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Keen, Andrew. . Cult of the amateur : how today's internet is killing our culture / Andrew Keen. 1st ed. 9780385520805 (hardcover : alk. paper) series New York : Doubleday/Currency, c2007.
Call#: Van Pelt Library HM851 .K44 2007

Keen's book addresses a multitude of concerns as to how the internet is ruining American culture but in regards to citizen journalism, he vehemently introduces concerns over the excess of information and the threat it poses on American democracy. Amateurs threaten the marketplace and detract from mainstream, reputable sources. Keen says that finances and training are at the base of good journalism, so while the internet provides a "soapbox" for any and everyone, the tools needed to create good news are lacking and so the information that is being spread is corrupt and inaccurate. Furthermore, Keen says that the information is highly biased and sensational, posing as news when it is really entertainment. Keen touches on the layman's ability to self publish as a danger because it introduces alot of misinformation into the market, making it more difficult for people to reach accurate information. Keen devalues citizen journalism's efforts to slay the major media industry "Goliaths" as he proposes that such intervention is not needed.


While I do not agree with Keen's argument I think his book illuminates a popular and partially true opinion about citizen journalism and journalists or "amateurs bloated with hot air" as he so eloquently puts it. Keen's point of attack is really credibility, which I think is a valid one. It is true that professional journalists are more liable in the court of law than amateur journalists are but I think this speaks more to the fact that the law hasn't caught up to the digital age, to this new space that exists outside of our physical world. One thing that Keen does agree with advocates of citizen journalism on is that this new type of journalism speaks to niche markets. Keen however debunks the importance of such markets; "...professional journalists can go to jail for telling the truth; amateurs talk to each other about their cars." Keen forces contemplation of whether or not the nature of news should be to inform or to converse. Questions of the quality of political discourse arise, which really comes down to whether or not more is better or if more is just more. Reading Keen's aritcle has made it clear that I will have to clearly distinguish the difference between entertainment/recreational blogging and legitimate citizen journalism. Keen seems to oscillate between criticizing "the amateur bloggers wax on trivial subjects like their favorite brand of breakfast cereal, or make of a car, or reality television personality" and blogs & websites with missions of informing the public of news worthy subjects that are not portrayed in the mainstream. Also, it could hardly be argued that all "news" in the mainstream is newsworthy. Ultimately, I think Keen's piece is necessary as it is a popular argument and so a relevant one. I would like to use his commentary on citizen journalism as a framework for debunking common myths.

 

"Powerlaws, Weblogs and Inequality." Clay Shirky's Writings About the Internet - Economics & Culture, Media & Community, Open Source. 8 February 2003. .

While the internet does have the potential to give a voice to all who are digitally connected, what purpose does it serve if that voice is never heard or if it is not heard by a robust audience? Shirky speaks about the audience distribution of blogs, with 12% of blogs accounting for 50% of the web trafficing in the webworld. The popular belief that the blog world eliminates hierarchical power structures and systems of inequality is debunked. Shirky's basic argument is "Diversity plus freedom of choice creates inequality, and the greater the diversity, the more extreme the inequality." All blogs can not be equally popular all the time. What's more is that the more popular a blog, the less conversational it becomes as it becomes more difficult to maintain personal relationships with subscribers. Instead of being a conversation forum, it becomes a one-way point of entry into information.Conversational blogs then become the "long tail" of blogs, those blogs with few subscribers that can neatly facilitate interactive experiences between blog subscriber and blogger.

This article begs two questions when discussing citizen journalism (in blog format or website format): 1) should news be conversational #2) does citizen journalism threaten the same discriminatory hierachies that originally catapulted news blogs? In Andrew Keen's book, "Cult of the amateur: how the internet is killing today's culture" he insists that news is not meant to be conversational, objectional reporting is not something to be discussed and weighed in on. Media professionals are meant to act as gatekeepers to newsworthy information, society has entrusted them with this responsibility and such a responsibility is not to be infringed upon by everyone's uinformed and even informed opinions. Centralized power exists to maintain accuracy and order but the internet is based on decentralized power.

Also, if the popularity of news blogs is a result of the mainstream media's abuse of power, do online blogs threaten to recreate these same power structures and consequentially the same abuses? Theories purported by Daniel Drezner and Henry Farrell suggest that this is unlikely. Accroding to Drezner and Farrell, the news blogs often do not just serve as news resources but also as part of a checks and balances system for the mainstream. Therefore, their position in the news world is fostered in relation to the mainstream media's abuse of power.

Klotz, Robert J. "Journalism and the Internet." Politics of Internet communication / Robert J. Klotz.  Lanham, Md. : Rowman & Littlefield, 2004.113-132.

