Case Study: Eagle Snatches Dog

            While the story of an eagle carrying a small dog out of the grasp of its owners may have appeal for its unusualness, there were many reasons why I personally wouldn’t have published the story on the front page of my newspaper (no offense Dr. R.).  One of the things discussed by my classmates was the fact the story itself was poorly written with very few details and no identification of the couple, probably due to the fact the story was based on the eyewitness account given by the gas station attendant.  The next issue we had with the story is that story is based on a single source.  Because there is no one to corroborate the story, how can the reporter be sure the attendant didn’t make up his account in order to get attention?  One of the issues that has plagued journalism is writers that have made up sources or quotes in order to enrich their stories.  While I am not accusing the writer of this story of doing so, without another source or the identification of the couple to go along with the story, what should make me believe this event even happened?

            Something else that I thought of when reading over this story is whether every one of the readers believed it.  Based on what Dr. R. told us in class, the story received great reviews and readers loved it.  I couldn’t help but wonder whether there was at least one cynical reader out there that may have disbelieved this story.  All it would have taken is one critical letter to put the question of the story’s validity into readers’ heads.  And if the newspaper’s credibility was ever at risk dealing with this story, there would be no way to prove it was true other than to tell readers to trust the story given by the lone attendant.  Just this risk would have been enough for me to pull the story off the front page.

            An alternative I thought of while reading this story is to possibly publish it with other odd-sounding stories as an entertaining package, rather than as a front-page read.  The weekly newspaper I interned at had an entire column devoted to “News of the Weird” where unusual stories from around the country were featured.  Readers loved to hear the oddball stories and because all the stories ran together, the stories were enjoyed more for their entertainment value rather than their news value.

 

Abstracts

Skeptical Editing

            I think the concept of being skeptical while editing is overlooked in today’s journalism industry.  If editors were more critical of the stories being presented to them by their reporters, we wouldn’t have to read about reporters fabricating stories as often. 

            Something simple we had to do in reporting class that is beneficial to the industry as well is to turn in a source list with our stories.  If our professor had any questions about the story or its authenticity, he or she could simply contact our source and see if what they had said is what is in the story and if we had actually spoken with them.  I think if an editor were to read a story that was too good to be true or seemed outlandish, the first step for them would be to check the source sheet.  Even if the source wishes to remain confidential in the story, an editor contacting them for validity would not expose them and would also help the writer’s story.

            I think one of the downfalls of our industry is the constant need for everything to be immediate.  Because online is becoming more important and stories are expected to be uploaded as soon as they are finished, this creates more pressure on the editor to get the story quickly and out to the public as soon as possible.  While this is an advantage to the reader, it’s a disadvantage to the journalist because there is a greater chance for sloppiness due to speed and it would only take one major mistake to undo years of great work.

            The idea of a devil’s advocate at a paper seems like a great solution to this problem.  I agree that it is hard to go against what people are writing and question a story’s validity, but if it will preserve the industry’s credibility, I think it is necessary.  There are more tasks being piled upon the editor and a new position could help relieve the burden while improving the quality of work. 

 

Joint Operating Agreements

            I think the idea of joining two papers for the sake of saving money is beneficial both for the industry as well as the readers.  I think the major consolidation of the industry is detrimental because it limits the amount of voices and opinions that can be expressed.  Combining business operations seems to be a simple solution to the financial problems faced by the newspaper industry.  Since more people are getting their news from online sources or television stations as opposed to print versions, the newspaper industry is slowly losing popularity.  It’s no surprise that over recent decades the amount of people who read a paper on a daily basis has been falling, most likely because of the alternative ways of obtaining news, such as a paper’s online site.  I think any way papers can save money while still maintaining their integrity is going to be helpful.

 

Meet the New Face of Hyperlocal Journalism

            To me, the idea of blogging as a new form of journalism is both exciting and frightening.  Maybe it’s just because I am not as tech savvy as others but when a journalist decides to turn a blog into a modern-day online newspaper, it seems rather sub-par and juvenile.  I think adding a blog to a newspaper’s site and having reporters that are in charge of maintaining the site as well as finding and reporting stories on it is beneficial to the paper because it keeps the publication up to date with technology.

            On the other hand, when independent reporters decide to start their own blogs and become their own media entity I begin to question their status as a journalist.  It’s not that I don’t think they are good reporters or are able to do as good of a job as someone who works at a printed newspaper.  I just fear if this trend becomes rampant and people all over the nation decide to start their own sites and slowly take over the industry, newspapers around the country will begin to suffer greatly.  If more people begin to read these blogs instead of getting their information from a newspaper or its Web site, eventually all the papers will lose readership and be forced to shut down.

            I think blogs started by journalists who have had experience in the field and reporting are acceptable ways of gathering information.  What really concerns me is when any average Joe Blow on the street decides to start his own blog and “reporting” on what happens in his neighborhood.  Then how is the public supposed to distinguish between good journalism and simple blogging?  While I am an avid fan of reading blogs about celebrities, I would hardly call this journalism or expect newspapers to start covering similar types of stories.  If blogs were to become a major component to the industry, I think there needs to be clear distinctions made between entertainment-type blogs that feature amateurs writing their opinions and journalists reporting on stories.  In my opinion, this would be a vital component to preserving the difference between those who have studied how to be a good reporter and those who haven’t.

 

‘Potemkin Village’ Redux

            One of the things I found interesting about this article is the co-founders of iBrattlebroro.com’s reactions to what other journalists think of them.  They said journalists think of them as illegitimate journalists and I agree with that opinion.  While it is nice to have other voices in the mainstream to combat conglomeration and make sure all points of view are expressed, I think it is unfair for two independent bloggers to receive the same title as someone who has spent four or more years at school and numerous years in the field of journalism.

            Something blogs can do that is beneficial to the community is voice citizens’ opinions.  For example, Blufftontoday.com had so many angry comments left by readers that the state decided to change its traffic management in response to the public’s discontent.

            After reading about all the different sites, it seems that those who want to go it alone should be prepared to expect lower salaries (most of the “civilian journalists” pay their bills by freelancing) and still aren’t getting as many hits as their local paper’s Web site.  I think this is better for the journalism community because it shows journalists with the experience are viewed as a more reliable and popular news source.

 

Common Sense Journalism

            After reading this story, I have a somewhat new perspective on the effort needed to put together a Web site.  I had originally thought any random person would be able to start his or her own news blog and write on whatever subject matter he or she wishes.  After reading about how much it costs to install software and all the various help needed to get the site started (such as finding stringers, photographers and people to promote the site) it seems to be a much bigger ordeal than I previously thought.

            I think the best way for someone to start his or her own news blog would to be associated with a local paper.  For a newspaper to keep up with the times, it needs to have a generous portion of the news go online.  If there was a separate site that featured many of the same stories that would run in the paper, plus stories that were found by local stringers and citizen journalists, I think that would be beneficial for all involved.  Not only would the newspaper be able to keep up in the faced-paced world, but also independent writers would have some of the financial burden taken from them while still being able to pursue their own stories.