Chapter 1. LaunchPad for Media and Culture 11e

Digital Update Activity: What to Do about the Crisis in Journalism

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You must read each slide, and complete any questions on the slide, in sequence.

While many of our media literacy and critical process exercises emphasize the analysis and interpretation steps, this exercise begs for engagement—How to we get more young journalists hired? We ask that you contact and interview the editor of your local newspaper (either from your hometown or in or near where you attend college) and the news director of a local TV station or public radio station. They may hand you off to an assistant editor, and that’s okay. Now follow the critical process steps.

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Description

In your interview with the newspaper editor and news director, use the following list of prompts and questions to build your description and understanding of the issues.

Use the space below to answer the following questions.

Question

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Ask how many reporters they would like to have working there—and what would be an ideal number if money and salary were not an issue. Ask them in which time period or decade did their newsrooms have the most reporters and how many.

Question

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Ask how stories ideas are determined—how do assignment editors choose the stories that will be covered on any given day? Try to get good examples.

Question

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Ask if these news choices are driven by whom they think is reading the paper or watching the news.

Question

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Ask if they think there are stories that are not covered, and whether there are sectors or neighborhoods in their community that are not covered. If they answer “yes,” ask for specific examples. If they say “no,” ask them how they cover those parts of their communities that are not reading the paper or watching the local news.

Question

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Ask who owns the paper and the TV station. Ask how supportive these owners are of the news-gathering operation.

Question

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Ask if they meet regularly with their communities to find out what their readers and viewers think they should be covering.

Question

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Ask if they need to do anything in their communities to counter the speculation that news is fake.

Analysis

Use the space below to answer the following questions.

Question

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Look for similarities and differences between the two news operations you have chosen. What stands out? What most interests you? Do you see any patterns? Are there differences in the ways print and broadcast approach the news? Do the editors seem enthusiastic, or discouraged, about journalism today? Have they seen changes in the attitudes of their readers and viewers toward the news?

Interpretation

Use the space below to answer the following questions.

Question

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What do your findings and patterns mean? What seems to be the main goal of each news operation? News is at least in part a public service with constitutional protections, so whom do these editors think they are serving?

Evaluation

Use the space below to answer the following questions.

Question

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What are the strengths and weaknesses of each news operation you chose? Which would you judge is better at reporting the news each day? How could each news organization improve its reporting?

Engagement

Use the space below to answer the following questions.

Question

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Interview several people who read or watch your chosen news operations. Ask them what they like or dislike about their local news, what they might change, and what the editors could do differently. Ask them if they think the editors are missing stories or not covering parts of their communities. Then report your findings to the editors through a visit, letter, phone call, or e-mail. Try to elicit responses from the editors about what their audiences reported. How did they respond to your findings? Finally, ask the editors if they would participate if they were approached about a program like Report for Ohio or Report for America. On a one-year trial basis, would they be willing to contribute 25 percent of the salary for a new reporter, if the RFO or RFA and their communities picked up the rest of the reporter’s salary? Report their responses.