estimates of crown numbers, however at times so too will the protesters. A journalist then has a number of options. These include reporting both estimates and allowing the public to decide who is more credible (Personally, I would believe the estimate provided by the police, as they have no motive to give a false attendance count), or make their own estimate.
This is done by ‘head-counting’ which involves counting roughly how many people are in the front row and multiplying this by how many rows there are.
I also learnt that when covering rallies, a journalist must ensure their own safety by reporting away from the centre of the crowd, ie) from its edge. They must also have at least one clear escape route. This is primarily for safety reasons, however it is also so they can get away quickly when they need to write and file the story.
Therefore, this reading was beneficial to my knowledge of what being a journalist entails and as a result, made me very keen to begin my career, as it sounds quite exciting!

References:
Conley, D., & Lamble, S. (2006). Small path, big story. In Conley, D., & Lamble, S. (Eds.), The daily miracle: An introduction to journalism. (3rd ed). (pp. 163-182). Victoria: Oxford.

Lamble, S. (February 2003). United States FoI laws are a poor modle for stautes in other nations, Freedom of Information Review, no. 106 (pp. 5-9).

My thoughts on the coverage of Owen Wilson's suicide attempt after Hunter Institute of Mental Health visit and APC lecture!

An issue raging within the media at the moment is Owen Wilson's attempted suicide.
I found this coverage attracted my attention because it related well to our lectures from the Hunter Institute of Mental Health and APC.
One thing that was stressed within the Hunter Institute of Mental Health lecture was that when journalists report suicide (they are usually not covered unless it is of someone prominent within society or other specific circumstances), they must not go into detail of how it was done. This is because person's who are contemplating suicide will not be thinking rationally and reading about the method someone used to end their life may give them ideas and the determiniation to try themselves.
When looking at the coverage related to Wilson's attempt however, it's quite clear that some journalists did not completely abide by these guidelines which I found very surprising.
An example is from the Ninemsn website (2007): http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=289959
Within this article it states,
"Both of Owen's wrists were slashed superficially and Owen had taken an overdose of pills.

"Owen was found with a nearly empty bottle of pills next to him."

Did it need to be stated how he tried to commit suicide? Isn't the fact that he did newsworthy enough? Also, I believe the statement that the bottle of pills was nearly empty is way over the line. Saying he over-dosed was enough information.
To me, if I was someone who was contemplating suicide I would probably say.. "hmm well ok, that didn't work for him, so I better take more than a whole bottle of pills."
It's quite scary when you think about it. What you write will actually impact on peoples lives.

Reference: Owen Wilson hospitalised. (2007, August 27). Ninemsn. Retrieved: August 28, 2007, from http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=289959

Week 7.

1. I believe that the education level of readers that newspapers should be aiming at depends on what publication it is, as all have different target audiences.
For example, The Maitland Mercury writes for a community which are predominately tradesmen, whereas The Australian readers are commonly business persons.
This has resulted in each publication targeting different readers with different education levels. For example, The Maitland Mercury is written using a quite different language style (eg,the use of smaller, less comprehensive sentences with less descriptive adjectives), in comparison to The Australian.
To support this opinion, I have gained two excerpts.
In the article, "Ashtonfield teacher in Idol tussle" (Swain, 2007), it states, "He's been touted the Novocatrian set to give this yrs Australian Idol contestants a win for their money" (p.3).
However, on The Australian website within the article: "Business groups reject IR changes" (Maley, 2007), a sentence reads, "The Australian Industry Group also lamented the demise of statutory agreements, but noted the transitional arrangements..."
The differences are clear.
I also believe that newspapers do not only aim at education levels of readers through their use of language, but the stories they cover. Eg) The Mercury will usually cover stories that are central to the area, ie) local council stories, reports on the Newcastle Knights etc, whereas The Australian focuses on politics and business matters. This clearly demonstrates newspaper's targeting different education levels of readers.
Thus, I personally believe that the education level of readers that newspapers aim at differs between publications as it is based on who their target audiences are.

