IANS -- Intro and Ch1
I have poked fun at the weaknesses of TV news, but this book might give you the false impression that all journalists are morons, since the authors of It Ain't Necessarily So provide example after example of cases in which journalists seem to fail in their goal of presenting the news objectively and fairly.
I don't think that we need to ascribe sinister motives to every instance where a journalist makes a mistake, but IANS has a good discussion about the gate-keeping function of the traditional suppliers of news. You guys have already heard me talk about how the blogosphere has changed the role of the gate-keepers, who used to be able to bury a story by not following up on it. Now, bloggers who get upset about a small news item can make it big.
Consider that Newsweek spiked the story that broke big news about Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky, but Matt Drudge went ahead with the story on his blog. Or, consider that Trent Lott made comments that were decried as racially insensitive during a 100 year birthday party for Strom Thurmond, and that The Washington Post and other members of the established press did not publish the remarks in question (in which Lott noted that Thurmond once ran for the presidency on a pro-segregation, and suggested the country would be better off if he had in fact won). But bloggers who heard about it made a fuss, which resulted in Lott's resignation form a high-profile spokesman position in the Senate though he stayed on as a senator).
- Scandalous scoop breaks online (Drudge breaking Monicagate)
- Bloggers catch what Washington Post missed (Trent Lott story)
7 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: IANS -- Intro and Ch1.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://jerz.setonhill.edu/mt-jerz/mt-tb45623.cgi/354
Throughout Ch. 1 the authors gave several examples of reports that were optimistic and ignored the negative sides to those findings. Why not report on the 5,717 drop in AIDS cases between the years of 1994 and 1995 and only... Read More
While reading the intro. and first chapter of It Ain't Necessarily So, I thought I had a good angle for my blog. Then I got to the last few pages of chapter one and realized they had the same angle... Read More
For our IANS readings of the introduction and Part 1: The introduction was a little long, but gave good depth in what the book would talk about and alos an inside look at what journalism is broken down in to. It... Read More
In reading chapter 1 of IANS I have to say I'm somewhat shocked, but really just disappointed in the news writing world. As we have argued elsewhere, the media's coverage of AIDS has tended (to reverse the words of songwriter... Read More
Between Dr. Sassmore and the first chapter of It Ain't Necessarily So, I felt like they both covered the same thing. The media candy-coats every little detail, to make it more appealing and important. I loved the way that Dr.... Read More
Sorry to bother you so early, but I just wanted to know what the reading assignment is. Thanks!!!
It's no bother, and it's not that early. I've gone ahead and filled out all the readings for this book. We're reading the whole book, so you can read ahead if you like, but choose your agenda items from the selections indicated. Note that we're discussing this book on five different days, so you should end up with five different agenda items, and you should post 2-4 comments for each agenda item. We won't spend five days in a row on this book -- there are some other things we'll be doing, too.
I am sure trackback will work after I leave this comment, but if it does not here is the link to my blog on the introduction. http://blogs.setonhill.edu/MitchellSteele/2007/10/shateed.html
I am sure trackback will work after I leave this comment, but if it does not here is the link to my blog on the introduction. http://blogs.setonhill.edu/MitchellSteele/2007/10/shateed.html
Again, I am sure trackback will end up working at some point, but to be safe I am leaving this link to my blog about chapter 1. http://blogs.setonhill.edu/MitchellSteele/2007/10/shateed_1.html
Again, the trackbacks have failed me...
Here's my entry: http://blogs.setonhill.edu/VanessaKolberg/021890.html
My blog entry: http://blogs.setonhill.edu/JacquelynJohns/2007/10/the_notsoinvisible_observer.html
http://blogs.setonhill.edu/TiffanyGilbert/2007/10/everyone_is_familiar_with_the.html
Read my entry....please!
i hope this works...third time's a charm
http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DaniellaChoynowski/2007/10/paranoia_1.html
Here is my blog entry. http://blogs.setonhill.edu/JeremyBarrick/2007/10/it_aint_necessarily_so_el227_c.html
Better late than never?
The trackback didn't work, here it is.
http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ChelseaOliver/2007/10/oh_memories.html
Dr. Jerz, I think the fever is returning. You were a live wire during lecture today. It was a good time. Thanks- The evil Lord Vader!!!!!
Trackback didn't work. Sorry I didn't notice it right away.
It also might help if the URL showed up for my entry.
Ok, so that still didn't work. Here it is http://blogs.setonhill.edu/EllenEinsporn/2007/10/live_and_learn.html
I wish I could blame it on cough medicine or something, but in truth I think I'm just very happy to be this far along the road to recovery, and very happy that EL227 (which was the class I worried about most when I was ill) seems to have weathered my illness without suffering any lasting damage.
Thanks for putting up with me as I used you in the bit about the imaginary political contest between you and Tiffany. I think that was going pretty well even before I brought in the Vader sound effects.
Here is my blog. http://blogs.setonhill.edu/CoreyStruss/2007/10/it_is_necessarily_so.html