One topic that I am interested in is how the general public views the media. A 2009 study from the Pew Research Center found that distrust in the media has grown. According to the results, 63 percent of those surveyed said that news articles were often inaccurate.
Check out the entire New York Times article at...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/business/media/14survey.html
So what can we, as future journalists, do to fix this problem? It's easy to say things like, "Be accurate, get both sides, etc." But sometimes it's not that easy.
What do you think?
Journalism is an exciting and field requiring perseverance and some aggressiveness by those hoping to become successful in the field. It is a competitive field that has changed dramatically over the last few years and is expected to continue changing as new technology is introduced. Careers in journalism require people who are independent, flexible, creative and highly innovative.
In your opinion, do you feel that these characteristics can be taught? Can someone be trained how to be aggressive, innovative or gung ho? In the Journalism field, is a person with an outgoing personality more likely to be successful than someone who is withdrawn?
The results from the Pew Research Center survey are very upsetting - 63 percent of respondents said news articles were often inaccurate. What? My first question is who were these people being interviewed? And what paper do they read? Do they already have bias thoughts about the paper -obviously so.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think the pressure that journalist face everyday could be a direct correlation to the inaccuracy in news reports. Newspapers seem to be caught up in pushing out the fastest content instead of pushing out accurate facts. In the end it's a number game instead of enhancing the credibility of the newspaper - which, will be our job as 'new journalist', to set the tone of double fact checking instead of just fact checking.
I definitely think having an outgoing personality will benefit those walking into the journalism field, as with any field. And the only way to enhance your self canvas is to take chances, make mistakes and be yourself. When you wipe the dirt off your hands and learn from your mistakes that's when your agressive and innovative character forms. I think these characters above are conditioned as we mature by discovering ourselves.
I think that one of the reasons people do not trust the news is because so much of it is sensationalized and one sided. Channels like Fox News and CNN often have "news" programs that are just people throwing their opinions back and forth with no real research to back it up. With the growing popularity of cable news and the Internet, I think it has just become harder to separate real news from opinion.
ReplyDeleteWhile some people are naturally more outgoing and aggressive, I do think that working in the news field can help people develop these skills. Being more withdrawn is probably a good thing at times, as sometimes we find out more information from just listening. I think ideally, a journalist needs to find a healthy balance and this probably comes with experience.
Above, Mauriah mentioned that news organizations are caught up in getting fast content rather than getting facts straight. I read a survey also done by the Pew Research Center that asked leaders in the news industry about the future of journalism. One of the main concerns that people who were unsure about the shift onto the internet was that accuracy would be lost with speed. I would like to know where the respondents to the survey mentioned in our blog were mainly receiving their news. Was it from the internet? newspapers? broadcast?
ReplyDeleteI think that an outgoing personality would be helpful in the journalism field as long as it's not over the top. You should be confident and stern when approaching people to ask questions but a journalist should not try to seek to be the center of attention in the conversation or event coverage.
Here's the link to the actual study on Pew's website...
ReplyDeletehttp://people-press.org/report/543/
It seems like the study targeted mainstream television outlets like Fox, CNN and MSNBC and print organizations like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
Perhaps I'm too idealistic, but I feel the credibility of journalists can be fixed if we put aside the "Corporate America" mindset. From what I've seen, Corporate America rewards mediocrity. They never want you to be too good. But in the journalism profession, I think we should always strive to do the best we can. We should never just settle, and I think that is what is happening in journalism today. News people are relying on the same old sensational stories that do not provide very much depth.
Plus, I also feel the political divides in news organizations help bring down their credibility, especially in TV news. As young journalists, perhaps we can try to put aside the politics and think beyond the corporate mindset. But I guess that's hard to do when jobs (or potential jobs) are on the line.
I think a lot of the personality traits that Alexis mentions can be learned. I think the chaotic atmosphere of a newsroom can bring out the aggressive side of a person. I know that I'm generally a quiet and shy person, but when it comes to getting my story, I generally put the shyness aside. That doesn't mean that I'm chasing down people and knocking at the doors of crying widows. I think you can definitely go overboard with it.
While there might be innate journalistic traits that some writers have, you must constantly be working to improve yourself in all areas of your field. Traits like creativity and flexibility really depend on the person. You can teach yourself to be more creative by examining the work of your predecessors in the field and learning from their mistakes and/or studying what aspects of their work that you can apply to your own.
