15: Multimedia and Social Role

Several of this week's readings dealt with multimedia storytelling.  Two things struck me about the readings:

1. No mention was made of the purpose behind the multimedia; is multimedia simply a new way of presenting the same information, or is it a new medium that can be utilized for its specific strengths?
2. No good reason was given for how a specific story is selected for multimedia.  Is the idea that any story is better in multimedia format, or can we look for particular types of stories that lend themselves well to this medium?

My first point ties into the fact that different media formats are good for different stories; some are best told through video, others photography, others writing.  I'm not convinced that every story would be better with infographics, video, audio, pictures, and writing all together--sometimes simpler stories are better.  I'd personally prefer to read a 10-sentence brief about some topics than sift through a multimedia cornucopia.  I think the journalists interviewed in these articles would agree with me; this point may have simply been implied.

My second point, however, is something any multimedia journalist should (and probably does) adhere to.  Some conversation needs to take place before a story is taken.  Which medium (or media) will work best for it?  If you're specifically looking for multimedia story ideas, perhaps you should critically think about the types of stories that would best be told through multimedia.

Multimedia has a lot of strengths, but it's not a panacea.  It'd be easy to fall into the trap of thinking every story needs audio and video to make it pop.

14: Using Data

As we read about data misuse in one of this week's readings (Distrust Your Data), I thought about the fact that I often ask my students to collect and use data without enough explanation about how to use it properly.

I do tell the students how to calculate what makes a survey scientific.  We talk about sample size and using a representative sample.  But we don't talk about writing questions for polls/surveys or interpreting the results.

If the students start with a fundamentally flawed question (as some of the referenced pieces in the Distrust Your Data article did), their answers won't tell us anything--they won't be answers at all.

I will be the first to admit that my yearbook's poll/survey questions are rarely probing or in-depth. This is my second year as adviser, and I am trying to establish relationships with my administrators. However, it's still important for students to understand several things:

• How data can be used to draw attention to trends and issues
• How to ask the right questions
• How to get the right answers
• How to present the answers in a way that makes sense

I think the article we read was entertaining as well as informative.  I could easily use it in the classroom to teach kids how to avoid some of the common pitfalls of using data.

13: Working Undercover

The Ends vs. Means article from this week stuck out to me for a number of reasons.

Smith started the article by giving examples of various journalists and other writers who have obtained hot stories through undercover work.  She then moved into a discussion of the ethics involved.  Her first example pointed immediately to the ends vs. means tactics of the Nazi Germans during WWII.

I call foul.

Seldom can you start a fair ethical argument with a comparison to Nazi Germany.  I do see her comparison, but boy is it extreme.

I had a few other issues with the story.  Much like when a journalist uses anonymous sources, undercover journalists should consider if there is any possible way to uncover the same information without deception.  Maybe it won't be as flashy or good for the journalist's career, but it's necessary to consider.  Smith does briefly mention using other tactics to obtain the information, but I didn't feel that enough attention was given to forthright methods of obtaining the same information.

Another issue stemmed from the language Smith used when discussing how undercover methods apply to regular citizens.  She used a source who stated, "It’s dishonest for anyone in journalism to pretend to be someone they’re not. This rule doesn’t apply to folks outside the profession."  This is her only comment on undercover tactics as they apply to non-journalists, and it is a strange quote to leaving hanging in the open air.



On a side note, I once visited Jerry Falwell's Thomas Road Baptist Church, the subject of an undercover book by Gina Welch referenced in the article.  I did some research, and the author came to similar conclusions as me.  While I do not identify as an Evangelical, I am a Christian (the author was a non-believer).  She attended this church for two years and developed deep affection for the members.  She also found that they helped her answer some profound questions in her life.  I attended the nearby Liberty University (also founded by Falwell, though it is nowhere as extreme as people would tend to believe) for one year and genuinely liked many Evangelicals I came into contact with. I think most stigmas and stereotypes are easily broken, and Welch wouldn't have had to go under cover to experience what I experienced.

12: Journalistic Skills

Sadly, I won't be teaching journalism or advising a publication next year.  I've accepted a position in a specialized program for students who are interested in legal/political careers.

When I mentioned this opportunity to John last month, he pointed out that the skills we teach in journalism are just as applicable in other areas.  News literacy, editing, critical thinking, decision making, analysis--these are all skills that prospective lawyers, police officers, and politicians need.

As we discuss citizen journalists, I can't help but see the need for these skills in regular citizens as well as in potential citizen journalists.  Few of our students will go on to be professional journalists, but all will need to communicate effectively.  I think we're offering a service that extends well beyond one career field.

11: Fact-checking Organizations

As I read the article about Josh Mandel and Politifact, I found myself believing Politifact's assessments without a second thought.

Near the end of the article, I started to realize that I was personally guilty of what the article discusses: believing something without bothering to check into it.

Much like the pharmaceutical industry finances drug trials and studies, politicians would have a huge incentive to fund or influence political fact-checking services.

I have heard of Politifact before.  And the fact that an online newspaper uses their statements in print should be enough to convince me.  But shouldn't I look at this site for myself?  I thought I had learned to be skeptical of information and sources.

I want to end with a wish.  I wish there were organizations out there that everyone could get behind--omsbudsmen universally respected for their ability to separate fact from fiction.  These people used to be called journalists!

10: Code of Ethics for Bloggers

Citizen journalists: a title that has inspired much debate in our class so far this semester.  Many of these citizen journalists use blogging as their main platform.  I've always considered it a problem that citizen journalists did not operate under ethical codes like they would if they worked for NYT, WSJ, or any other media outlet.  How, other than the fruits of their labor, can we determine whether or not a blogger is ethical?

To some extent, material published on traditional media outlets' sites can be believed, though obviously this isn't always the case, and a skeptical eye is always a good idea.  Material published on a blog doesn't hold the same amount of inherent value because your average blog does not have the backing of an editing staff or the tradition of excellence enjoyed by mainstream sites.

I was a bit shocked to read Cyberjournalist.net's code of ethics for bloggers.  Admittedly, I probably would have known that this existed if I had done any digging on the subject.  But it's not a topic that I come into close contact with on a regular basis.

It's a great idea to try to unite bloggers to establish professional guidelines.  However, I do have a few reservations.

I wonder how far-reaching this code is.  Is this something that has gained a foothold in the blogging world, or is it an anomaly?  I would also like to know what percentage of bloggers try to use the code or others like it.

Even though the average blogger may not adhere to specific professional and ethical guidelines, creating a code is a good start toward establishing blogging as a credible platform.

9: Easy to Fool the Media

One of our readings for this week was about Jimmy Kimmel's famous hoax videos (Poynter Article).

I found this article interesting for several reasons.  Of course, it's hilarious.  It's also amusing that media outlets might think the videos are real.

Chapter 6 in Elements tells us that journalists are supposed to be independent monitors of power. But who monitors journalists?  Obviously, Jimmy's videos are not created with the sole purpose of poking holes in what's supposed to be a discipline of verification, but it's a nice side effect.

I almost wish more people would attempt to fool the media so journalists had experience having to verify information rather than blindly retweeting it.

Hoaxes like this would be an excellent verification activity for schools of journalism.  When we're getting ready to write research papers in my English classes, I prime the students with a set of bellringers that contains real websites and hoax websites.  Activities like this in journalism schools might provide student journalists the healthy skepticism they're supposed to maintain.  By the time they become professional journalists, they'll know to question anything they see, hear, or read.