In his chapter, "Journlaism and the Internet" Klotz starts off discussing the move of traditional papers (i.e. The Washington Post, The New York Times) to the internet . Klotz performed a study in which each of the fifty states main newspapers (those with the largest subscription base) was analyzed. He found that all 50 of these papers had a corresponding website, some reaping great profit through advertistment and content charges. Klotz lists two great benefits of online advertising as opposed to paper advertisement: 1) advertisement is included on the homepage, whereas in print, advertisments rarely appear on the cover 2) online classifieds allow easy searchability through use of the "search" box. Furthermore, the use of the internet in traditional journalism is ever more prevalent, with journalists using email and online research databases (ie. Lexis Nexis) for finding unpublished and published materials. Non traditional news sources (not necessarily Blogs) such as Slate, and Salon are often special interests based, focusing on political commentary, sports, etc. Trying to cover general news would yield little readership. As it is, non-traditional online news sources face competition from traditional online sources and find it hard to turn any profit, as most people aren't willing to subscribe to them. Klotz ten goes on to question the necessity of journalists, with the invent and expansion of the internet, most laymen have access to documents previously only provided to professional journalists (i.e. governmental and non-govermental primary documents). More insight into who is going online for their news, with some predictable statistics: generally better educated people, most users are below the age of 65, etc.  Lastly Klotz gives discusses the "acceptable balance" vs. the "unacceptable balance". the acceptable balance asserts that an equilibrium between availability and accuracy can be reached while the unacceptable balance asserts the opposite, that online journalism lends itself to inaccuracy. Online journalism makes it more difficult (as opposed to print journalism) in determining a source's credibility and allows untrained journalist a platform to report inaccurate stories.

Klotz writing provides great insight for the introduction of my project. While I intend to focus on the rise of citizen journalism, mostly the "why" of this phenomenan, my argument would be incomplete with an introduction to the "how" of online journalism (traditional and non-traditional). Klotz discusses internet journalism in the context of traditional vs. non-traditional and how each functions independent of one another, structurally, financially and he ethically. Klotz commentary will drive questions of what online journalism allows and demands from the public. This chapters does a fine job of introducing some basic advantages and disadvantages of online journalism from traditional and non-traditional sources. This brief introduction of statistics and theories will mobilize my questions of theories. Klotz helps provide the "how" of internet journalism which will segeway into the "why".

 

Shirky, Clay. "Everyone is a Media Outlet."  Here comes everybody : the power of organizing without organizations / Clay Shirky. 9781594201530 series New York : Penguin Press, 2008.
Call#: Van Pelt Library HM851 .S5465 2008

Shirky's book discusses the rise of amateurism, covering everything from collective thought and publishing (i.e. Wikepedia) to the ways in which digital technology (i.e. phone and email) has transposed itself into real world law and interactions. In his chapter, "Everyone is a Media Outlet"  Shirky discusses the definition of professionalism and how it relates to certain professions. His argument is that the internet has upset the very foundation of certain professions (i.e. photography, journailsm). By definition, professionals do not exist in mass. Not everyone is a professional photographer just because they take a picture, just like not everyone is  journalist because they convey information to the public, even if it is newsworthy information. That technology and the internet has provided a platform for the world to access is undeniable but the ways in which the world is now able to access this information (i.e. news blogs, photosharing websites) threatens to revolutionize certain professional systems.

Shirky's chapter is imperative to any discussion of citizen journalism because he differentiates between professionals and non-professionals who perform professional acts such as the blogger who is dedicated to providing the public with accurate newsworthy information but holds no credentials and is not recognized in the journalistic profession. Professionals, in any field, are identified as such not just through the work that they create but through their training, through their peers and through their scarcity. Shirky reframes and takes a step back from the ethical arguments over the responsibilities of citizen journalists to an argument about whether or not they are professionals in the first place and what implications the answer to that question makes. This would seem an insignificant question, but in fact it helps sort through a host of issues. The definition of a professional renders citizen journalists as unprofessional because professionals do not exist in mass, which begs the question of whether or not the citizen journalist can be afforded certain journalistic privileges. 

What's more is that the internet has now given the citizen the ability to determine what is newsworthy, to give face to issues that may have previously been ignored by professionals due to financial or editorial restrictions or bring under-the-radar events or public opinion to the forefront, or rather front page of print.

The purpose of this project is to analyze the recent phenomenon of citizen journalism. The internet has created a new platform for the creation and distribution of information. The layman or amateur is now able to perform professional functions through news websites, blogs, photo sharing sites, etc. Newsworthy material is no longer guarded by a select few people who the general public must depend on to remain informed. With this new power that the layman has yielded comes responsibility though... or does it? Should the layman be held accountable by the same standards as a traditional journalist, if they are in fact performing the same function? Furthermore, is it really possible for an amateur to perform the same function as a professional? This is to say much of what makes a professional is based on the technology they have access to, a journalist is not simply a journalist simply because he writes or even because he has studied journalism but because he is a part of a recognized industry. Other issues surrounding the move of traditional print news sources move to the internet are to be discussed. What threat do citizen journalists pose to traditional papers' websites? Can anyone really compete with the Washington Post or the New York Times? Perhaps most importantly the question of why citizen journalism became so popular will be addressed. I hypothesize that technology has a great deal to do with it. People create blogs and offer their opinion to the digitally connected world simply because they are now able to. High quality camera phones and digital cameras allow us to interact in a way and with an immediacy that was never possible before, so why not indulge. But, beyond egotistical motivations I think cross media market monopolies must be held accountable. The homogenization of news material, amongst other things, has forced the "amateur" to take news gathering into his own hands. With the help of the FCC and deregulation, media conglomerates are now able to own mostly all of the venues of information for entire markets. Television stations, radio stations (i.e. Clear Channel) and newspapers are all owned by the same company in some markets, which begs the question what is being fed to the public? If we depend on these limited resources to inform an ever growing populace, everything from what the local weather will be like to how we will vote for the future of our country, then a lack of diverse opinions threatens democracy. I this very homogenization is part of the reason that the citizen has taken things into his own hands to become an autonomous news source.

