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Chapter 14: Essay
Essay
1. Name and explain at least three elements that contribute to the newsworthiness of an event.
ANSWER:
There is a set of conventional criteria for determining newsworthiness—that is to say,
information most worthy of turning into news stories. Journalists are taught to find
and develop news stories relying on one or more of these criteria: timeliness,
proximity, conflict, prominence, human interest, consequence, usefulness, novelty,
and deviance. I will look at three and explain them: timeliness, prominence, and
human interest. Timeliness is about getting a story that is new, about an event that
just happened. As for prominence, most people identify more closely with an
individual than with an abstract issue. Therefore, the news media tend to report
stories that feature prominent, powerful, or influential people. And human interest:
reporters look for human-interest stories—extraordinary incidents that happen to
"ordinary" people.
2. Name the conventional criteria for determining newsworthiness, and give examples of each.
ANSWER:
Journalists are taught to select and develop news stories relying on one or more of
these criteria: timeliness, proximity, conflict, prominence, human interest,
consequence, usefulness, novelty, and deviance. Most issues and events that
journalists select as news are timely, or new. In addition, most of these events have to
occur close by, or in proximity to, readers and viewers. News stories tend to be
narratives and contain conflict, which is a key ingredient in narrative writing.
Surveys of readers and viewers conclude that most people identify more closely with
an individual than with an abstract issue. Therefore, the news media report stories
that feature prominent, powerful, or influential people. Reporters also look for
human-interest stories, which are extraordinary incidents that happen to ordinary
people. Two other criteria for newsworthiness are consequence and usefulness. For
example, stories about issues or events that affect a family's income or change a
community's laws have consequence. Likewise, many people look for stories with a
practical use: hints on buying a used car or choosing a college, strategies for training
a pet or removing a stain. Finally, news is often about the novel and the deviant.
When events happen that are outside the routine of daily life, such as a nine-year-old
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Chapter 14: Essay
ANSWER:
The Greek philosopher Aristotle is credited with the golden mean. It is a guideline
for seeking balance between competing positions and is about finding a desirable
middle ground between extreme positions, usually with one regarded as too little and
the other as too much. For example, Aristotle saw ambition as the balance between
sloth and greed. In the case of the undercover reporters, maybe they could use an
audio recording to get the story.
An ethical principle put forth by German philosopher Immanuel Kant entails the
categorical imperative, which is the idea that a society must adhere to moral codes
that are universal and unconditional, applicable in all situations at all times—for
example, the Golden Rule, which tells us to do unto others as we would have them do
unto us.
British philosophers Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill promoted an ethical
principle derived from "the greatest good for the greatest number." This principle
directs people to distribute a good consequence to more people rather than to fewer,
when we have a choice. This may be the best option because it is the closest to
fulfilling the criteria of usefulness.
4. How has convergence with the Internet changed the demands on traditional print and
broadcast journalists?
ANSWER:
Convergence with the Internet has changed the demands on traditional print and
broadcast journalists. For mainstream print and TV reporters and editors, online news
has added new dimensions to journalism. Both print and TV news can continually
update breaking stories online, and many reporters now post their online stories first
online and then work on traditional versions. This means that readers and viewers no
longer have to wait until the next day for the morning paper or for the local evening
newscast for important stories. To enhance the online reports, which do not have the
time or space constraints of television or print, newspaper reporters are increasingly
required to provide video or audio for their stories. This allows readers and viewers
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Chapter 14: Essay
databases and other informational sites can keep reporters at their computers rather
than out finding sources, tracking down new kinds of information, and staying in
touch with their communities.
5. What is public journalism? What are two potential benefits and two potential criticisms of
public journalism?
ANSWER:
Public journalism is best thought of as a conversational model for news practice.
Public journalism is driven by citizen forums, community conversations, and even
talk shows.
Before people knew the impact of the Internet, public journalism served as a response
to the many citizens who felt alienated from participating in public life. This
alienation arose, in part, from viewers who watched passively as the political process
seemed to play out in the news and on TV between party operatives and media
pundits. Editors and reporters interested in addressing citizen alienation began
creating ways to engage people as conversational partners in determining the news.