In addition, I believe the main metropolitan newspaper here, The Newcastle Herald is hitting the mark because it uses sentences which are not complex along with simple language to allow it to be easy reading for residents of the Hunter who are predominately working class.
It also provides stories that are in common interest to people with these education levels, as you do not come across as many in depth stories about politics within it in comparison to The Australian.

2.
Personally, I don’t believe that reporters should be able to inject their own thoughts into news stories because their role is to inform the public with news in an objective way which allows them to form their own opinion of issues. Also, The Daily Miracle, (2006), stresses the importance of Journalists ensuring fairness and balance within their articles and I do not believe that this can be achieved if they inject their own thoughts into news stories.

3. I thought that this suggestion was brilliant! A global language would be outstandingly helpful, as it would generate a lot more communication between persons of different languages because it would be easier.
Also, apart from breaking down the language barrier, imagine typing within Word and not having to correct the auto-spelling of Americanisms back to our versions of the words. It would be bliss.
Personally, I don’t think that it really matters that our language is being tainted with Americanisms and US spellings because ultimately, the words mean exactly the same thing! They are both English. It’s something that has always annoyed me. Why don’t we just decide on one spelling of certain words, such as colour and make it standard within America and Australia/England.
You can see why I am all for a global language.

4. Based on my own reading of newspapers, I find it hard to determine whether they have a serious commitment to accuracy because I have never noticed a correction published within papers that I read. Does this suggests that they have an outstanding commitment to accuracy as they do not make mistakes? Or, do they just never correct themselves? I think that the first suggestion is the most likely, thus meaning that they do commit to presenting accurate details.

5. If I wrote a serious mistake in a story but no-one wrote in to complain, I would still publish an apology because what I said was wrong. My job is to inform the public and I gave them false information. You never know, someone may have read it and complained straight to the APC so in a few months, I could be faced with a defamation case. Better to cover myself than be naieve and think no-one will ever notice.

Journalism Issue: Accuracy.
Within this chapter, I found it interesting that in journalism, "The worth of a word is not based on it's style or beauty. It centres on whether it is factual" (Conley and Lamble, 2006, p.156).
Coming straight from school where I studied Advanced English and Extension english and was quiet skilled at both, (if I may say so myself haha), I am used to writing in a very 'wordy,' style with alot of adjectives, as this is how we were encouraged to write.
However, now I am at university studying journalism, I am being forced to cut down my sentences, not use words such as 'exclaimed,' as they are too descriptive, and to replace them with the most basic words you can think of, for example, said. It kills me.
However, I do see where my teachers are coming from, as people read newspapers to be informed about an issue and they want this information quickly. They don't want to read "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog." They simply want to know the fact that the fox jumped over the dog.
Therefore, the point I just raised, that people read newspapers to be informed leads me to my next issue, that there is a need for accuracy within journalism.
The public needs to be CORRECTLY informed and Conley and Lamble (2006) stress this, as they state that not only is innaccurate journalism ineffective journalism, it is dangerous. This is because journalists may be faced with defamation cases if they wrongly present information within their stories that negatively affects someone's reputation who is in actual fact, innocent.
This chapter also gave me great advice: "When in doubt, leave it out" (Conley and Lamble, 2006, p. 150).

Reference List.

Conley, D., & Lamble, C. (2006). A word's worth. In Conley, D., & Lamble, S.,(Eds.),The Daily Miracle: An introduction to journalism. (3rd ed). Victoria: Oxford. (pp.140-162).

Maley, P. (2007, August 28). Business groups reject IR changes, The Australian. Retrieved: August 28, 2007, from http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22321874-11949,00.html

Swain, E. (2007, August 27). Ashtonfield teacher in Idol tussle, The Maitland Mercury. (p.3).

Week 6.

Discussion Questions.
1. In a perfect world I would say no as it is unethical. Yet in a world where I choose to take a chance, I say yes. I would include the balancing comment. I would only do this however, if it could not be proved that it was false, because proper balance reduces the odds of defamation. If the reader insists that this is what they want recorded, and you have exhausted every other witness available to prove it to be false, yet failed, what do you have to loose?