Overholser, Geneva. "On Behalf of Journalism: A Manifesto for Change." Philadelphia: The Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. 2009.

Overholser's article follows a June 2005 gathering of journalists and scholars at the Annenberg Public Policy Center, and many of her arguments stem from the discussions at that seminar. While maintaining a realistic and attainable vision of the future of journalism (and practical admission that "journalism as we know it is over"), Overholser argues that journalism is ideally a marshall of democracy and necessary to American freedom and must (and will) continue to exist, just in a new form. By discussing the responsibilities of journalists - as ethical, objective, professional, accountable sources - along with the responsibilities of the public and the government to support journalism in its ideal form, Overholser asserts that "what's needed is wide-open thinking about how consumers use information, and where they are getting it, and how old media companies can fulfill those needs while bringing the best of their traditions onto new platforms."

Overholser's article is comprehensive, realistic, and yet hopeful. Her refreshing outlook is that journalism has changed for good, but that that change is a welcome chance to re-evaluate, throw out the tired and unhealthy aspects of 'old world' media, and recommit to the "core values of the craft." She examines several options for the future of journalism – non-profit status, local ownership, media ownership rules, greater professionalization of 'citizen journalists' by means of agreed-upon standards – and all with the outlook that since the public will demand goof work, journalism will be here for the long haul. Overholser adeptly suggests that the problem with modern journalism isn't in the journalists, but in the public; and we must be encouraging better civics and news literacy education to help the public play their role better. It isn't journalism - the protector of democracy and leader in civic education - that is in danger of death, it is the media news conglomorates, and Overholser seems optimistic that their deaths may not injure democracy much.

Thesis: As news and journalism shifts to the internet, new technologies will inherently alter the core of journalism  in methods of research and accountability, in distribution models, and especially in how journalism interacts with its audience and learns to utilize 'citizen journalists' and produce more user-driven content.

Bercovici, Jeff. "'Citizen Journalists' Don't Get a Pass on Ethics." Conde Nast Portfolio June 2008 .

This brief article serves as a introduction to the controversy surrounding citizen journalist Mayhill Fowler. Fowler recently received media attention because of her coverage of Barack Obama; she audio recorded Obama's comment about "bitter" small town voters. Obama was not made aware by Fowler that this recording would be published. Bercovici charges Fowler's recording and publishing of Obama's comment as unethical, hence the title of the article. Bercovici also bring in, very briefly, the opposing commentary, made by NYU Journalism Professor, Jay Rosen; "Fowler didn't have much time to identify herself as a journalist (in the latter instance) and, moreover, because she's not a journalist in that sense that she's only one of very many unpaid contributors to Off The Bus. "I'm not sure we can tell all 1,700 contributors, 'You're all reporters for the Huffington Post... That's not really true.'"

This case highlights, perhaps the largest, controversial issue of blogging. According to Bercovici, Fowler acted unethically by failing to inform Obama that his comment would be recorded and potentially published. but the larger issue being discussed is whether or not news bloggers should and can be held to the same standard as professional/traditional journalists. Had Fowler been a professional journalist, any question of ehtics would have been easily decided - she would be charged with acting unethically but because Fowler does not hold the official title of journalist, can we still hold her to the same professional standards.

Holding citizen journalists to a professional standard implicates more than issues of ethical practice but also issues of content. That is to say, is it fair to expect the highest quality (professional even) news reporting from citizen journlists but not hold them to the same ethical standard that we hold professionals to. Can we consider a citizen journalist a professional in some regards and not in others? I would propose that the answer to this question is no, but that is not to say that Fowler acted unethically. The role of the citizen journalist is very unique to the modern world, with the internet and technological advances, the internet has not only created a new space that must be governed rather precariously but it has also given rise to a new populous of peole who occupy that space. The citizen journlaist is one of the new characters that occupies that space and consequently the guidelines that dictate their roles in this new space are different from those of a traditional journalists. Bercovici's last line, "Being a "citizen journalist" doesn't mean you get to pose as a citizen and then publish as a journalist." effectively rams this controversial point home because the very title "citizen journalist" indicates that one can do exactly that, straddle their citizen and journalist roles but which aspects of each should citizen journalists exercise.

belongs to The Future of the News project
tagged blog future internet journalism media news online trust by codhner ...on 23-JUL-09

Newspaper Revitalization Act 2009.<http://cardin.senate.gov/pdfs/newspaperbill.pdf> March 24, 2009.

If it pases, this proposed legislation by Senator Cardin will allow certain newspapers with 'educational' value to restructure as non-profits and benefit from tax-exemption under IRS code 501(a).

This proposal is one of many ideas that are currently on the table to 'rescue' the faltering newspaper industry. According to many sources, this legislation will not suffice to solve the problems of journalism (for a full critique see "Saving the News"), but it may provide a new avenue for some newspapers. Furthermore, the bill may suffice to protect enough investigative journalism to protect democracy, while other solutions turn to helping media turn a profit and meet the needs of the public.

belongs to The Future of the News project
tagged journalism legislation media newspaper online by codhner ...on 23-JUL-09

Kramer, Joel. "Lessons I’ve learned after a year running MinnPost." Nieman Journalism Lab. March 19, 2009.