Journalists began sponsoring citizen forums, where readers would have a voice in
shaping aspects of the news that directly affected them.
With the loss of classified ad revenue and the rise of free advertising online,
newspaper executives cut reporting staffs and expensive investigative projects. They
also reduced the print space for news or converted to online-only operations. These
trends limited the range of stories told and the views represented in a community.
Historian Christopher Lasch argued that the job of the press is to encourage debate,
not to supply the public with information. Lasch made an interesting point about how
conventional journalism had lost its bearings. He felt that the early mission of
journalism was to advocate opinions and encourage public debate and that these had
been relegated to alternative magazines, the editorial pages, news blogs, and cable
news channels starring allegedly elite reporters.
Today, more community-oriented journalism and other civic projects offer citizens
an opportunity to deliberate and to influence their leaders.
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Chapter 14: Essay
ANSWER:
I get my news from Stephen Colbert. He makes the news interesting, and even
though he has a liberal leaning, he still gives us the facts of what has happened. His
jokes make it all digestible. These shows use humor and detailed research to critique
the news media and our political system. SNL's sketches on GOP vice-presidential
candidate Sarah Palin in 2008, when Seth Meyers served as the show's head writer,
drew large audiences and shaped the way younger viewers thought about the
election.
For many young people, it is especially frustrating that two wealthy, established
political parties—beholden to special interests and their lobbyists—control the
nation's government. This makes it easy to see how people can be cynical about
politics, and it is this cynicism that has drawn increasingly young audiences to these
so-called fake news shows. In critiquing the limits of news stories and politics, The
Daily Show has historically parodied the narrative conventions of evening and cable
news programs. This includes the clipped eight-second sound bite that limits
meaning; the formulaic shot of the TV news "stand up," depicting reporters "on
location" to establish credibility by revealing that they were really there; and the
talking heads and opinionated pundits of CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. In a now
famous 2004 exchange with actor-comedian Rob Corddry, former host Jon Stewart
asked his "political correspondent" for his opinion about presidential campaign
tactics. Corddry said that he didn't have opinions; he was just a reporter, and his job
was "to spend half the time repeating what one side says, and half the time repeating
the other." This sums up exactly what the "real" news does to news.
8. Imagine you could choose to work for either a conventional news outlet or one that has
adopted more of a social responsibility model. What qualities would you find most appealing and
unappealing about each option? Which would you end up choosing, and why?
ANSWER:
As it is believed that journalists need to become activists, not for a particular party
but for the political process and in the interest of reenergizing public life, I would
choose any outlet that did just this. For those who advocate for public journalism, this
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1. An underlying value held by many U.S. journalists and citizens, _______ pastoralism favors
the small over the large and the rural over the urban.
ANSWER:
small-town
2. The most prominent value underpinning daily journalism in the United States is _______.
ANSWER:
individualism
3. _______ ethics suggests that reporters should never use deception to get a story.
ANSWER:
Absolutist
4. Making ethical decisions on a case-by-case basis is called _______ ethics.
ANSWER:
situational
5. John Stuart Mill's ethical principle was to promote the "greatest _______ for the greatest
number" of people.
ANSWER:
good
6. _______ refers to the merging of print and broadcast news with online news.
ANSWER:
Convergence
7. A type of journalism driven by citizen forums, _______ journalism goes beyond telling the
news to embrace a broader mission of improving the quality of public life.
ANSWER:
public
Multiple Choice
1. The set of criteria for deciding what is newsworthy has evolved over time.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
2. An inverted-pyramid lead, carefully attributed sources, and limited use of adverbs and
adjectives are the hallmarks of a neutral news story.
a.
True
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b.
False
ANSWER:
a
3. Herbert Gans found that beliefs like ethnocentrism and small-town pastoralism consistently
affect American journalists' judgment.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
4. Newspaper editors feel that the public's right to know always outweighs other issues,
including national security.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
5. Journalists routinely straddle a line between the public's right to know and a person's right to
privacy.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
6. Two ethical questions emerged from the case of Richard Jewell and the Olympic Park
bombing in 1996. Should the media have camped out at his and his mother's home, and should
the media have named him a suspect even though he was never charged with a crime?
