Lesson 5.00: Intro to the Writing Process

      Writing in general is something that helps the world thrive.  You read and write words every day, without even realizing it sometimes.  Writing in general is very important for not only the news and media, but for ordinary people as well.  It helps us communicate messages and learn about subjects of interest.  This is why writing and reading are the most important subjects in grade school and one of the first things that you learn.  My impression of the written word is that it is very useful, but can also be taken for granted or even abused in the sense that people use it for the wrong reasons.  Throughout history, the use of the written word has evolved into what it is today, an aspect of our lives that we basically can’t live without and can’t necessarily avoid.  Personally, writing, especially creative writing has a special place in my heart because it is a way that I can express myself.  I feel that writing is what can help me realize my fullest potential when it comes to academics and much more. 

            While writing impartially can be one of the most challenging obstacles that journalists and writers have to overcome, it is possible.  Credible news reporting is when you use what you know and the information from your sources to include impartial or objective insight into your news report.  This type of reporting does not include opinion; rather it helps the audience formulate their own opinions about certain subjects of matter and importance.  When opinion is not included, the audience can think for themselves instead of having someone express their true opinion.  A natural human-being instinct, however, would be to express as much of your true thoughts as possible so you can get people to agree with you.  This might be acceptable for an editorial or a critic; it is not used for news and a lot of the media. 

            I believe that if you are a truly experienced and capable news reporter, you will be able to report the news without expressing your thoughts, but sometimes reporters that are newer in the field have trouble keeping that balance.  Human beings have mastered the art of remaining impartial in their work and understand that people will appreciate their work more if it is objective reporting.  There are several tools and techniques that help journalists write accurate and credible reporting today, which is why today it is very rare to see opinion-based news mixed with the true facts.       

Lesson 4.00: Introduction to Persuasion

            The three places that I looked to find persuasive media messages throughout the day is television, an editorial, and a billboard.  All of these forms of media are trying to get you to buy a product or to believe or stand behind a certain opinion.  They appeal to logic, ethics, and emotion.  The television show was an entertainment review show where they comment and critique things that celebrities wore or said and try to persuade people by saying that certain fashions or trends are popular (Entertainment Tonight, 2012).  Only opinion is expressed in this type of show; they want people to have the same opinion as they do.  The editorial was a letter to the editor about a topic that I am researching for an English project (Our Town Sarasota, 2011).  A current issue in my community is removing the benches in a local park to keep away the homeless.  People write to the editor in response to the issue with their own opinions and try to persuade readers to think like them.  The billboard was for a music radio station (93.3 WFLZ).  The pictures and words on the billboard express opinion.  The billboard is used to try to persuade people into listening to this particular station and that it is the best music station on the radio. 

            These three messages were effective in their attempt to persuade me.  I enjoy watching the entertainment review show, I have gathered my own opinion and thoughts from the editorial, and the billboard proved to me that the music station was very good and played my favorite kind of music.  The messages took advantage of what we see and hear on a daily basis and made me interested in the topics and entertainment that they had to offer.  The pictures on the entertainment review show and the billboard made me want to learn more about popular fashions and music stations.  The people writing to the editor in the editorial each brought their own opinion and strong points that helped me determine my opinion on the subject.  The media uses advertising in a way where people almost think that they can’t live without the latest products.

            The messages were effective because they knew how to appeal to persuasion and what the people want.  Discounts, slogans, catchy jingles, bright and bold pictures, and loud commercials are all techniques the advertisements use to make their companies more marketable and well-known.  This helps people make personal decisions about things that they like; it helps them form opinions.  Even though everyone has their own likes and dislikes, persuasion can make people change their minds about what they previously thought, which is what all of these messages did to me. 

Entertainment Tonight, 2012.  http://www.etonline.com/.  Last viewed, 2/22/12. 

Our Town Sarasota, 2011. http://ourtownsarasota.com/#commentary. Last viewed, 2/22/12.

93.3 WFLZ Radio Station. http://www.933flz.com/main.html.  Last Viewed, 2/22/12. 

Lesson 3.00: Introduction to Ethics

   “What does it mean to be ethical?”  If you are ethical, you are fair, trustworthy, and have good morals. Reporters usually have to follow a code of ethics that the company they work for has already established.  A code of ethics is a list of moral guidelines that journalists should follow in order to be responsible members of the news community.  The qualities of an ethical person and reporter are that you are fair, honest, and do what is right.  To handle the situation that is presented in the lesson, an ethical person would explain to their friend that they would never do anything to get them in trouble or harm them in anyway and that being safe is more important.  Then, they should go and tell their friend’s parents what happened and explain that they were only doing it out of love for their friend and to protect them from any harm. 

