Bret and Haley report

HOW DO THE LAF ‘PEN DRIVERS/PAVEMENT PROWLERS’STACK UP?

What is news?

What is news?• No one agreed upon definition

What is news?• No one agreed upon definition• “I know it when I see it” Supreme Court Justice Potter

Stewart, 1964

What is news?• No one agreed upon definition• “I know it when I see it” Supreme Court Justice Potter

Stewart, 1964• In every newsroom and website, people are constantly

deciding what is news: “the ability to determine which stories are most interesting and important to readers.”

What is news: Inside Reporting

What is news: Inside Reporting• It all depends on the outlet: contrast between daily

newspaper, student newspaper and community newspaper

So know your audience!• An elderly driver loses control of his Cadillac and plows

into the classroom at LAF. There are no injuries but the car is destroyed and class is cancelled for the day

So know your audience!• An elderly driver loses control of his Cadillac and plows

into the classroom at LAF. There are no injuries but the car is destroyed and class is cancelled for the day

• Will this be news for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune?

So know your audience!• An elderly driver loses control of his Cadillac and plows

into the classroom at LAF. There are no injuries but the car is destroyed and class is cancelled for the day

• Will this be news for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune? NBC network news?

So know your audience!• An elderly driver loses control of his Cadillac and plows

into the classroom at LAF. There are no injuries but the car is destroyed and class is cancelled for the day

• Will this be news for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune? NBC network news? The New York Times?

So know your audience!• An elderly driver loses control of his Cadillac and plows

into the classroom at LAF. There are no injuries but the car is destroyed and class is cancelled for the day

• Will this be news for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune? NBC network news? The New York Times? New College radio station?

So know your audience!• An elderly driver loses control of his Cadillac and plows

into the classroom at LAF. There are no injuries but the car is destroyed and class is cancelled for the day

• Will this be news for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune? NBC network news? The New York Times? New College radio station? Drudge Report?

So know your audience!• An elderly driver loses control of his Cadillac and plows

into the classroom at LAF. There are no injuries but the car is destroyed and class is cancelled for the day

• Will this be news for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune? NBC network news? The New York Times? New College radio station? Drudge Report?

• What if the driver is of the car is Hillary Clinton?

So know your audience!• An elderly driver loses control of his Cadillac and plows

into the classroom at LAF. There are no injuries but the car is destroyed and class is cancelled for the day

• Will this be news for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune? NBC network news? The New York Times? New College radio station? Drudge Report?

• What if the driver is of the car is Hillary Clinton? What if the driver is a six-year old boy?

What is news: Inside Reporting• It all depends on the outlet: contrast between daily

newspaper, student newspaper and community newspaper

• IR lays out seven items to consider: impact

What is news: Inside Reporting• It all depends on the outlet: contrast between daily

newspaper, student newspaper and community newspaper

• IR lays out seven items to consider: impact, immediacy,

What is news: Inside Reporting• It all depends on the outlet: contrast between daily

newspaper, student newspaper and community newspaper

• IR lays out seven items to consider: impact, immediacy, proximity,

What is news: Inside Reporting• It all depends on the outlet: contrast between daily

newspaper, student newspaper and community newspaper

• IR lays out seven items to consider: impact, immediacy, proximity, prominence,

What is news: Inside Reporting• It all depends on the outlet: contrast between daily

newspaper, student newspaper and community newspaper

• IR lays out seven items to consider: impact, immediacy, proximity, prominence, novelty,

What is news: Inside Reporting• It all depends on the outlet: contrast between daily

newspaper, student newspaper and community newspaper

• IR lays out seven items to consider: impact, immediacy, proximity, prominence, novelty, conflict

What is news: Inside Reporting• It all depends on the outlet: contrast between daily

newspaper, student newspaper and community newspaper

• IR lays out seven items to consider: impact, immediacy, proximity, prominence, novelty, conflict and emotions

“If you don’t have the goods, nobody’s going to look. That’s never going to change.”

Journalism pros: part III

TTS v IR• Impact Impact• Conflict Conflict• Novelty Novelty• Prominence Prominence• Proximity Proximity • Timeliness Immediacy Emotions

I can never prepare pancakes in England

Two points to consider• News is not all ‘life and death’

Two points to consider• News is not all ‘life and death’• News is more than a collection of facts

“The University of Florida defeated Toledo University on Saturday by a score of 24-6 in a football game played in Gainesville.”