This anecdotal article by Joel Kramer provides insight into some of the challenges to professional online journalism. His brief and readable story of running the online news site, MinnStar, addresses issues such as user commentary, video integration, and start-up costs.

Kramer's most important point for my thesis is his process of screening user commentary with volunteer moderators. As he puts it, "We took plenty of heat from web-savvy readers for this decision. But as readers have watched the quality of comment on respected sites that don’t require real names, many are now grateful for our approach. Recently we published our 7,000th comment. Some sites with looser standards appear to be reconsidering their no-holds-barred policies." This MinnStar policy may or may not be forward thinking, but it is an example of one version of user interaction with news sites. MinnStar doesn't use citizen journalism the way, say, TalkingPointsMemo, does, but according to Kramer, they are exploring possibilities. This demonstrates the lack of an industry standard for harnessing citizen journalists, but emphasizes the growing awareness for policies and methods for intertwining professional quality journalism and usergenerated content.

belongs to The Future of the News project
tagged blog future internet journalism media news newspaper online by codhner ...on 23-JUL-09

Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism. "The State of the News Media: an annual report on american journalism."

This annual report from the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism reports on the state of online jornalism. With substantial charts and research, the overview is an accurate discussion of both where many news organizations stand currently and where they may be (and some are) heading in the furture. The report's thorough treatment of both online content and economic viability address both the demands of the public and the needs of news reporting organizations.

The report provides valuable support for my thesis with its statistic and solid reporting. One particularly valuable section is the survey on "Top Issues in Online Media vs. Media Over All." The chart demonstrates that though the top three news story subjects (election, U.S. economy, Iraq War) are mirrored between online and all media, beyond that the statistics vary. Online, users have more say regarding which issues are covered, it is easy to track exactly which stories are most read, most shared, most commented on; in a print newspaper, information is much more general. This chart exposes how media overall may not be addressing the issues that are actually of most interest to their constituents. And, of interest to my thesis, it supports the idea that as more media incorporates methods for users to share and comment and contribute to media stories, the gap between stories that interest users and ones that do not interest them will widen as sites like Digg bring user approved content back to the top over and over, while stories of no interest to readers die after one day (or hour) on the front page.

belongs to The Future of the News project
tagged future internet journalism media news newspaper online by codhner ...on 23-JUL-09

Keller, Bill. “Not Dead Yet: The newspaper in the days of digital anarchy.” Lecture delivered at The Guardian in honor of Hugo Young. November, 29 2007. guardian.co.uk

In addition to providing an intellectual analysis of the future of journalism, Bill Keller’s address (appropriately for his audience) begins sentimentally, with anecdotes about Hugh Young, The New York Times, The Guardian and journalism as a profession. But halfway through the address Keller provides the meat of his discussion, which is his educated opinion about the future of newspapers and journalism.

Keller's main argument emphasizes that the differences between the investigative reporting of The New York Times or The Guardian and GoogleNews or Wikipedia's "legions of bloggers." "What is absent from the vast array of new media outlets is," Keller argues, "the great engine of newsgathering – the people who witness events, ferret out information, supply context and explanation." Though Keller rightly points out that opinion and journalism are different, he falsely accuses all internet commentors and 'citizen journalists' of being holed up behind computer screens rather than being active human participants in the world. Certainly there are differences between bloggers and journalists, but what Keller seems to mistake is that journalists must be associated with The Times or The Guardian or The Boston Globe in order to be investigative journalists, or even to "witness events," "ferret out information" or "supply context and explanation."

belongs to The Future of the News project
tagged guardian internet journalism media news newspaper online times by codhner ...on 23-JUL-09

European Publishers Council. "Hamburg Declaration Regarding Intellectual Property Rights." Berlin: European Publishers Council. June 25, 2009.

This brief statement from the European Publishers Council (EPC) argues for "urgent improvements in the protection of intellectual property on the Internet." Without providing an answer to the problem or even asserting a path toward improvement of the situation, the statement simply places the onus of blame on sites that index their content. Meanwhile, the statement applauds national and internation governments for their efforts to protect international property.

Practically speaking, this statement is fairly ineffectual. Google's response has been essentially, "Go ahead and stop us from indexing your content" – a response that clearly demonstrates how vital news aggregation is to online media. Without offering a solution that will help users find content online while also crediting the correct sources, the EPC doesn't have much weight to throw around. This statement, instead, serves as a thermometer of the rising tension between investigative journalists and news aggregation websites.

Alterman, Eric. "The News Business: Out of Print: The death and life of the American newspaper." The New Yorker. March 31, 2008.

In this article, Alterman discusses the advantages, disadvantages, history, debates, and differing opinions concerning the migration of journalism from print to the internet. He begins by laying the scene, briefly calling on the history of print journalism while discussing current trends and the current bleak state of affairs for print media. The bulk of the article outlines the differences – good and bad – between internet blogging and news aggregation sites and traditional newsroom journalism. Alterman’s main argument centers around the Huffington Post, a political news and gossip website, as an example of the future of journalism. Central to Alterman’s discussion is the role of the reader/consumer of news. Using the contrast between Walter Lippmann and John Dewey's differing ideas of idylic political journalism, Alterman argues that the Internet is the swing from Lippmannesque (boys club, top down media) to Deweyish (public opinion driven, community contribution media) philosophies of journalism. Alterman’s prognosis is gloomy, particularly since he dwells on the fact that many online news sites prefer to aggregate news from print media, heresay and user commentary rather than funding their own investigative journalism.

