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.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
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.
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.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
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
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
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