ReplyDeleteYou must be independent, because as a journalist you must be willing to ask the tough questions, accept rejection at times and handle the criticism that comes when someone is upset with your article (someone almost always is)
Being independent really just comes with experience, time and getting more comfortable at the workplace. These things can be taught by yourself, and not necessarily from a boss or coworker. They all go hand in hand with one another.
In regards to the NYT article, it seems that many of these people polled are expressing their opinions about tv news, politics in specific. Polarization in this country splits political ideology right down the middle, so its not a surprise that we see a rise in distrust of news media after a very tight election. Everyone knows that democrats typically favor cnn/msnbc while republics tend to believe everything that Fox News has to say, but there is a lot more important news to cover than just politics. I would like to see what the numbers are in regards to specific newspapers or online sites, more of a barometer between the public's distrust in print compared to television.
I know we've talked extensively about the interview process itself already.....but here are two articles i stumbled upon online. Found a few helpful tips...
ReplyDeletehttp://finance.yahoo.com/news/25-Tips-for-Acing-the-Lunch-usnews-41690744.html?x=0
http://www.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2010/03/03/how-to-answer-10-tricky-interview-questions
http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-experts-10_phrases_that_can_sink_your_resume-115
I think the best way to change the public's view on the media is to write unbiased, fact driven articles using reliable sources. Of course that's easier said than done.
ReplyDeleteThe article focused on politics, but what about the other issues? If we lived in a perfect world where all news outlets were bipartisan people would complain that no one has an opinion.
Republicans have the "dimmest view" of news organizations because President Obama is a Democrat. If we had a Republican president it would be the other way around.
I think when people don't agree with politics, laws, or whatever they tend to not trust where the information comes from.
It is up to the journalists to help the public trust the news, but I also think the owners of the news companies have more clout to make changes. They set the tone and overall viewpoint of the company.
Being aggressive and outgoing will definitely help you build relationships and network. But it takes more than those qualities to make a good journalist.
Having people skills (knowing what and when to say) will get those tight lipped sources talking or get the unhelpful desk clerk to give you what you need.
I think it depends on what type of journalism you want to pursue. People that are aggressive will do better with investigative reporting. People that are shy may do better with entertainment reporting.
These traits are learned way before college, but it doesn't mean you can't change. Either way you should learn how to go both ways so you don't limit yourself.
I checked out the actual survey questions and honestly i would have answered along the lines of the results for the general public. The question regarding accuracy/facts in news was vague and didn't distinguish between topics reported nor clarify exactly what constitutes accuracy. When you ask people a general question, what comes to mind is usually the extreme sides -just think about it, what do you remember the most? -two articles that got it really wrong, or the half dozen that got it right?
ReplyDeleteAs for the bias, it's in almost every article i've read, so again i would go with public opinion. (It's not just the overt bias, but more so the subtle slants that make me say this.)
As for the journalism field requiring "people who are independent, flexible, creative and highly innovative", I think that's the case in almost all fields. And then about the aggressive/withdrawn business, I think it just depends upon what exactly you are doing and especially whom you're talking to. I don't think journalism requires you to be aggressive to the point of alienating people, I think persistence and dedication are more of a requirement than anything else. Like, Dell said you have to be able to handle criticisms and rejections, yet I think all these 'requirements' are things you pick up from life experiences -not necessarily things your job would teach you. I don't think you can go into a job expecting to be taught these sort of skills. More importantly, I think you should ignore the stereotype of the aggressive journalist (as there are plenty that don't fit into the extremes either way). The kind of journalist you become will be a culmination of what job you're doing, where you're doing it, the people you deal with (public and at work), and your experiences in life.
There will always be doubt by the public toward the media. Some is expected considering tabloid papers and what not. I think as journalists the only we can do (Individually) is strive to create trust. We all know the basics about fact checking, research, etc. but also doing factual, balanced stories that people are interested in is a very important thing. Often journalists do stories that they want to do or something they find interesting or easy and avoid the difficult topics. If they address the tough stuff and do it right, a certain level of trust can be obtained.
ReplyDeleteI think just as with any other profession, people are just naturally good at some things an not others. Also, certain technical skills can be taught, but there must first be the desire to learn. Flexibility isn't entirely a lost skill if you aren't born with it but it is definitely something that would be tough to learn if you arent comfortable with it. I would hope that if you are planning on entering the the journalism workforce you understand what is expected of you and have chosen this field because it does fit your natural skills and personality traits.
The public has lost trust in the media because the media became sloppy. I think that an educated, persevering journalist can make waves in the news business to change this stigma. Unfortunately, we need a mass of journalists to do just that. The media has found solace in political bias. We as new members of the media profession can change these numbers because we have the need to know the truth. But it will take some time to change the American public's mind about us, since it was those before us who screwed it up.