Alterman’s argument addresses the central theme of my thesis: the difference between traditional journalism and internet-generation journalism. His discussion of 'the mullet strategy' (where websites like The Huffington Post keep a closely edited front page but allow users to fill their subpages with unedited commentary and opinion), is an excellent analysis of how media companies might control but still incorporate public contribtions. Alterman's article also raises an important issue concerning the future of journalism: that The Huffington Post flags stories from other news sources but "shoulders none of the costs" of investigating and writing the story. This issue is indeed central to the discussion, but Alterman's argument falters when he claims that The Huffington Post's hiring of Thomas Edsall, a forty-year veteran of The Washington Post, as its political editor is a "rare" example. For a foward-looking article such as this, Alterman could be expected to see that such hirings might very quickly become industry standard. And as print journalism aficionados move toward 'citizen journalism' sites, their presence will provide credibility and professionalism for the front page, and probably beyond.

belongs to The Future of the News project
tagged future internet journalism media news newspaper online print by codhner ...on 23-JUL-09

McLeary, Paul. "How TalkingPointsMemo Beat the Big Boys on the U.S. Attorney Story." Columbia Journalism Review. March 15, 2007.

This article by Paul McLeary overviews the role the news and gossip website TalkingPointsMemo played in breaking a news story about illegal firings of U.S. Attorneys. The article focuses on the ability of TalkingPointsMemo to bring a story to light in a different way than was possible for traditional journalists. TalkingPointsMemo, McLeary points out, harnessed their online sources effectively to tap a "variety of sources that had been largely untapped by the mainstream press" and to break the story before most traditional press rooms.

The method of journalism outlined by McLeary serves as an example of a possible model for future journalism. TalkingPointsMemo's success with the U.S. Attorney story exemplifies a hybrid method of journalism wherein 'citizen journalism' is combined with an editorial process to create reliable stories quickly and effectively. McLeary points out that sites like TalkingPointsMemo that display a "model of reporting [that] ... straddl[es] the divide between old school shoe-leather reporting and the more aggregate method of Web reporting" are rare, but if the effectiveness continues, the scarcity won't last long.

belongs to The Future of the News project
tagged future journalism media news newspaper online by codhner ...on 23-JUL-09

Victor Pickard, Josh Stearns & Craig Aaron. "Saving the News: Toward a National Journalism Strategy." May 12, 2009. www.freepress.net.

This article thoroughly outlines the state of affairs of journalism and news in America today and offers a comprehensive summary of most of the possible options for moving forward successfully. They examine the struggles of American newspapers today – in dealing with the economic downturn, internet competition and mistrust of the media. The authors address options as typical as media consolidation, the ‘do nothing’ approach and foundation support, and as creative as online micropayment, postal and print subsidies, municipal ownership and prepackaged bankruptcies. They argue that there is not a single ‘right’ answer that will solve the problems facing journalism today, but that a strategic national solution is necessary to protect the ‘lifeblood of democracy,’ journalism.

The authors' arguments are all firmly in favor of journalism, adamantly arguing that the practice is necessary to American democracy and that a natioanl strategy is necessary to preserve the practice. Their argument that investigative journalism is a cut above and better than opinion and commentary on the internet is certainly accurate, but they do not allow that opinion, commentary, and user interaction with news can enhance, support, and alter journalism significantly (and certainly sometimes for the better). It does not allow for journalism to morph with the changing media, for investigative journalism to find new methods of research and discovery just as it is finding new methods of publication. But that aside, the methods discussed are both clear, comprehensive, and realistic. Anyone striving to protect and preserve traditional journalism techniques should certainly read this article for an overview of the options.

belongs to The Future of the News project
tagged future internet journalism news newspaper online print by codhner ...on 23-JUL-09

Kaufman vs. Islamic Society of Arlington, Texas, Islamic Center of Irving, DFW Islamic Educational Center, INC., Dar Elsalam Islamic Center, Al Hedayah Islamic Center, Islamic Association of Tarrannt County and Muslim American Society of Dallas. No. 2-09-023-CV. January 22, 2009.

This court of appeals decision from Texas rules on the case of Kaufman, the author of an online article asserting that Islamic extremists and terrorists were invading Six Flags during their Muslim Family Day. The court decided in favor of Kaufman, arguing that his article did not refer to any of the groups that filed suit against him, and that a 'reasonable reader' would in no way link the groups and implicate the Islamic groups in question with the groups mentioned by Kaufman as terrorist affiliated. The court asserts that "...an internet author's status as a member of the electronic media should be adjudged by the same principles that courts should use to determine the author's status under more traditional media." It's decision classifies Kaufman as an 'online journalist' and argues that his legal rights are thus equal to those of traditional journalists.

