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Joseph R. Dominick

University of Georgia--Athens

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Part IV

Specific Media Professions

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Chapter 12

News Gathering and ReportingDeciding What Is NewsCategories of News and ReportingThe News FlowTechnologyThe Wire ServicesMedia Differences in News CoverageReadership and ViewershipNews OnlineNews Gathering and ReportingC

hapt

er O

utlin

e

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Five elements of newsworthy events Timeliness Proximity Prominence Consequence Human interest

Deciding What Is News

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Economic factors also determine coverage Cost of covering stories Fit within the organization’s look Conflicts of interest

Deciding What Is News

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Three categories of newsHard news

Who, What, Where, When, How Public eventsSignificance for large numbers of peoplePrint media

Inverted pyramid form Hard lead

Broadcast media Square format Hard or soft lead

Categories of News and Reporting

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Soft news, or feature newsInterests the audienceInforms, entertains, instructs, inspiresUses most formats except inverted pyramidE! People 60

Minutes

Categories of News and Reporting

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Categories of News and Reporting

Investigative reports unearth significant information about matters of public importance through the use of time-intensive, non-routine news-gathering methods.

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Print MediaSources of news – staff reporting and wire services

The News Flow

General-assignment reporter

City editor

Copy desk

Managing editors

The F

low

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Broadcast MediaNews sources– wire service, news services, and reporters

The News Flow

Tape editor Newscast

The F

low

Assignment editor News producer

Field reporter and

camera crew

Newswriters and

production assistants

News anchor

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Advances have changed mobile live news

coverage significantlySmall, lightweight digital video cameras

Satellite dish-equipped vans or trucks

Laptop computer video editing

Videophones stream audio and video over a

satellite phone connection

Technology

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Provide newspapers with external coveragePrimary U.S. wire services

Associated Press (AP)United Press International (UPI)

The Wire Services

Local event story

Local bureau chief

State bureau chief

National Wire

WIRE

SUBSCRIBERS

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Competition for AP and UPIThe New York Times News ServiceLos Angeles Times News ServiceWashington Post News ServiceGannett’s News ServiceBritain’s ReutersFrance’s Agence-France-Press

The Wire Services

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The news media – unique strengths and weaknessesPrint: in-depth, 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

Media Differences in News Coverage

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Print, Online, and Broadcast Journalists Broadcast news anchors achieve star status

Appearance and personalities important to the publicAudience’s sense of empathy

Print and online reporters remain relatively anonymous

News ConsultantsMost noticeable in broadcastIntroduced the audience survey to news coverageHave homogenizing effect on local news

Media Differences in News Coverage

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Similarities Among the News Media

Media Differences in News Coverage

HonestyAccuracyObjectivityBalanceIntegrityJournalistic principles

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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

Readership and Viewership

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Readership and Viewership

Source Credibility

TVMajor online news sites

News on portal sites

Print media

highest

lowest

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Types of online news sourcesMainstream general

CNN.comusatoday.com

News aggregatorGoogleYahoo

Specialized news focusESPN.comWall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/public/us

News Online

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News Online

Journalist’s perspective

New tools for reporting

More access for less work

CAR required

Backpack journalism

Audience’s perspective

More news sources

Customizable news

Email alerts

Searchable archives

Profession’s perspective

Problematic entry requirements

Threat of shoddy journalism

Economic threat of sites with little to lose

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Current weak economy makes jobs scarceNewspaper staff reductions and cutbacksMost radio stations reduced or eliminated newsFierce competition for TV positionsOnline journalism positions downSome hope for producers and videographersStart small and local, then work up and out

News Gathering and Reporting