ReplyDeleteI was drawn to journalism for the adventure. Since then, it's taught me in order to get what I want I have to go find it, and fight for it. Journalism has taught me to be strong, and to stand up for myself. I think traits can be learned as long there are people willing to learn them.
As for the Trust in News Media article, opinions vary, therefore what one person believes in another might not, just as seen as the example of the Republican v. Democrat survey. News can be done lazily or out of the office in the scene of the event. Regardless, I'm sure some journalists make up things just to fill space, while others stick true to their personal ethics and uphold democracy. People have the right to either deny or believe the news they see and hear, and with so many varying opinions in this world, its inevitable that some will deny truth, and some will believe it.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Zach medicrity seems to be ok in today's world of journalism. The 24 hour news cycle is to blame for this. People want the news and people want it now. With tense competition in this field every journalist and every media company is racing to be first with the breaking news. In this race to be first double checking facts is not always done. I think this trend will continue as long as competion demands that everyone be first with the story. People will not fully trust main stream again. The good news is people will blogs that they will like and believe.
ReplyDeleteMost journalism skills can be thought. You have to have an education and you have to have the drive for the story. A withdrawn person may have trouble at first but I think even they will find the inner toughness that is need for this job.
I think that the results of the Pew study just affirm the the nature of the general public to remember and criticize only when something is not to their liking. Everyday tons of good goes unrecognized, but one slip-up and everyone has something to say. The vagueness of the article though is disheartening because a lot is lost with not presenting the survey for the reader the to see. The context of the questions in the survey is also important for the reader to gain a fair perspective. So maybe the survey reuslts do have a leg to stand on. Face-value articles aren't enough to appease the audiences willingness to know, people need the hard facts and well rounded coverage.
ReplyDeleteI think you can learn to be independent by being in a situation where you have no other choice but to do whatever it is for yourself and become independent, else fail. It's called survival. If you depend on other's to do whatever it is that needs to be done, then you will always be dependent on others. As for being flexible, if you're not you probably won't have a job for long. I'm always being called in at work to fill someone else's shift. Do I always answer my phone? No. As for creativity, I think everybody is creative at something. You just need to find out what your creativeness is. some people are good writer's, other's are goood at visual designs. Since most of us are graduating, I hope you all found out your weaknesses and strengths are by now.
ReplyDeleteBeing credible is crucial. Many “journalist” can write stories, but whether their information is accurate is essential. In our fast pace world, journalist compete amongst one another to try to get their story out first. If your story is inaccurate and holds no truth, then who cares if you were the first to write about it? Once a journalist writes one inaccurate story, their credibility immediately goes down the drain. This is why, in my opinion, it is better to get your facts straight and not be the very first to publish the story then to be the first but deliver wrong information.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the journalism field definitely requires someone who possesses a strong personality. Someone with a shy personality is less likely to go up to an unfamiliar individual for an interview. This field requires people to constantly be on their feet and people who are not afraid to do things out of the norm (ie: going to Haiti to photograph the conditions/ write a story about the Haitians affected after spending time in a hospital or their town) Journalism is not a 9-5 job, a journalist works around the clock, therefore it takes a well-rounded individual with strong characteristic to be successful.
The story that stands out in my mind is a recent one from the *tbt. It was half a page and discussed two boys who were killed riding their bikes in Tampa. The one boy focused on for over half the article was a year older and white. The other boy had a paragraph, and no picture. I was infuriated by this imbalance. I searched for the original source, which was from the AP, and that article was completely balanced and didn't add all of the extra information. If the writer could find all that information for the other boy, he should have done the same for both, or had just left it out and stuck with the balanced story from AP.
ReplyDeleteI honestly think that introverted personalities are able to be just as successful. I am incredibly shy. It's taken me almost two years after I transfered to open up here when I have seen the same people every day. But in that time, I could tell you every person's first and last name, their hair color, where they sit in each class, their brand of laptop, etc. I've learned to be observant. I've learned to listen. I've learned to study people's traits and mannerisms. I've learned how to put myself in other people's shoes and discover how they think, then apply that to my own, compare and contrast.
I'm not saying an outgoing, aggressive personality can't do that, but it's always seemed easier for an introverted person to me. You can get a lot more from not talking to someone and turning invisible so they forget about you, than by jumping and diving headfirst into their life. I also know, as an introvert, I can be as uncomfortable as ever when I talk to someone, but I know how to suck it up, get what needs to be done done, and then freak out later.