2. No, I would not withhold this story which I have worked hard on. I would simply state within my story that a source was not able to be reached for a comment. This makes it clear that they were given the opportunity to make a balancing statement, while also making it obvious to readers that an effort was made in good faith to be fair and balance the story.
My decision would not change if I knew that an opposing newspaper was planning to run a similar story, reducing the value of my effort because this means that readers of my publication would not be informed of this event, unless of course they read the other paper aswell.
This may have a negative effect on the reputation of my publication, as it may be perceived as missing a important news event and readers may believe that they are not being informed of alot of other issues within society aswell.
Personally, I believe it would be better to run my story which I have done my best on than none at all.

3.Firstly, dangers I would look out for are threats to myself, such as the flames (obviously), falling debri and smoke. I would also be aware of those around me and ensure they do not put themselves at risk either. I would interview witnesses of the fire, as according to Conley and Lamble (2006), they add weight and credibility to the story. I would however, be sure to confirm their statements later, as they may be embellished from the excitement they are exeriencing.
I would also interview police, fire fighters; particularly the Chief, along with medical officers at the scene. This is because according to Conley and Lamble (2006), they would be valuable in giving authorative comments on injuries, the fire's trail, structural damage and suspected causes.
In addition to these people I would interview the owners of the building, its tenants; particularly those who where in the building when the fire started, a council building inspector to get an idea of the damage and finally, owners of adjoining businesses.

4. From my reading of news stories, I believe that the inverted pyramid remains the most effective method of structuring material.
Although writing in a narrative style may be useful to entice an individual into reading a story and keep them captivated, I believe that the inverted pyramid is more effective in immediately informing them with pressing issues.
This is because it always ensures that the most important facts of a news story are rightfully addressed at the beginning of the story.
According to Conley and Lamble (2006), other forms of writing may produce irritating articles which never get to the point.
This therefore persuades me that the inverted pyramid is the way to go.

Journalism Issue.
Alternatives to inverted pyramid reporting.
I was amazed by the attitude the information under the sub-heading " Alternatives to inverted pyramid reporting," expressed towards the inverted pyramid.
It was astounding to see that there was only about a paragraph suggesting that it should be used, while the rest of the information positively portrayed other modes of writing such as the use of narrative, point of view and radical clarity.
It suggested that "sometimes using the inverted pyramid model means that the further one reads into a news story, the more boring it gets" (Conley & Lamble, 2006, p. 136). This is because each paragraph is less important than the one before it.
It was particulary interesting to read that the American Society of Newspaper Editors, (ASNE) conducted research which showed that effective writing was not always associated with the inverted pyramid format. (ASNE cited in Conley & Lamble 2006).
The research project involved using the four modes of reporting to report the same story in the St Petersburg Times.
The study revealed that the narrative version tended to be more favourable than the others, as it was simply better to read as it apparently communicated information better.
The report thus suggested that compared to a narrative style of writing, the inverted pyramid encourages 'newspaper skimming,' but deters reading. (ASNE cited in Conley & Lamble 2006).
I think that this point is valid, however a narrative style forces you to read the whole story because you are not presented with the facts immediately.
ASNE (as cited in Conley & Lamble 2006), notes that most alternative modes including narratives, do not attempt to explain the story to the reader at the start, but lead them several paragraphs into an article before attempting to deal with news values.
Personally, I think this is manipulative and would make reading the story tiresome and frustrating. I would rather be informed straight away with who and what the story is about, along with when it occured, followed by the pleasure of finding out in more detail how and why the incident happened further in the story.
So, from a readers point of view, I would rather read stories that are written in the inverted pyramid style, however as a writer, I sometimes find this style very restrictive.

Reference: Conley, D., & Lamble, S.(2006). Upside-down pyramids. In Conley, D., & Lamble, S. (Eds.), The Daily Miracle: An introduction to journalism. (3rd ed). (pp.124-140). Victoria: Oxford.