Let ‘er rip!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“The wind of change is blowing through this continent. Whether we like it or not, this growth of national consciousness is a political fact.”

Harold Macmillan

So too journalism• Project for Excellence in Journalism

So too journalism• Project for Excellence in Journalism• Proposed nine elements of journalism

So too journalism• Project for Excellence in Journalism• Proposed nine elements of journalism• First obligation to the truth

So too journalism• Project for Excellence in Journalism• Proposed nine elements of journalism• First obligation to the truth; first loyalty to citizens

So too journalism• Project for Excellence in Journalism• Proposed nine elements of journalism• First obligation to the truth; first loyalty to citizens;

verification

So too journalism• Project for Excellence in Journalism• Proposed nine elements of journalism• First obligation to the truth; first loyalty to citizens;

verification; independence

So too journalism• Project for Excellence in Journalism• Proposed nine elements of journalism• First obligation to the truth; first loyalty to citizens;

verification; independence; monitor of power

So too journalism• Project for Excellence in Journalism• Proposed nine elements of journalism• First obligation to the truth; first loyalty to citizens;

verification; independence; monitor of power; provide forum for criticism and compromise

So too journalism• Project for Excellence in Journalism• Proposed nine elements of journalism• First obligation to the truth; first loyalty to citizens;

verification; independence; monitor of power; provide forum for criticism and compromise; make significant interesting

So too journalism• Project for Excellence in Journalism• Proposed nine elements of journalism• First obligation to the truth; first loyalty to citizens;

verification; independence; monitor of power; provide forum for criticism and compromise; make significant interesting; news is comprehensive and proportional

So too journalism• Project for Excellence in Journalism• Proposed nine elements of journalism• First obligation to the truth; first loyalty to citizens;

verification; independence; monitor of power; provide forum for criticism and compromise; make significant interesting; news is comprehensive and proportional; practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience

Which brings us to Accuracy, Fairness & Objectivity

Bob Woodward“the best obtainable version of the truth...”

Accuracy

Accuracy• Most important characteristic of any story

Accuracy• Most important characteristic of any story• Check every name, number, quote... every detail

Accuracy• Most important characteristic of any story• Check every name, number, quote... every detail• John Hopkins University = F/E

Accuracy• Most important characteristic of any story• Check every name, number, quote... every detail• John Hopkins University = F/E• You’ll never have all the facts, but the ones you have must

be accurate

Then, is it fair?

Then, is it fair?• You can be accurate but unfair. How?

Consider this lede• “Three teenagers died Tuesday night after eating at a

Sarasota area Taco Bell restaurant.”

Then, is it fair?• You can be accurate but unfair. How?• Get all sides of story

Then, is it fair?• You can be accurate but unfair. How?• Get all sides of story• Relate circumstances

Which brings us to objectivity

Which brings us to objectivity• Most mainstream journalists contend they strive for

objectivity... even at pubs such as Time, Newsweek, NY Times, Washington Post et. al

Which brings us to objectivity• Most mainstream journalists contend they strive for

objectivity... even at pubs such as Time, Newsweek, NY Times, Washington Post et. al

• Objective = provable

Which brings us to objectivity• Most mainstream journalists contend they strive for

objectivity... even at pubs such as Time, Newsweek, NY Times, Washington Post et. al

• Objective = provable• “Properly understood, objectivity provides the method

most likely to yield the best obtainable version of the truth.”

Assignments 9/10• IR pages 74-81

Assignments 9/10• IR pages 74-81• Your first interview! Find somebody – in your family, a

neighbor, a friend, in your church – who is a veteran of the U.S. military. You will interview them

Assignments 9/10• Take great notes: what service, where did they serve,

combat?, rank progression, what did they learn, would they do again, how did it change attitudes about country, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

Assignments 9/10• Take great notes: what service, where did they serve,

combat?, rank progression, what did they learn, would they do again, how did it change attitudes about country, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

• Get some complete, direct quotes… everything exactly as he/she said it

Assignments 9/10• Take great notes: what service, where did they serve,

combat?, rank progression, what did they learn, would they do again, how did it change attitudes about country, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.

• Get some complete, direct quotes… everything exactly as he/she said it

• You will turn in your HAND-WRITTEN interview notes (at least three pages!!)