Though the court's decision in favor of Kaufman holds little bearing on my thesis, their ruling affects the validity and status of online journalism because it equates it with print and traditional journalism. They argued that a blogger writing without an editor and without performing investigation and substantiation of their claims would not necessarliy be considered an online journalist and would not necessarily receive the same legal rights as online journalists like Kaufman. The questions is, of course, what makes Kaufman a 'journalist'. The court quoted U.S.C.A 552(a)(4)(A)(ii) (West Supp. 2009), arguing that media includes "any 'person or entity that gathers information of potential interest to a segment of the public, uses its editorial skills to turn the way materials into a distinct work, and distributes that work to an audience.'" By this measure, bloggers who discuss news (as opposed to just personal experience and opinion) are certainly included in the realm of online media.

Rhodes Journalism Review
A specialist magazine for journalists in South Africa and Africa established in 1990 and published by the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University.
belongs to Penn Globalization Studies Group project
tagged journalism media_studies print review by aaronm ...on 29-MAY-08
Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics
-from Sage Full-Text Collections
Holdings: 1996-
Periodicals Index Online
Humanities and social sciences. The scope is international, including journals in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and other Western languages.

In this essay, Lasica explores how blogs have started to inform traditional media sources and states his belief that this trend will continue into the future. He praises blogs’ unmediated quality, arguing that it is their raw, impressionistic tone that sets them apart from the “lifeless, sterile and homogenized” throng of mass-media produced news. While the lack of any sort of formal editing can sometimes result in blog posts that are poorly thought-out or highly biased, it can also result in the documentation of unusual news nuggets ignored by the mass media. 

Lasica then considers perspectives from three influential bloggers: Dan Gillmor (a Mercury News reporter who was among the first to start a personal blog), Doc Searls (senior editor of Linux Magazine and owner of a blog examining marketplace trends) and David Winer (owner of Scripting News, a business and technology blog started back in 1995). Gillmor praises blogs for allowing user interaction and notes that he utilizes his blog to gain feedback on stories he’s working on for the Mercury News. Searls argues that blogs provide a way to connect journalists to “other journalists’ journals”, as well as to experts working within a particular field. Because a blog’s popularity is directly based on reader trust and incoming links, he argues that blogs grant readers greater choice in determining where they turn for news. As a result, many blog authors have become increasingly professional and authoritative on the subjects of their blogs. Winer advocates a new sort of personal journalism, unmediated by newspapers or magazines. He stresses individual interests and passions and argues that indulging these passions results in a proliferation of interesting and unique news stories.

A journalist and blogger himself, it is no surprise that Lasica examines blogs from a journalistic perspective. Yet while he paints a clear picture of blogs’ influence on journalism, Lasica fails to discuss how blogs might impact other readers, such as random visitors or industry insiders who turn to blogs for information on readers’ opinions and new trends. How does audience reception affect the production of posts? 

Although Lasica mainly considers “news blogs” (a loosely defined category encompassing all types of niche news), many of his conclusions hold true for fashion blogs as well. For example, many fashion blogs epitomize the raw tone of news blogs and capture unusual trends not featured in traditional media. Furthermore, in a rapidly growing blogosphere, fashion blogs are usually remarkably well connected, with a series of links to other blogs on almost every front page. Most of these blogs are created and maintained by people outside the industry, whose passion for fashion results in a unique, organic perspective.


To help convey the changing nature of Town Lake's shorelines, this map provides a comprehensive look at dozens of projects either planned or in progress. Shown are both city projects on public land (A-G) and developments on privately owned land (1-24). Projects noted on map are explained below.

epstein writes about hollywood, diamonds and everything else.

sometimes he writes for slate 

tagged journalism by jn ...on 08-JUN-06
The Washington Post site dedicated to the film. Includes links to other sites with information about Watergate and the film, as well as the original news story by Woodward and Bernstein.
Strober, Deborah H. (Deborah Hart), 1940- . Nixon presidency : an oral history of the era / Deborah Hart Strober and Gerald S. Strober. [1574885820 (acid-free paper) ] Washington, D.C. : Brassey's, c2003.
Call#: Van Pelt Library E856 .S76 2003
 
    The Nixon Presidency: An Oral History is a comprehensive work compiling oral accounts of different aspects of Nixon’s term as president and its aftermath. Chapter 29 is a collection of interviews about the Media’s Role in Nixon’s Downfall. A variety of people with different levels of involvement in the Nixon administration comment on the role of Woodward and Bernstein. Gerald Warren states that Woodward and Bernstein’s coverage of Watergate caused journalism to “lose its purity” because of their “reprehensible” tactics. He believes that the journalists operated on the assumption that the ends justified the means, and that journalistic integrity could be compromised to ultimately bring Nixon down. Raymond Price calls Woodward and Bernstein “totally dishonest reporters.” Bob Woodward responds by defending the veridicality of his account. William Rusher argues that Woodward and Bernstein did not break the Watergate scandal, and that they do not deserve the credit they have received. Seymour Glanzer is of the opinion that “all Woodward and Bernstein did was to follow in the wake of the investigation; they didn’t do any pioneering work.”
    All of the people interviewed, other than Woodward of course, agree that the role that Woodward and Bernstein played has been overemphasized and that, other than maintaining public interest in the scandal, they were not integral in allowing the event to play out as it did. However, many more people can recall the names Woodward and Bernstein than names that some of the interviewees cite as important players, such as John J. Sirica, the U.S. District Court judge who presided over Watergate-related trials. This can be accounted for by the fact that the story of the Washington Post investigation, as told in the book and the movie All the President’s Men, glamorizes the journalists and journalism in general, and it dramatizes the story with the mysterious portrayal of Deep Throat and the shadowy scenery of Washington D.C.
 