Week 5.

1) When reading the newspaper, I used to read the entertainment and fashion section first because I am interested in celebrities' lives. I also did this because not only does it give me an insight into the world of glitz and glamour that I one day DREAM to be a part of, I am able to look at the lastest fashion trends which I enjoy analysing.
After beginning this course however, I now tend to read the main headlines first. I am also starting to take more of an interest in world news aswell.
I think this is great, as I am beginning to be able to actually contribute to conversations about what is happening in the world rather than what Paris did.

2)There are some days I do not read the paper at all, I simply watch television. In fact, I watch televsion alot. On average I watch it for about 4 hours a day.

3)I would not write a trick intro. The reason for this decision is that under the sub-heading "shock-horror guide to intros" Conley and Lamble (2006), it says "the intro should never promise more than it delivers. The reader will seek justification for the way the story is represented in the intro, and it is important that they do not feel hoodwinked"(p.118).
Therefore I am presented to believe that although you may instantly grab the attention of the reader, the overall result is that they will feel cheated. This makes me belive that ultimately, it is not worth using the trick intro.

4)By 'basis' I presume this question means that I haven't written the story yet.
If so, I would consider the three or four central news values that I would focus on within my story. I would then contemplate about what issues would have the most impact on readers. Conley and Lamble (2006) note that this is difficult, as "Finding the chief news point within an information jungle can be journalism's biggest challenge" (p.109).
Doin this would then give me an idea of what I to stress the most in my article and consequently provide me with an angle. I would then try and describe this information in a few words and this would guide me to what I should include in my introduction.

5). I would be very mad if this happened to me! Firstly, I would go to the sub-editor and discuss what has happened. I would then contact the sources and see how offended they were. I would also ask if they would like a correction and apology to be published within the paper. I would do this to not only prevent a defamation case, but because personally, I would have sympathy for the sources.

Journalism Issue.
The issue that I found the most interesting within this chapter was the process of formulating an intro. This was because I tend to have trouble writing intros, as I find it hard to distingush what the most important news value is.
I therefore learnt alot from this chapter, as it taught me that sometimes it helps to list the three or four main news values, or points of interest and then select the one you believe will have the most impact on a large audience.
Conley and Lamble (2006), then suggest that if you try to crystallise the most important facts of this issue into a few words, it should be a great starting point for formulating a successful intro.
They also provide a number of questions that will be helpful to me when writing an intro. These include:
"What is the big picture?
What are the implications of what has been said or done?
Why and how did it happen?
How does it affect the public?
What is unusual or different about what has occured?
What news values, or angles, did the chief- of- staff, or you have in mind when the story was assigned? How do they measure up with the information gained?
Simply, what is the most interesting thing of the story?" (Conley and Lamble, 2006, p. 309).
Finally, what I found the most interesting about this process, was that intros should create a sense of intrigue, daring the reader to continue. This is expressed by Conley and Lamble(2006), as they state, "it should send the message, 'continue at your own risk'" (p. 109).
This adds a whole new perspective to writing intros for me, as I learnt that they should not simply state the most impressive/important news value, but they should also express some flair in order to captiavate an audience.

Reference: Conley, D., & Lamble, S. (2006). The lead: Will the reader follow? In Conley, D., & Lamble, S. (Eds.), The Daily Miracle: An introduction to journalism. (3rd ed).(pp.104-123). Victoria: Oxford University Press.

Chapter 4 - A 'know' for news.

Question 1.
According to Conley and Lamble (2006), "Proximity is concerned with the 'where' element" (p. 91).
Australian news outlets gave proximity to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in many ways. The most common way they did this was by stressing how close the islands that were affected were to Australia. I remember alot of televised news reports saying "Just off the coast of Australia."
They also localised this disaster by placing emphasis on Australian's who were affected by the tsunami, either loosing their lives or loved ones.
A final way I remember Australian news outlets giving proximity to this event was by placing prominence on the aid provided by the Australian government to the nations affected.