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
7. According to modern reporting rituals, journalists do not have to rely on outside expert
sources for information if they are experts on a subject themselves.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
8. The quest for balance in a story presents problems for journalists because they do not always
have time or space to tell both sides of the story.
a.
True
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b.
False
ANSWER:
a
9. Many journalists take great pride in asking tough questions and acting as adversaries to the
prominent political leaders and major institutions they cover.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
a
10. The public journalism movement asks reporters to remain detached from their communities
and avoid involvement that could reveal a point of view.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
11. Satirical news shows like The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Full Frontal with Samantha
Bee seek only to entertain, not inform, viewers.
a.
True
b.
False
ANSWER:
b
12. Which of the following is NOT one of the techniques outlined by NBC news president
Reuven Frank in 1963 as an effective way to tell a news story?
a.
A story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end.
b.
A story should include colorful descriptions that may or may not be factual.
c.
A story should have structure and conflict.
d.
A story should have rising and falling action.
ANSWER:
b
13. Which of the following is NOT one of the basic criteria of newsworthiness?
a.
human interest
b.
proximity
c.
timeliness
d.
consensus
ANSWER:
d
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14. Quotes are most closely identified with which of the following types of news?
a.
print news
b.
TV news
ANSWER:
a
15. Based on the criteria a local broadcaster would use to determine newsworthiness, which of
the following stories would most likely be covered?
a.
Two local city council members get into a heated argument over building a new statue
to honor a local celebrity.
b.
People in a small foreign nation elect a new president.
c.
Two local city council members agree to spend ten dollars on a new sign for the
council chambers.
d.
A local woman takes in a stray cat.
ANSWER:
a
16. The inverted pyramid is most closely identified with which of the following types of news?
a.
print news
b.
TV news
ANSWER:
a
17. One of the main reasons newspaper organizations started wanting their reporters to write in a
neutral, detached style was that
a.
it would take less ink than printing stories with lots of adjectives.
b.
it would help reporters determine what is newsworthy.
c.
it would alienate fewer potential subscribers and advertisers.
d.
the tradition of a partisan press had become too old-fashioned.
ANSWER:
c
18. Historically, "objectivity" became valuable for newspapers and journalists because
a.
it was highly valued by Joseph Pulitzer.
b.
offending the smallest number of people meant earning the largest profit.
c.
the general public loved the partisan press.
d.
reporters had a desire to be "fair and balanced" for society's sake.
ANSWER:
b
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19. Herbert Gans studied the newsroom cultures of CBS, NBC, Newsweek, and Time during the
1970s. Which of the following is NOT one of the enduring values he identified within these
newsroom cultures?
a.
a preference for large-scale, urban settings and a focus on cities rather than rural
communities
b.
a focus on the power of individuals to overcome obstacles and personal adversity
c.
a relatively pro-capitalist assumption that businesses compete for the well-being of the
community rather than merely to increase profits
d.
a tendency to judge other nations based on how they live up to American values
ANSWER:
a
20. According to the textbook, which of the following ideas did NOT develop into an underlying
subjective value in the culture of American journalism?
a.
ethnocentrism
b.
individualism
c.
responsible capitalism
d.
large urban city values
ANSWER:
d
21. By ethnocentrism, Gans meant that in most news reporting, reporters
a.
only cover news about Caucasians.
b.
tell international stories from a variety of global perspectives.
c.
center their reporting around ethnic issues.
d.
tell international stories from a largely American point of view.
ANSWER:
d
22. One problem with journalists assuming the underlying value of responsible capitalism is that
a.
it can lead to a naïve belief that businesses compete to increase the prosperity of all
instead of maximizing their own profits.
b.
it can lead to a naïve belief that businesses are always evil and put their interests over
the prosperity of all.
c.
journalists understand too much about the financial issues related to the companies
that employ them.
d.
it can lead to too much critical coverage of the oligopolistic nature of today's
economy.
