(no subject)
10 zillion hours later, here it is! My annotated bibliography! Any proofreading you care to do is appreciated! <3
Fuller, Jack. "What Is News?" The Aims Of Argument. Ed. Timothy W. Crusius and Carolyn E. Channell. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. 752-759.
This excerpt from Fuller’s book News Values, whose target audience is the general public as well as America’s newest generation of reporters, discusses the importance of truth and fairness in the news. Fuller opens the chapter by pointing out that the definition of news is not and will never be universally agreed upon, but there are some standards to which all journalists should adhere. Fuller describes the different types of bias that journalists, as well as periodicals, often have. He states that what is considered significant news depends on different factors such as community and target audience. Fuller emphasizes the importance of intellectual honesty and fairness while delivering a news story. He suggests applying The Golden Rule to reporting, as well as limiting personal opinion. This excerpt is useful because it points out some of the faults in reporting today and the reasons those faults are present. Fuller is also a very reliable source because he has won the Pulitzer Prize and publishes The Chicago Tribune.
Squires, Jim. "The Impossibility Of Fairness." The Aims Of Argument. Ed. Timothy W. Crusius and Carolyn E. Channell. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. 767-770.
In this article, which appeared in the Media Studies Journal, Squires attempts to convince the public that journalism, except for a select group of periodicals, has been corrupted. Squires believes that professional standards no longer exist, and journalists are more interested in the entertainment value of a story, as opposed to the truth and accuracy of it. Squires admits that there will always be disagreement over what is considered "right" and "fair," but journalism today is downright unethical. Squires blames the corruption of journalism on the fact that entertainment groups, such as Time Warner, are producing news programs. He believes that this blurs the line between news and entertainment because news is seen as a profitable market, rather than an informative one. This article is useful because it presents a strong opinion regarding the ethics of journalism and why the standards have decreased.
Brown, Dan. "What Entertainment Journalism Needs Is A ‘60 Minutes.’" CBC Canada News. 12 August 2004. 27 October 2004. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/
vp_browndan/20040812./ html>
This column, which appeared on the CBC (Canada/British Columbia) News website, is aimed at the viewers of celebrity news programs such as Inside Edition and Access Hollywood. Brown writes to convince these readers that entertainment journalism needs a show that parallels the news program 60 Minutes. Brown believes that entertainment journalists do nothing more than cater to the needs of whichever celebrity they are interviewing or reporting on. He argues that entertainment journalists do not ask any of the tough, important questions that the public wants to know, but rather questions that avoid making the celebrity feel uncomfortable and questions that help the celebrity to promote themself as marketable and favorable. Brown believes that 60 Minutes reporters ask tough and critical questions no matter who they are interviewing, and this is what makes it such an upstanding news program. He contrasts the differences between the two types of journalism, and believes that entertainment journalism should not be called "journalism." This article is useful for two reasons. The first being that Brown discusses the difference between news journalism and entertainment journalism, a line that is often blurred. Celebrities constantly make headlines in newspapers and programs that are not "entertainment journalism." The second reason this article is useful is because Brown expresses the opinion that entertainment journalism should be held to the same standards as regular journalism. This portrays entertainment journalism as the equivalent of news journalism.
Goodwin, H. Eugene. Groping For Ethics In Journalism. Des Moines: The Iowa State University Press, 1983.
Groping For Ethics In Journalism addresses the many problems concerning ethics in the news and the factors that influence the ethics of journalism. In chapter two of this book Goodwin examines how advertising plays a role in determining what makes the news and how much time (or space) is dedicated to a particular story. Goodwin writes to convince his readers that advertising has become too dominant of a factor in journalism. He gives examples of instances when advertisers have influenced what stories are reported, as well as examples of advertisers cutting off financial support for papers because they did not agree with a story that was printed. Goodwin argues that papers print "soft news" (news about homes, gardening, etc.) because it is easier for the advertisers to sufficiently place their ads and appeal to a specific audience. Goodwin believes that newspaper editors are using news stories as "fillers" in between advertisements, not the other way around. This book is useful because it gives an example of how the news takes a backseat to advertisements, which is a form of entertainment in the sense that advertisers are only interested in making a profit. According to Goodwin, the actual news is seen as a low priority when putting together a paper or program.
Iglinski, Peter. "But Is It Journalism?" Poynter Online. 11 July 2002. The Poynter Institute. 27 October 2004. <http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?I/
d=95548sid=8>
In this article Iglinski writes to convince journalists that talk shows are a form of journalism, and it appears on the Poynter Institute’s website. The Poynter Institute is a school for journalists located in Florida. In the article Iglinski argues that both talk shows and news programs contain the same basic principals attributed to news reporting, therefore they are both forms of journalism. He argues that both programs aim to give their viewers balanced programs that hold their attention, therefore a certain amount of entertainment is necessary. Iglinski points out that journalism and entertainment are not completely parallel, but he believes they are in the same genre, and entertainment is necessary for producing effective and successful journalism. This article is useful because it disagrees with some of the other materials being used, and could be seen as a possible rebuttal to the argument that journalism has taken a backseat to entertainment, and entertainment is in fact a necessary element of journalism.