Ehrlich, Matthew C., 1962- . Journalism in the movies / Matthew C. Ehrlich. [0252029348 (alk. paper) ] Urbana : University of Illinois Press, c2004.
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1995.9.J6 E38 2004

    Chapter 6 of Journalism in the Movies deals with films about conspiracy and paranoia. Ehrlich argues that the collapse of the Production Code, Vietnam, Watergate, stagflation, and other factors contributed to a general feeling of mistrust and angst in the 1970’s and that this feeling was reflected in the films made during the decade. To make his argument, he focuses on movies that center around the media and with journalists as crusaders against evil and corruption. Specifically, he compares the style and content of All the President’s Men and Network. While All the President’s Men portrays the men who work for the newspaper as “a shining beacon of truth,” Network focuses on a television network that is part of a larger evil involving the rest of corporate America. Additionally, while the former film was produced in documentary style, the later is exaggerated and satirical.
    More than any other aspect of the film, the image of the two young reporters remains in the minds of those who have seen it. Yet, as has been discussed at length, there is a controversy surrounding the accuracy of the portrayal of the journalists. Ehrlich analyzes the validity of this controversy by comparing he actual events of Watergate with the account of the journalists’ role in these events in the movie. According to Ehrlich, Nixon was reelected despite Woodward and Bernstein’s investigation, and he did not run into serious political trouble until the Senate hearings that occurred a year after the first article was published in the Washington Post. In fact, Nixon did not resign until after the book by the same name as the film was published. So, Ehrlich concludes, the reporters were certainly not responsible for Nixon’s fall from glory. However, the film accentuates their role by establishing the main characters as “fearless foes of corruption” in a mysterious and believable “documentary-noir” style executed by director Alan J. Pakula. The movie is relatively straightforward in its analysis of good and evil. The office of the Washington Post is brightly lit, while most of the rest of Washington D.C. is shrouded in darkness.
    As a result of their portrayal in All the President’s Men, Woodward and Bernstein have become the central players in America’s collective memory of Watergate. The screenwriter, Goldman, cut out parts of the book involving the senate hearings and many government figures who helped bring down the president, assuming that the audience could “fill in the rest of the story for themselves.” In 1976, this may have been the case. However, the movie has helped to determine which aspects of the story have been transferred “from fact to legend,” and the parts that we are expected to fill in become markedly less glamorous without the benefit of handsome actors and the infusion of drama through “shadowy scenes.” Even today, Woodward and Bernstein “remain securely ensconced in American mythology.”


Lang, Gladys Engel..
Battle for public opinion : the president, the press, and the polls during Watergate / Gladys Engel Lang and Kurt Lang. [023105548X] New York : Columbia University Press, 1983.
Call#: [z] Lost copy. E860 .L36 1983
 
    There have been many long term effects of Watergate. The event has altered perceptions of the presidency and the media. Watergate has become a symbol that has determined public attitudes and behaviors. Chapter 10: Continuity and Change deals with this issue. The authors discuss the public image of Watergate that has evolved over time, resulting from “a pooling of ideas that are then reaffirmed by the media.” This image is not always reflective of what really happened. Memory of the event makes the story into a legend instead of history.
    The authors argue that one of the most important aspects of the story that has become a part of the legend is the role of the media. Watergate taught the country a lesson about the importance of a free press – the legend tells us that the Watergate cover-up never would have been revealed if not for the press. The Watergate legend also remembers journalists as heroes, which the authors state is hardly ever accurate. The movie All the President’s Men, as well as the book of the same name, contributes to this aspect of the country’s collective memory. The authors believe that an overblown image of newspapermen is dangerous because members of the press can become conspiracy theorists in hopes of cracking a non-existent ring of corruption and “exposing wrongdoing.” Making moral judgments and being a government watchdog, Lang & Lang argue, are not a reporter’s job.
    The authors credit Bernstein and Woodward with doing a good job at investigating Watergate. Publicity through the press did prevent Nixon from regaining public support and from thwarting attempts to persecute his crimes, and press kept the issue alive in the mind of the public. However, they point out that there were many other people involved, and that the journalists only played a small roll. The press depended on information from official bodies such as the Senate Watergate Committee, the Special Watergate Prosecution Force, and the House Judiciary Committee. Yet, Bernstein and Woodward are still the first (and often only) names that come to mind as the “good guys” of Watergate. Lang & Lang explain, “ since the facts are so quickly forgotten, the folklore is what survives.”


