Journalism
Purpose of journalist in a free society.
- To keep readers informed of important current events.
- What is important: News
Press protection in Articles of Confederation
Articles of Confederation did not protect the press and First Amendment of the Constitution protected free press.
Alternative press
- Non-mainstream papers focusing on radical politics, counterculture, or minority issues.
Challenges facing print journalism in 21st century
- Declining ad revenue, competition from digital media, shrinking circulation.
Difference between reporting, journalism,
Reporting = gathering facts;
Journalism = interpreting, contextualizing, investigating.
Penny Press
- Cheap newspapers funded by ads, accessible to mass audience, focused on crime, entertainment, human interest.
New York Times v. Sullivan (1964)
- Established "actual malice" standard for libel against public figures.
Gan's basic journalism values
- Ethnocentrism, altruistic democracy, responsible capitalism, small-town pastoralism, individualism, moderatism, social order, leadership.
- to investigate and expose corruption (private as well as public)
- to communicate social, cultural values
Yellow journalism
Sensationalist style (Pulitzer & Hearst).
New York Times v. United States (1971 Pentagon Papers)
- Government cannot censor press unless immediate national security risk.
Objectivity in journalism
- Ideal of fairness, balance, separation of fact from opinion (though debated in practice).
John Peter Zenger
- Publisher of the New York Weekly Journal
- printed articles critical of Governor William Cosby
- jailed for seditious libel
- acquitted by jury: truth as absolute defense against libel (1735)
Muckraking (1900's)
- Investigative journalism exposing corruption and social issues.
Watergate scandal
- 1970s investigation by Washington Post journalists revealed Nixon's cover-up → boosted investigative journalism's prestige.
Community Press
- Local, small-scale newspapers focusing on neighborhood events/issues.
Acted as the primary mass medium, serving as a political and informational force.
Newsmagazines
- Weekly magazines (e.g., Time, Newsweek) summarizing major stories.
USA Today (1982)
- Introduced colorful, concise, infographic-heavy style; shifted journalism toward shorter, more visual content.
Ethic Press
- Media serving specific cultural or language groups in U.S.