Reflections of a Democratic Society Chapter 6 When is it news that an entire city is being poisoned by its water supply City of Flint Mich had high levels of lead in its water after changing from lake to river water ID: 671053
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Slide1
Newspapers and the News:Reflections of a Democratic Society
Chapter 6Slide2
When is it news that an entire city
is being poisoned by its water supply?
City of Flint, Mich., had high levels of lead in its water after changing from lake to river water.
Local journalists say they were slow to respond because officials said water was ok.
But local journalists eventually drove the story to receive national attention.
National journalists saw it as heartland story, followed national stories instead.Slide3
Early Newspapers1618:
Curanto
, published in Amsterdam, is first English-language newspaper1622: Newspapers being published in Britain, distributed through coffeehousesFollowers of church reformers John Calvin and Martin Luther among earliest
publishersSlide4
Colonial Publishing1690:
Publick
Occurrences: First paper published in American colonies Colonial newspapers subject to British censorshipSlide5
Colonial Publishing
1721: New England CourantPublished by James Franklin, Ben’s older brother
First paper published without
“
By Authority
”
notice; James sent to prison for doing so, Ben takes over publishing paper.Slide6
Early American NewspapersAudience primarily wealthy
elite
Published by political partiesFocused on opinion, not newsExpensive and had
small
circulation
Generally bought by pre-paid subscriptionSlide7
Penny Press RevolutionBenjamin Day
’
s idea: The New York Sun - “It shines for all.”Sold on the street for one or two cents
Supported primarily by
advertising
First papers to shift focus on
news
Journalistic objectivity developed as a way to appeal to larger audiences
.
Rise of working class supported
p
enny
p
ress growthSlide8
A Modern Democratic Society
Rapidly growing number of
papersGrowing number of people working for wages
U.S. transforming from rural to urban
society
Expanding interest in national and global events
Newspapers promoted democratic market
society
People acquire the news
“
habit
”Slide9
Newspaper Wars: Hearst vs. Pulitzer
Joseph Pulitzer
’s New York WorldCreation of the front page
Often staged sensational
stunts
Created headlines with
news
Targeting immigrants and
women
Nellie Bly and stunt journalismSlide10
Newspaper Wars: Hearst vs. Pulitzer
William Randolph Hearst
’s New York JournalRise of yellow journalism
Popularized comics, including Yellow
Kid
Sensationalistic stories by both papers promoting Spanish-American War in
CubaSlide11
TabloidsSmaller format newspapers written in a lively, often sensationalistic,
style
Tabloid “jazz journalism” eraNew York Daily News & New York Post
Racy London
tabloidsSlide12
Broadcast News - Radio1920: KDKA covers Harding-Cox presidential election
results
1930s: Newspapers argue radio should not broadcast news WW II: Edward R. Murrow broadcasting for CBS from Europe. Brought the war home for listeners.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clKaP5YCB8kSlide13
Broadcast News – Television
1940: Republican national convention covered by experimental NBC television
network.Murrow makes jump from radio to television.1948: CBS starts nightly 15-minute newscast.1963: CBS expands newscast to 30 minutes with Walter
Cronkite.
1979: ABC starts
Nightline
during Iranian hostage
crisis.Slide14
Broadcast News – Cable
1980: CNN goes on the air, promises not to sign off until the
“end of the world.”1991: Gulf War makes CNN the place to go for current news.2000s: Fox News comes to dominate the cable news ratings with programming that takes a strong point of view.Slide15
Newspapers TodayFew cities have competing daily newspapers.
Most newspapers owned by large chains.