Epstein, Michael M. "TV Journalism Under Attack!" The Christian Science Monitor. 20 September 2001. 27 October 2004. <http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0920/
p8s3-coop.htm>
This article, which appeared in the September issue of The Christian Science Monitor, denounces the media’s dramatization of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Epstein argues that on the day of the attacks the news coverage was appropriate and real, as it should be. By day two, the coverage was digitally enhanced, edited, and adorned with unnecessary slogans, music, and graphics. Epstein argues that all of these frills have no place in journalism, and he claims that television journalism is specifically responsible for these cheapening effects. Epstein also argues that television news programs can not distinguish between news and entertainment, and it is not right for the networks to try and make the news "entertaining." Epstein believes that these additives take away from the seriousness of the terrorist attacks and exploit those who lost their lives. This article is appropriate because it argues that even during a serious event, such as the terrorist attacks of September 11, news networks were more concerned with the entertainment appeal rather than the actual content and coverage. It is also useful because it touches on the ethics of replaying a tragic event, such as the twin towers crumbling, over and over again and questions whether the networks are replaying such footage for the sake of reporting the news or for entertainment purposes.
Cooper, Gloria. "That’s Television! The News Is A Stage, The Stage Is The News." Columbia Journalism Review. January/February 2004: 26 October 2004. <http://www.cjr.org/issues/ 2004/1/cooper-tv.asp>
In this article Cooper argues that the values concerning television news as well as the values concerning entertainment television are in the process of becoming interchangeable. She believes that despite all of the criticism, TV news programs are slowly becoming more and more concerned with the entertainment value of their show, and less concerned with the actual content. Cooper uses political coverage as an example, and argues that politics are dramatic enough and no additives are necessary, but news networks still stage shots, coverage, and even "random" interview questions. Cooper believes that attempting to make the news more appealing is "dangerous business" and jeopardizes the integrity of the program. This article appeared in the Columbia Journalism Review and in it Cooper attempts to convince readers that although networks are criticized for it, making the news more appealing is slowly becoming a priority for many programs, and eventually the same standards that are held to entertainment will be held to news programs. This argument is useful because it offers a possible outcome of the present track of TV journalism and questions the morality of this outcome.
Olen, Jeffrey. Ethics In Journalism. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1988.
In this book Olen examines some of the ethical problems that journalists deal with today. In chapter six, which is titled "The Media," Olen examines some of the factors that influence television news. He discusses the effects that ratings have on news programs as well as the effects of displaying news anchors as celebrities, or as Olen puts it, "puffing them up." Olen argues that some decisions networks make are a matter of taste, not ethics and that news organization are always going to face criticism because there are so many different audiences watching. Olen also discusses the effects of displaying the news anchor as a celebrity, and touches on both the positive and negative results. Olen’s book is useful because rather than taking a very strong stand on one side of a particular issue, Olen inquires into many different positions, giving a well rounded view of the argument.
D’Antonio, Michael. "Sneer When You Say ‘Journalist.’" Los Angeles Times. 24 August 2003. Sunday ed.: I20.
In this article, D’Antonio argues that journalists have lost respectability because modern journalism is more concerned with appealing to the public and producing entertaining stories, rather than reporting fair, accurate news. D’Antonio criticizes modern journalism, and gives many examples of journalists fabricating stories in order to appease the public’s demand for entertaining "news." D’Antonio argues that the public’s trust in the news has started to diminish because journalists no longer bother to validate facts or provide reliable sources. He also believes that what is considered "news" has also changed over the years, and newspapers are producing more "features" than news because it is less controversial, and usually more entertaining. D’Antonio also attributes the public’s mistrust of journalism to the fact that many television channels are portraying outspoken talk show hosts, such as Bill O’Reilly, as journalists. This article is useful because D’Antonio gives a very insightful opinion as to why journalism has become so concerned with entertaining viewers, rather than informing them. He also places some of the blame on the public, something that the other articles avoided.
William, Henry A. "News As Entertainment: The Search For Dramatic Unity." What’s News: The Media In American Society. Ed. Elie Abel. San Francisco: The
Institute For Contemporary Studies, 1981. 133-158.
This essay explores the differences and similarities between print journalism and television journalism. Henry argues that television journalism is more concerned with the entertainment value than with the actual story, and this cheapens the reporting. He also states that newspapers are more thorough in the sense that they attribute all of their claims to sources and validate statements that are considered "fact." Henry believes that television journalists are more concerned with their celebrity than the stories they are reporting, whereas print journalists hold the opposite view. Henry gives examples of news programs staging discussions and documentaries to express his viewpoint that television journalism is more concerned with the entertainment value of a news segment rather than the truth of it. Henry also goes on to explore the difference between local and national news programs, and states that each should have specific standards concerning which stories they air. This article is useful because it touches on different types of journalism, and the different standards each one is held to. It also discusses problems that are unique to each branch of journalism, and this information could be very helpful in making an argument regarding the reasoning behind entertainment being so highly valued in journalism today.