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THE

DYNAMICS

OF MASS

COMMUNCATION

Joseph R. DominickUniversity of Georgia--Athens

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Specific Media Professions

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Chapter 12

News Gathering and Reporting

Deciding What Is NewsCategories of News and ReportingThe News FlowTechnologyThe Wire ServicesMedia Differences in News CoverageReadership and ViewershipNews OnlineNews Gathering and ReportingC

hapt

er O

utlin

e

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• Five elements of newsworthy events Timeliness Proximity Prominence Consequence Human interest

Deciding What Is News

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• Economic factors also determine coverage– Cost of covering stories– Fit within the organization’s look– Conflicts of interest

Deciding What Is News

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• Three categories of news– Hard news

• Who, What, Where, When, How • Public events• Significance for large numbers of people• Print media

– Inverted pyramid form– Hard lead

• Broadcast media– Square format – Hard or soft lead

Categories of News and Reporting

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– Soft news, or feature news• Interests the audience• Informs, entertains, instructs,

inspires• Uses most formats except inverted

pyramid• E! People60 Minutes

Categories of News and Reporting

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Categories of News and Reporting

Investigative reports unearth significant information about matters of public importance through the use of time-intensive, non-routine news-gathering methods.

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• Print Media– Sources of news – staff reporting and wire

services

The News Flow

General-assignment reporter

City editor

Copy desk

Managing editors

The

Flow

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• Broadcast Media– News sources– wire service, news services, and

reporters

The News Flow

Tape editor Newscast

The

Flow

Assignment editor News producer

Field reporter and camera crew

Newswriters and production assistants

News anchor

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• Advances have changed mobile live news coverage significantly– Small, lightweight digital video cameras

– Satellite dish-equipped vans or trucks

– Laptop computer video editing

– Videophones stream audio and video over a satellite phone connection

Technology

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• Provide newspapers with external coverage

• Primary U.S. wire services– Associated Press (AP)– United Press International (UPI)

The Wire Services

Local event story

Local bureau chief

State bureau chief

National Wire

WIRE

SUBSCRIBERS

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• Competition for AP and UPI– The New York Times News Service– Los Angeles Times News Service– Washington Post News Service– Gannett’s News Service– Britain’s Reuters– France’s Agence-France-Press

The Wire Services

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• The news media – unique strengths and weaknesses– Print: in-depth, more coverage, handles details

difficult to get by voice, good at facts and information, permanence

– Broadcast: greater immediacy, personal, credibility, presentation of impressions, public, no interaction required

– Online: links to other information and activities, audio and video possible, credibility an issue, good at presenting facts and information, permanence

Media Differences in News Coverage

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• Print, Online, and Broadcast Journalists – Broadcast news anchors achieve star status

• Appearance and personalities important to the public

• Print and online reporters remain relatively anonymous

• News Consultants– Most noticeable in broadcast– Introduced the audience survey to news coverage– Have homogenizing effect on local news

Media Differences in News Coverage

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Similarities Among the News Media

Media Differences in News Coverage

HonestyAccuracy

Objectivity

Balance

Integrity

Journalistic principles

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• Pew Charitable Trusts Research Center Survey (2002)Internet is a significant news source35% of Americans go online for news

1+ times/wkNumber of people who get their news

from broadcast or print

Readership and Viewership

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Readership and Viewership

Source Credibility

TVMajor online news sites

News on portal sites

Print media

highest

lowest

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• Types of online news sources– Mainstream general

• CNN.com• usatoday.com

– News aggregator• Google• Yahoo

– Specialized news focus• ESPN.com Blogs• W.S. Journal: http://online.wsj.com/public/us

Online Journalism

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News Online

Journalist’s perspectiveNew tools for reporting

More access for less workCAR required

Backpack journalism

Audience’s perspectiveMore news sourcesCustomizable news

Email alertsSearchable archives

Profession’s perspectiveProblematic entry requirements

Threat of shoddy journalismEconomic threat of sites with little to lose

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• Jobs scarce even in an improved economy• Newspapers & magazines reduced hiring• Most radio stations reduced or eliminated

news• Fierce competition for TV positions• Online journalism positions down• Some hope for producers and videographers• Start small and local, then work up and out

News Gathering and Reporting