            I came to this conclusion because telling a stranger your address online is very dangerous and you never know what can happen.  If I were in this situation, I would rather have my friend stay safe and possibly punished for a while then to see anything bad happen to them as a result of an insignificant mistake.  For me, this ethical dilemma wasn’t very hard to solve because if you know what’s right, the answer comes naturally.

            Ethics applies to journalism, because without it, journalists would be writing articles that are definitely not true or invade a person’s privacy.  Journalists have to be honest with themselves, with the companies they work for, and with the people that are viewing their articles or television broadcasts.  The code of ethics for each company requires its workers to be fair and make the best decisions when writing.  Just like people in everyday life encounter ethical dilemmas and have to make difficult decisions, journalists do to.  An example of an ethical dilemma that a journalist might encounter is deciding to give away personal information about a celebrity in a tabloid magazine.  Would you want to write personal information that no one would want exposed for the money you would receive, or would you be a kind person and leave it out of the magazine?     

Lesson 2.05: Internet-News, Blogs, etc.

     One of the main qualities that all forms of news media have in common is the fact that they distribute news to the world and keep people in touch with their surroundings.  No matter what form of news media you prefer to receive your news, you will always get true, raw information from the credible sources.  Some people prefer to use more well-known and reliable sources to get facts on current events, but others find that the work of citizen journalists is more authentic and based on real-life experience rather than just finding out the information from someone else and then reporting it. 

            Newspapers are a form of media that is helpful in finding information about local, national, and international news, but it is not up to date because the news that the paper contains is from the day before or even a few days before it was published.  An advantage is that it is portable and you can read it silently wherever you want.  Radio is communication of news through sound.  Reporters have to be very descriptive when they are giving breaking news updates in order for the listeners to get the full effect of the situation or event.  A disadvantage of this form of media is that it is not always portable and you are not able to view any pictures. 

            Television is a popular form of obtaining the news and has many advantages.  Like most other news media, you can get breaking news about almost anything that you want to know about.  It offers both sound and visuals, which brings in a whole new sense so viewers can get the full experience.  The only drawback to this revolutionary device is that it is not portable, so you have to be near a television to actually receive the news this way.  The way that the news is discovered is the same for all news media; it is the way it is portrayed that makes a difference to people all over the world.  The use of the Internet to find out about the news is the trendiest and most thriving way for the current generation to get the latest updates on all types of news.  Within the Internet, you can get news from blogs, major news company websites, search engines, and much more.  Not all of these sources can be considered credible, so you have to be really careful about what you learn and see on the web.  The biggest advantage is that it basically ties all forms of news media together in one place, making it the most convenient of all news sources. 

            The main difference between these forms of news media is the way that they portray news to the world.  Some use sight, some use sound, and some use a combination of the two.  Some are portable and others require you to be in a certain location in order to access them.  If you look at the history of journalism and news through the ages, you can see which forms are the oldest and most traditional to the forms that are still in the process of being discovered.  Even though newspaper and radio are slightly older forms of communication and news, they are still around today, which is what makes these forms of news media so interesting and different in their own ways. 

            The form of news media that I prefer the most is the Internet.  I enjoy using a little bit of all of these forms once in a while, but I find myself always turning to the Internet when I am in need of some current information or facts for research.  I like to read my local newspaper and listen to the radio every once in a while so I can experience all forms of news and get as much information about our world as I can.     

Lesson 2.04: Broadcast-Television

     The show that I watched was the Today Show.  I would classify this show as morning news because it airs every morning and has different segments where the reporters interview professionals on a certain topic or give you tips and advice on anything to improve your lifestyle in general.  It usually starts out with a short introduction and then they start off with general national news.  From there, they begin to branch out into more specific topics such as help with your finances, health, fashion, cooking, etc. 

            I didn’t really see much opinion in this show except for the fashion segment and the cooking segment in particular.  The cooking segment today was themed around Mexican style cooking with a twist.  The woman preparing the food kept saying that the family will love it and that it is a great comfort food.  Some people don’t really like Mexican food so the statements she was making were more of an opinion than true fact.  In the fashion segment, they were saying how fake fur vests are a big trend on the streets of New York and that a certain pair of pants from some fashion company was cute and comfortable.  There are multiple different styles in fashion, so not all people may have liked the clothing that they displayed today.  Even though the newest trends are news, it is still opinion based. 