Question 2.
I believe that this is a type of question where the obvious answer is not correct.
For example, it is an unusual story so one would assume that a reporter would focus on this news value. However, if I was covering this story, I would focus firstly on impact.
Although it does not state that this incident impacted anyone except this woman, in actual fact it did, as it suggests that there is not enough knowledge about mental illness within Austraian society. Consequently, this impacts a large number of ill people and their families.
I would then focus on proximity, as it is a terrible event which occured in our nation.
Finally, the third news value I would focus on would be the unusual aspect of this story.

Question 3.
As a reporter I would feature more prominently on the comment by Prince Charles. This is because this statement has the ability to cause conflict within society, as he is suggesting that the inner-city crime problems may have been caused by building regulations formulated by the city council.
Also, this incident holds the news value of proximity, as Prince Charles is in Australia and commenting about Australia.
In addition, he is obviously a member of the royal family. This means he is highly recognisable on a local, state, national and international basis. Consequently, the news value of prominence is present.
Although option 'a' may tend to convey the news value of impact and will therefore affect alot of people within society, it is clear that the Prince's statement encompasses more values, thus causing me to focus on it.

Question 4.
News : coverage of a recent issue/event that has the ability to captivate an audience through its informative or entertainment qualities.

Question 5.
Kipling's six men should be assigned equal value when writing a news article because according to Conley and Lamble (2006), "The five Ws and the Hs can appear in multiple combinations and in a
different order of importance in any particular story" (p.83). Thus, all men should be assigned equal value, however some may have their values presented before others in a news article. For example, What Who and When should be written before Why and How.


Journalism Issue.
An issue of journalism that caught my attention throughout this chapter regarded reporting stories that are unusual.
Conley and Lamble(2006), state that the unusual is something that is out of the ordinary. They also insist that when writing stories about the unusual, you must ensure accurate detail, as the unusual can stretch credibility.
Conley and Lamble (2006) also suggest that readers have the right to question if the information they are being presented with is true and I fully understand this, as there are many gossip magazines today which write stories that end up being proven false.
In order to lower the chances of readers questioning the reliability of you unusual stories, the authors of this book suggest that you include authoritative sources or credible witnesses (2006).
Personally, I believe this is a good idea as when I am reading a story in a newspaper, if a witness or authoritative person such as a police officer or doctor is quoted, I tend to have more trust in the information that is being presented.
On the other hand however, in magazines, the authors tend to quote a 'friend' of the subject. Although this follows the guidelines discussed by Conley and Lamble(2006), it does not enhance credibility for me as the author may have easily made the quote up or, the 'friend,' may be giving false information.
I don't know whether I am naieve in trusting quotes from authoritative figues, or I am honestly entrusting the right people. What do you think?

References: Conley, D., & Lamble, S. (2006). A 'know' for the news. In Conley, D., & Lamble, S. (Eds.), The Daily Miracle: An introduction to journalism. (3rd ed).(pp.77-103). Victoria: Oxford University Press.

Chapter 2.

Hello! Welcome to my exciting blog! It is here where i will list my answers to the discussion questions on chapter two.

Question 1. Which media function do you think is most important and why?
According to Conley and Lamble (2006), the media has many functions such as serving commercial roles and setting the agenda for public debates. They also state however, that the media's central function is to seek truths and pass them on to communites in ways which educate, inform and entertain.
I agree with this, however I believe the most important function of the media is it's duty to inform readers, particularly about issues involving the government within their community. This is because it allows them to be up to date on what laws have been passed or defeated and how their tax dollars have been spent. I also believe that the media's informative function is its most important role because it is linked to its traditional watchdog role. ie) ensuring that unjust practices are not occuring and if they are, informing the public.

