Lecture dynamics of mass communication (9th edition) chapter 12 joseph r dominick

THE DYNAMICS OF MASS COMMUNCATION Joseph R Dominick University of Georgia Athens McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Specific Media Professions McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Chapter 12 Chapter Outline News Gathering and Reporting McGraw­Hill Deciding What Is News Categories of News and Reporting The News Flow Technology The Wire Services Media Differences in News Coverage Readership and Viewership News Online News Gathering and Reporting © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Deciding What Is News • Five elements of newsworthy events      McGraw­Hill Timeliness Proximity Prominence Consequence Humaninterest â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Deciding What Is News ã Economicfactorsalsodetermine coverage – Cost of covering stories – Fit within the organization’s look – Conflicts of interest McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Categories of News and Reporting • Three categories of news – Hard news • Who, What, Where, When, How  • Public events • Significance for large numbers of people • Print media  – Inverted pyramid form – Hard lead • Broadcast media – Square format  – Hard or soft lead McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Categories of News and Reporting – Soft news, or feature news • Interests the audience • Informs, entertains, instructs,  inspires • Uses most formats except inverted  pyramid • E! People 60 Minutes McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Categories of News and Reporting Investigative reports unearth  significant information about matters  of public importance through the use  of time­intensive, non­routine news­ gathering methods McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved The News Flow • Print Media – Sources of news – staff reporting and  wire services General­assignment reporter heFlow Copydesk McGrawưHill Cityeditor Managingeditors â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved The News Flow ã Broadcast Media – News sources– wire service, news services, and  reporters Assignment editor he Flow Field reporter and  camera crew McGraw­Hill Tape editor Newsproducer Newsanchor Newswritersand productionassistants Newscast â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Technology ã Advanceshavechangedmobilelive newscoveragesignificantly – Small, lightweight digital video cameras – Satellite dish­equipped vans or trucks – Laptop computer video editing – Videophones stream audio and video  over a satellite phone connection McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved The Wire Services • Provide newspapers with external  coverage • Primary U.S. wire services National Wire – Associated Press  (AP) – United Press International   (UPI) State bureau chief Local bureau chief Local event story McGraw­Hill E RS R I W I BE R C S B U S â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved The Wire Services ã CompetitionforAPandUPI TheNewYorkTimesNewsService Los Angeles Times News Service – Washington Post News Service – Gannett’s News Service – Britain’s Reuters – France’s Agence­France­Press McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Media Differences in News Coverage • The news media – unique strengths and weaknesses – Print: in­depth, more coverage, handles details  difficult to get by voice, good at facts and  information, permanence – Broadcast: greater immediacy, personal, credibility,  presentation of impressions, public, no interaction  required – Online: links to other information and activities,  audio and video possible, credibility an issue, good  at presenting facts and information, permanence McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Media Differences in News Coverage ã Print,Online,andBroadcastJournalists Broadcast news anchors achieve star status • Appearance and personalities important to the  public • Print and online reporters remain relatively  anonymous • News Consultants – Most noticeable in broadcast – Introduced the audience survey to news coverage – Have homogenizing effect on local news McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Media Differences in News Coverage Similarities Among the News Media  Journalistic principles Integrity Objectivity Honesty Accuracy Balance McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Readership and Viewership • Pew Charitable Trusts Research  Center Survey (2002) Internet is a significant news source 35% of Americans go online for news  1+ times/wk Number of people who get their news  from broadcast or print  McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Readership and Viewership Source Credibility highest TV Majoronlinenewssites Printmedia lowest McGrawưHill Newsonportalsites â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved Online Journalism ã Typesofonlinenewssources – Mainstream general  • CNN.com • usatoday.com – News aggregator • Google • Yahoo – Specialized news focus • ESPN.com Blogs • W.S. Journal: http://online.wsj.com/public/us McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved News Online Profession’s perspective Problematic entry requirements   Threat of shoddy journalism Economic threat of sites with little to lose Audience’s perspective Journalist’s perspective New tools for reporting More news sources Customizable news More access for less work CAR required  Email alerts   Backpack journalism Searchable archives McGrawưHill â2007TheMcGrawưHillCompanies,Inc.AllRightsreserved News Gathering and Reporting ã Jobsscarceeveninanimprovedeconomy ã Newspapers&magazinesreducedhiring • Most radio stations reduced or eliminated  news • Fierce competition for TV positions • Online journalism positions down • Some hope for producers and videographers • Start small and local, then work up and out McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved  ... BroadcastMedia Newssourceswireservice,newsservices,and reporters Assignment editor he Flow Field reporter and  camera crew McGraw­Hill Tape editor News producer News anchor Newswriters and  production assistants... Significance for large numbers? ?of? ?people • Print media  – Inverted pyramid form – Hard lead • Broadcast media – Square format  – Hard or soft lead McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved... Media Professions McGraw­Hill © 2007 The McGraw­Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights reserved Chapter 12 Chapter Outline News Gathering and Reporting McGraw­Hill Deciding What Is News Categories of