            The Today show today was very informative and I always enjoy hearing what they have to say about what is going on in the world.  This show was effective in informing me about all of the topics discussed.  Every segment had some new facts and advice to give that I had not previously known.  I believe that the way the news is delivered also makes a big impact on how viewers receive it.  Since all of the reporters on the Today Show are so good at what they do, everything they have to say can come across as somewhat life changing; as if you couldn’t go on without this new information.  That is what makes people like watching shows like the Today Show.  They do everything right when it comes to delivering news and nothing could have been any better on this morning’s show. 

References: 

All of the information was from the Today Show on 1/25/12. 

Today Show. 1/25/12. Retrieved on 1/25/12 from The Today Show.   

Lesson 2.03: Broadcast-Radio

       The broadcast that I listened to was the Dennis Prager show on 930 WLSS. The broadcast was called “The Happiness Hour”.  He allows callers to express their happiness about certain things and sometimes gives prompts for the callers to talk about and give their opinion on.  He believes that everyone should share what makes them happy because it might make other people happy too.  In this particular broadcast that I listened to, the topic was, “Do video games make kids unhappy?”  Many people responded to that, stating their opinion.  After callers were through with that topic, he went on to ask, “How do you fulfill your expectations?”  Once he gave his own advice and opinion to people, he let callers state their opinions as well.  The third topic on this broadcast was “How do you keep your New Year’s Resolutions?”  Sometimes, the answer of one caller inspired another caller or listener to try the same thing. 

            From this broadcast, I learned that not many people are allowed to state their opinions about positive topics on most radio shows.  Usually, people only complain about what they think is wrong in the world and blow off some steam to the other listeners and the reporter.  This broadcast is different because it is people helping other people and talking about things that make them happy.  I think that it is important and special that Dennis Prager takes some time out of the politics talk to discuss topics that make people feel good.  I learned that not all radio broadcast have to be the same and that you can discover a lot about yourself when you listen to broadcast like this. 

            Dennis Prager is a Jewish conservative that likes to talk about real-life situations.  He does not try to impose the beliefs of his religion on his listeners, but he does include some things about his religion that he feels can relate to anyone’s life and religion.  One of the sources that he frequently uses in this broadcast is Dr. Stephen Marmer, “Happiness Hour” caller that is a member of the clinical facility of the UCLA medical school and has a private psychiatric practice.  I would consider this to be credible news broadcast because even though it lets listeners state their opinion, it also uses a real doctor for many of the topics that they discuss.  Seeing that this is a full name of someone that has experience in the field, I believe that it is a credible news source.  

References:

Prager, D. Salem Web Network. 1/24/12. Happiness Hour 2: Open Lines. Retrieved 1/24/12 from http://pragertopia.com/category/radio-show/    

             

Lesson 2.01: Print-Newspapers

    The difference between daily newspapers and weekly newspapers is mainly that daily newspapers usually have news from the day before or a few days before and weekly newspapers have articles about news that has happened throughout the whole week and possibly before then.  Daily newspapers cannot write articles about news that happened that day because the paper has already been written.  News that is received after the daily deadline has to wait for the weekly newspaper, which is usually published and distributed on Sundays.  News that is current that didn’t make it into the newspaper for that particular day usually shows up on local or national television stations or radio stations.  This way, if there is one form of medium that doesn’t include certain information, there are many other options to get it out to the public. 

            My local newspaper, The Sarasota Herald Tribune, is a daily newspaper that has all different information about events happening in Sarasota.  Each day, all of the journalists involved write articles about things that happened the day before or even within the past week.  This paper also includes section about world news and national news.  If the story is really detailed or concerns many of the readers, they will provide articles everyday about that topic with quotes and extra information (heraldtribune.com, 2012)

            My local weekly newspaper, The East County Observer, focuses on stories that have been in the daily papers and events that have happened over the past week.  This paper has more specific stories to a localized part of the county and includes more sections such as Arts, Jobs, Real Estate, and local activities.  Usually in this paper, journalists go to local schools or organizations and ask them about certain events coming up that they might want included in the newspaper.  This is how people become more aware of their community (yourobserver.com, 2012).   

References:

Heraldtribune.com.  1/24/12.  Sarasota Herald Tribune.  Retrieved 1/24/12 from http://www.heraldtribune.com/

Yourobserver.com.  1/24/12.  East County Observer.  Retrieved 1/24/12 from http://www.yourobserver.com/news/east-county/