ANSWER:
a
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23. The value of favoring the small over the large and the rural over the urban is called
a.
ethnocentrism.
b.
individualism.
c.
responsible capitalism.
d.
small-town pastoralism.
ANSWER:
d
24. Which of the following would NOT be a conflict of interest for a journalist to accept from a
news source?
a.
a train ride
b.
a meal
c.
box seats for a baseball game
d.
information
ANSWER:
d
25. Which of the following could create a moral or an ethical dilemma?
a.
the Golden Rule, translated as treating others as you would want to be treated
b.
Aristotle's ideal of the "golden mean"
c.
Immanuel Kant's principle that society members should stick to universal codes of
behavior, such as honesty
d.
journalists reporting on misdeeds of an organization they belong to
ANSWER:
d
26. The textbook suggests that the best way for journalists to reach ethical decisions is by
a.
dealing with complex issues as they arise on a case-by-case basis.
b.
leaving all decisions to senior management.
c.
taking the time to work through several critical-thinking steps.
d.
choosing one ethical model (such as Aristotle's) and sticking with it absolutely.
ANSWER:
c
27. The textbook uses the news coverage of urban illegal drug problems as an example of
a.
how the amount of coverage a social problem gets in the news is tied to the actual
severity of that problem.
b.
how journalists in general are good at providing context for ongoing social problems.
c.
how news coverage can fail to offer strong continuing coverage of long-term social
problems, considering them old news.
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d.
how journalists can go undercover to get information.
ANSWER:
c
28. According to the textbook, which of the following is NOT characteristic of modern
journalism?
a.
It tends to rely on "expert" sources for information.
b.
It provides little historical context in most front-page stories.
c.
It provides detailed interpretation and analysis of news events.
d.
It creates an appearance that the reporter is neutral or detached.
ANSWER:
c
29. For most journalists, the bottom line is
a.
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
b.
"Fairness first."
c.
the public's right to know.
d.
"Get the story."
ANSWER:
d
30. Scoop behavior, in which reporters stake out a house or chase celebrities, is called
a.
situational ethics.
b.
herd journalism.
c.
individualism.
d.
conflict of interest.
ANSWER:
b
31. Journalism critics say the quest for balance can lead to all of the following problems
EXCEPT
a.
stories that misrepresent complex issues as two-sided dramas.
b.
quotes that may have been selected for the purpose of drama rather than fairness.
c.
stories that serve business interests rather than journalistic interests.
d.
views that represent people who hold a middle position.
ANSWER:
d
32. ______ refers to the moment when the reporter nabs the wrongdoer.
a.
Balanced conflict
b.
Herd journalism
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c.
Ethnocentrism
d.
A gotcha story
ANSWER:
d
33. Why have local TV newscasts developed a similar look since the 1970s?
a.
TV news directors copied one another.
b.
Local news programs became syndicated.
c.
Stations hired news consultants, who advised them to buy national prepackaged
formats.
d.
Technology dictated that news programs look alike.
ANSWER:
c
34. Which of the following did NOT result from hiring television news consultants?
a.
Local news directors purchased national prepackaged formats.
b.
Local news put its issues-oriented reporting at the forefront, often starting newscasts
with those stories.
c.
A culture of "if it bleeds, it leads" developed in the industry.
d.
Everything from music to opening graphics developed a similar look across the
country.
ANSWER:
b
35. Pretty faces are most closely identified with which of the following types of news?
a.
print news
b.
TV news
ANSWER:
b
36. Ad-libbed or scripted banter that goes on among local news anchors, reporters,
meteorologists, and sports reporters before and after news reports is called
a.
happy talk.
b.
crime blocks.
c.
pretty face.
d.
sound bites.
ANSWER:
a
37. The sound bite in a TV news report is the equivalent of a ______ in a newspaper story.
a.
source
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b.
byline
c.
lead paragraph
d.
quote
ANSWER:
d
38. Sound bites are most closely identified with which of the following types of news?
a.
print news
b.
TV news
ANSWER:
b
39. Which of the following is true about sound bites?
a.