Question 2.
To what degree should journalists be concerned about their employer's profitability and readership/viewership figures?
Journalists should be extremely concerned about their employers profitability because according to Conley and Lamble(2006), there is concern that there is disharmony between the media's informative function and responsibility to provide a democracy, and a proprietor's commercial interests.
Also, a survey of Australian journalists found 41 % had experienced improper interference from their managers, thus reflecting that editors have conflicting loyalties with commercial personel in comparison to those with their staff and readers. (Conley and Lamble, 2006). This suggests that journalists should be very concerned about their employer's profitability, as they may insist on compromising their fourth estate function in order to keep their advertising investors which they receive profit from happy.
Readership/viewership figures are also important to journalists as it is essential to have a considerable mass audience for their work to be successful.

Question 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?
To a certain extent yes, as they are the owner and therefore they have the right to exercise authority in regards to what is included and excluded in their form of media. However, it is not reasonable for stories to be manipulated to the point where they are false for financial gain.
It is also not acceptable for the owner of a media outlet to publish stories that are one-sided to influence audiences opinions.
It must be ensured that the decisions made by the outlet owner are ethical and are guided my the responsibilities of journalists, to accurately inform and educate the public (Conley and Lamble, 2006).


Question 4. Does investigative journalism really matter? Does it sell newspapers or increase ratings?
Yes investigatve journalism does really matter because it is aimed at uncovering stories that are hidden, illegal or involve injustice. Therefore, this is journalism at its best, because it is truely fufilling its role of being the fourth estate, that is, informing the public of injustices within society.
Also, investigative journalism does sell newspapers and increase ratings, because stories created through investigative journalism tend to provide more in depth coverage and excite readers/viewers as they feel they are gaining exclusive news.
There are many examples of investigative journalism on television news. Take for example A Current Affair. The images you see of reporters chasing the accused within society is a key example of investigative journalism, and the suspense and excitement it creates definately does increase ratings. I have to say, it's alot better than watching a simple report being read out.

Question 5.
Discussion points.
For:
Your role as a journalist is to seek truths and make them available to communities in order to inform, educate and entertain (Conley & Lamble, 2006). This means you should list the advertiser.
According to the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (2005), journalists "inform citizens and animate democracy" (AJA code cited in Conely and Lamble, 2005).
This means that it would be not fair to not list the advertiser, as all other convictions, including your son's have been listed.

Against:
As a form of gatekeeping, you could disclose the advertiser's name.
The newspaper is already loosing money and your general manager has told you that if you publish the report, the advertiser will no longer advertise with the newspaper. This means the paper may be forced to close or you may have to retrench staff.

Decision: I would begin looking for new advertisers and publish the current advertiser's conviction. It is the just thing to do and journalists should uphold their commitment to inform the public of news and ensure democracy is maintained.

Journalism Issue.
After reading this chapter I became very interested in Journalism's entertainment function. I came to realise that I was not the only soul who enjoyed reading the newspaper for an insight into the world of glamour, as there were many other people who only read the world wide news section out of a sense of 'duty'.
This is discussed by Conley and Lamble (2006), as they state that editors know many readers examine 'hard' news, such as tragedies and political issues out of a sense of duty and a commitment to being well informed on a broad range of issues. This is primarily because the subject of these stories may impact on their lives in some way.
Conley and Lamble (2006), also claim that journalism's entertainment function is to ensure that the public is offered a mix of 'soft' stories to complement the 'hard' news content of stories such as tragedies and political issues.
Just imagine if all our news stories in both print and visual media were about the hard hitting issues around the world. The result would be a great sense of doom and gloom don't you think?
Eccentric stories, for example the cat who can predict death, lighten to mood within news reports and assure us that there is more happening than just drama and tragedy throughout the world.
Therefore, I am trying to tell myself that magazines which focus on celebrity gossip are not 'trashy' as people claim, but are serving an ESSENTIAL purpose within society, to brighten up people's lives. Am I dreaming? I hope not.
Reference: Conley, D., & Lamble, S. (2006). Agents of power. In Conley, D., & Lamble, S. (Eds.), The Daily Miracle: An introduction to journalism. (3rd ed).(pp. 25-39). Victoria: Oxford.