"LOOKING FOR LIGHT." Columbia journalism review [0010-194X] 44.6 (2006). 24-.
Barris, Alex. . Stop the presses! : The newspaperman in American films / Alex Barris. [049801603X : ] South Brunswick : A. S. Barnes, c1976.
Call#: PN1995.9.J6 B3 1976
    
    Stop the Presses! is an in-depth discussion of the portrayal of journalists in American movies. Barris writes that newspapermen have been Villains, Scandalmongers, and Human Beings. Most relevant to All the Presidents Men, Barris writes about journalists as Crusaders to expose social evils. Films about the journalist as a crusader, Barris argues, are a type of "message film" that serve to contradict the charge that Hollywood only ever makes "beach-party musicals and mock-horror Vincent Price movies." Frank Capra's It Happened One Night involves mother who creates her own newspaper in order to get out the truth of what is happening in Washington. This movie, like All the President's Men, stresses the role of journalist as a tireless upholder of the truth and the peoples' right to know as well as the importance of a free press. The message, in both films, is convincing because of the heroicism and single-mindedness of the characters.
    Another example of a famous crusading journalist is Gregory Peck's character in Gentlemen's Agreement. Peck's character pursued a story revealing the ugliness of anti-Semitism in post-war America by pretending to be Jewish. He pressed on despite the adverse affect it had on his professional and personal life, and ultimately writes an admired story. Somewhat similarly, Woodward and Bernstein press on despite ambiguous threats and warnings of immanent danger from Deep Throat. Barris mostly focuses on films from the 1950's in this section of the book. He states that the 50's was a hay day of journalist crusader films partially because the House Un-American Activities Committee was threatening the free speech of filmmakers all the time, and because they didn't seem to care as much about truth as about carrying out a paranoid witch hunt. They had "descended on the movie industry like a vigilante mob." It is likely that Hollywood writers felt victimized and that portraying of journalists as idealized heroes, and sometimes even martyrs, was a way to express their discontent about the rights and values that they felt were being suppressed by the Black List.
    

 
Hollywood's White House : the American presidency in film and history / edited by Peter C. Rollins and John E. O'Connor. [0813122708 (Cloth : alk. paper) ] Lexington : University Press of Kentucky, c2003.
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1995.9.U64 H65 2003
 
    The chapter on The Transformed Presidency: The Real Presidency and Hollywood’s Reel Presidency studies the transformation that the job and the image of commander-in-chief has undergone.  Levine spends a few pages discussing the transformation of the presidency in reality. A major change between the terms of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the present has occurred in the relationship of the president and the press. FDR was the first president to appoint a press secretary; today there are a slew of assistants, liaisons, writers, and spokespersons who, on many occasions, deal with the press in place of the president himself.  All the President’s Men is a “testament to the change in White House-press relations,” Levine states. By attributing the “cracking” of the Watergate scandal to two journalists, the film inspired a new generation of investigative reporting. One reason that Woodward and Bernstein appear so heroic in the film is because they persist “despite the lies and the disinformation fed by the official White House press machine.” By the time Nixon was in office, the post of press secretary had evolved into a fleet of employees comprising a “press machine.”
    Like Cameron, Sorlin, and Toplin, Myron Levine brings up the fact that the film belittles the contributions of people other than Woodward and Bernstein to bringing some members of the Nixon administration to justice. However, Levine states, Woodward and Bernstein played an extremely important role in maintaining pressure on other investigators and government bodies to act against corruption. The author also points out that the editor of the Washington Post, Benjamin Bradlee (portrayed in the film by Jason Robards) was extremely careful about publishing only substantiated allegations. Levine believes that this journalistic standard has also changed over time. He finds it unfortunate that, as a result of the near instantaneous speed with which news gets to today’s readers, media outlets no longer seem concerned with confirming the facts before print. Ultimately, All the President’s Men reflects the backlash against the modern White House’s attempt to strictly control the flow of information about the president and his administration. 
 


Toplin, Robert Brent, 1940-. History by Hollywood : the use and abuse of the American past / Robert Brent Toplin. [0252020731 (cloth : alk. paper)] Urbana : University of Illinois Press, c1996.
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1995.9.H5 T66 1996
 
    In part 4 of his book, Robert Toplin discusses movies that celebrate “the ‘Great Man’ in the Documentary Style.” He uses All the President’s Men as one of two main examples. He argues that although the movie generally maintains a commitment to authenticity, it overemphasizes the role that Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein played in cracking the Watergate scandal. Focusing on the personal experiences of these two journalists helped the filmmakers minimize complexity in an already intricate story. He also mentions that the movie's documentary feel is obtained through attention to detail and the strategy of withholding information from the audience.
    For the film to be interesting to the audience, it had to depict the every day tasks of the characters, phone calls, note taking, and staff meetings, as exciting and dramatic. The director, Alan J. Pakula, portrayed “typewriters, pencils, pads…as important weapons that could bring down some of the most powerful men in the country.” The movie begins with an close shot of a typewriter; each key stroke sends out “cannon shots, suggesting the power of the press in exposing assaults on freedom.” This strategy served to glorify both journalism and the protagonists. Many people other than Woodward and Bernstein were involved with bringing down the conspiracy, but the movie elevated these two journalists to the roles of primary and practically sole players in most people’s memory of this historical event. Toplin ultimately excuses the glorification of Woodward and Bernstein as a common tendency of docudrama, and he credits the film as “a bold an informed view of a significant crisis in American political life.”


Penn's favorite Arts & Entertainment DP Thursday insert is online!
tagged DP comedy entertainment journalism news by hennefem ...on 24-FEB-06
This is a very short article about the influences of blogs upon journalism and users of the internet. it primarily talks about the unresolved issues of open source media without digging very deep into some of the causes for such issues.
belongs to media theory bib project
tagged American blog? journalism open_source_media by whh2 ...on 23-NOV-05