They are the TV equivalent of a photograph in newspapers.
b.
Their average length has increased since the 1960s.
c.
They are usually quite brief and can come from an expert, a celebrity, a victim, or a
person-in-the-street.
d.
They are part of a newspaper article.
ANSWER:
c
40. The growing trend of twenty-four-hour cable news stations filling time with "talking head"
pundits
a.
enables the stations to spend less money on producing good journalism.
b.
allows these stations to appeal to the broadest possible audience by not offending
viewers.
c.
displays a continued rejection of the "partisan press" roots of American journalism.
d.
encourages civil conversation about American politics.
ANSWER:
a
41. Which of the following is NOT true about the growing use of "talking head" pundits on cable
news networks?
a.
Pundits have charisma and opinions but are often weak on facts.
b.
It makes an effort to target niche news audiences rather than a larger general audience.
c.
The return to partisan news could be seen as a return to journalistic practices of the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
d.
The use of pundits is a more expensive strategy for filling the twenty-four-hour news
cycle.
ANSWER:
d
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42. Which of the following is NOT a change the Internet has wrought on traditional journalism?
a.
News reporters are increasingly required to have video and audio elements in their
stories.
b.
News consumers can more often see entire interviews instead of only sound bites.
c.
Both print and TV news can continually update breaking news stories online.
d.
E-mail interviews allow journalists to get more spontaneity out of interview subjects.
ANSWER:
d
43. While the Internet has provided many new tools for journalists, what is a potential Internet
pitfall for reporters?
a.
The enormous amount of information on the web makes it harder to copy the work of
other journalists.
b.
Print journalists are being told to focus on reporting and leave video and camera work
to others.
c.
The enormous amount of information available on databases and other sites can keep
reporters at their desks rather than out in the community finding stories and
cultivating sources.
d.
Journalists are allowed to tell their story via only one medium.
ANSWER:
c
44. Tweeting and blogging are
a.
considered a waste of time by almost all news organizations.
b.
mostly ignored by news media audiences.
c.
a journalism fad that has passed.
d.
becoming required duties for journalists.
ANSWER:
d
45. A journalist who practices an informational or modern model approach to journalism would
most likely be inclined to focus a story about a crime spree around
a.
presenting official comments and statistics in a neutral manner.
b.
taking an advocacy stance.
c.
condemning the criminals involved.
d.
acknowledging his or her own point of view.
ANSWER:
a
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46. In which way does the current trend toward public journalism differ from modern
journalism?
a.
It moves away from just telling the news to becoming involved in community life.
b.
It insists that neutrality and objectivity are essential to any type of journalism.
c.
It moves to increase editorial control in the newsroom and encourage the detached
watchdog mission of journalists.
d.
It does not propose solutions to the political and social problems of the day.
ANSWER:
a
47. Which of the following is a characteristic of public journalism?
a.
a focus on the most recent events
b.
a "he said–she said" format for reporting news
c.
an emphasis on human-interest stories to attract readers
d.
community engagement and ability to shape the news
ANSWER:
d
48. Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons the public journalism movement was in
decline by 2000?
a.
It failed to gain the support of many mainstream editors.
b.
Many reporters were partial to a detachment model of journalism.
c.
It had less credibility with the public.
d.
Many reporters were wary of becoming too involved with the communities they
covered.
ANSWER:
c
49. Which of the following is NOT true about fake news programs such as The Daily Show with
Trevor Noah and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver?
a.
Their success might be attributed in part to the audience's cynicism about politics and
politicians.
b.
They not only satirize people in the news but critique the news media as well.
c.
They are simply about telling jokes and never try to express any larger truth.
d.
They can trace their roots back to the 1970s, when Saturday Night Live started
running "Weekend Update."
ANSWER:
c
50. Which of the following is a basic tenet, or belief, of conventional journalism?
a.
Reporters have a moral and ethical duty to help improve civic life.
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b.
Journalists should help improve political discourse.
c.
A free press should question the government.
d.
Journalists need to become activists for engaging the public in the political process.
ANSWER:
c