Largest chain is Gannett, publisher of USA Today; owns approximately 83 daily papers.Newspaper print revenues falling; worst problems at metropolitan papers. Community
and small rural papers in better shape.Slide16
National Newspapers – Wall Street Journal
Traditional look with focus on financial
newsOwned by Rupert Murdoch
’
s News
Corp
Combined digital/print daily circulation of approximately 2.27
million
Editorial page is one of nation
’
s leading conservative
voicesSlide17
National Newspapers – USA Today
Brought color and design to forefront
Originally described as having “News McNuggets”Mid-2000s
–
Strengthens reporting
Has daily digital/print circulation
of 4.14 million
USA Today
considers itself a “multi-platform news and information media company.”Slide18
Metro Papers – New York Times
Started as penny
paperInfluential in defining national newsAlthough tied to New York, has national circulationSlide19
Metro Papers – Washington Post
Came to national prominence with Watergate reporting of Woodward and
BernsteinProminent source of government news
Much larger national presence online under leadership of new owner Jeff
BezosSlide20
Metro Papers – Los Angeles Times
Leading West Coast
paperControversy surrounding cost cutting at paperExperimented with “
mainstreaming
”
Attempt to include quotes from women and minorities; trying to appeal to larger, more diverse
audienceSlide21
Community and Suburban Papers
Daily and weekly papers serving individual communities and
suburbsPublish news people can’t get anywhere else
“
A local paper won
’
t get scooped by CNN.
”Slide22
What is News?Timeliness
Proximity
ProminenceConsequenceRarityHuman InterestSlide23
Media and Political Bias
Objectivity (neutral reporting) became the norm during penny press era for economic reasons.
Today news with an explicit point of view is popular on cable television.Is there a need today to maintain objectivity?Slide24
Herbert Gans: Basic Journalistic Values
Ethnocentrism
The belief that your own country and culture is better than all others
Altruistic democracy
The idea that politicians should serve the public good, not their own interestsSlide25
Herbert Gans: Basic Journalistic Values
Responsible capitalism
The idea that open competition among businesses will create a better, more prosperous world. But must be responsibleSmall town pastoralism
Nostalgia for the old-fashioned rural communitySlide26
Herbert Gans: Basic Journalistic Values
Individualism
The quest to identify the one person who makes a differenceModeratism
The value of moderation in all things. Extremists on left and right are viewed with suspicionSlide27
Herbert Gans:
Basic Journalistic Values
Social orderWhen journalists cover disorder they tend to focus on the restoration of orderLeadership
Media look at the actions of leaders whereas the actions of lower-level bureaucrats are ignoredSlide28
Living in Different Media Worlds
Consistent
conservatives rely on Fox News for political/government news.Conservatives distrust 2/3rds of major news sources.More likely to see views they agree with on Facebook.
Consistent liberals use a wide range of news sources,
rely
on
NY Times
and
NPR.
Liberals trust 2/3rds of major news
sources.
More likely to block/unfriend someone for political opinions on Facebook.Slide29
Dangers Journalists FaceIn 2015, 73 journalists were killed
in direct connection with their work.
14 killed in Syria, 9 killed in France in Charlie Hebdo attacksJournalists also taken hostage for months at a time.“They believe it is better for you to know that such things happen than not to know.
”
–
Reporter Terry AndersonSlide30
The Ethnic PressAfrican American press dates back to at least 1827.
Freedom
’s Journal, North Star published as emancipation papers.Chicago Defender started as yellow journalism paper; still published in 2000s.Spanish-language papers face declining circulation like rest of industry;
El Nuevo Herald
, in Miami, Florida, is one of the most significant.Slide31
The Gay PressGay papers started in late 1960s, copied on office equipment, distributed in gay bars.
Grew into profitable, professional
papersHit hard by 2009 recessionLosing revenue as gay advertising moves increasingly into big mediaSlide32
Alternative WeekliesStarted in 1960s & 1970s as
“
underground” papersTwo major alt chains, New Times & Village Voice, merged in 2005.
Targeted at young, urban readership that big media are having a hard time
reachingSlide33
Are Newspapers Dying?National newspapers profitable, holding onto
circulation
Afternoon dailies have been closing for decades; several high profile dailies have closed in recent years.Most of the job losses have been at major urban papers.Christian Science Monitor went to an all-online format.Slide34
The Future is Mobile and Social
Majority of top news sites get more traffic from mobile devices than desktop computers.
Majority of adults get some news from social media.Major newspapers get more digital readership than paper readership.