Com/400 News Perspective Analysis
News Perspective
Anita LaGrone
COM/400
April 27,2015
Shaniece Brickham
News Perspective It would be impossible for most people to live even one day without mass communication, and yet, many people know little of how the media work and how it influence their lives positively and negatively. However, society has always needed effective and efficient means to transfer information in which mass communication media is the result of this need. Mass communication plays a significant role in modern society. For instance, broadcasting of news and other accurate information represents one of the functions of mass communication. People now days have an abundance of sources at their disposal for acquiring news, in particularly, television medium …show more content…
leads all other sources. Television is the main place people say they turn to for news about current events (55%), leading the Internet, at 21%. Much less, 9% say newspapers or other print publications are their main news source, followed by radio, at 6%. However, getting this news is a different take. Who brings us this new? That would be a Journalist. A journalist’s job is to present a well-adjusted report of current events that happens through out the world. News perspectives transferred in a televised and online broadcast are normally colored by the reporter’s conscious choice to present the news under a particular light, indulging in the use of marketing tactics to gain market share, and the use of chosen sources to corroborate the story. In addition, the deadlines imposed on journalists to bring a story to the public may preclude sufficient gathering of relevant detail and facts to present a balanced report, thus distorting the news perspective given to the audience.
Marketing Perspective
The reason for examining news perspectives, the television newscast CNN Newsroom (CNN, 2013) and the online version of Fox News (Fox News, 2013) were viewed. Both media formats use similar marketing strategies to attract and gain audiences. Both newscasts include the wide use of visual aids to punctuate the facts provided in the report. For example, the use of live video, photographs, charts, and graphs provide the newscasts with varied methods to convey the information. The different visual aids appeals to different audiences based on how they prefer to receive news. Further, both CNN and Fox News programs feature human interest, entertainment, pop culture, and sports reports to reach wide and varied audiences. The visual appeal of the products, the news programs, coupled with the various news content provides the media with marketing strategies to increase audiences.
Sources, Bias, Improving Balance
A notable difference observed between the televised CNN news broadcast and the online Fox News program were the identification of the sources used in the news reports.
CNN consistently identified the sources and experts used in the reports. It appeared that although CNN usually consulted with sources on both sides of the issues, the reports typically provided more weight to particular news perspectives. For example, one CNN (CNN, 2013) story relative to gun control failed to provide a perspective for gun rights. The entire news report featured television news personality Piers Morgan and his opinion on gun control. The report lacked the gun advocate perspective and touted the opinions of a television personality who has no expertise in the issue, which infers bias and a lack of credibility in the report. Instead, the journalist should consult with experts representing both sides of the issue to provide more balanced reporting. Facts and figures from reliable and credible third parities will also improve fairness in …show more content…
reporting.
Fox News (Fox News, 2013) appears to rely on single sources per news report to comment on the issues, which causes one to wonder if the network provides balanced reports. Although the sources consulted are appropriate, the news organization should gather varied opinions to increase credibility in its reporting. Most of the sources Fox News used in its reports had the expertise, knowledge, and experience to add credibility to most stories. However, in a satellite story again concerning gun control, a report from Fox’s Los Angeles news office failed to identify sources during one of its news reports. The report included video commentary from three separate sources primarily citing figures relative to the successful use of guns for defensive purposes. However, none of the opining individuals in the report were identified; the omission of this information cast a biased light and reduced or eliminated the credibility of the report’s message. It is crucial that journalists identify contributors to the news stories and why their input is relevant. In addition, the audience should be easily able to verify facts and figures cited within the report.
Stereotypes
A disturbing news report featured on Fox News (Fox News, 2013) showed video of a teen girl who had passed out because of presumed alcohol consumption.
The report indicated the girl was dragged from college party to party by male students and repeatedly raped. The report stated the males in the video were not present during the rapes, but it showed the men standing over the girl jokingly making crass and offensive comments about her state of consciousness. The news report without the video would contain the same horrific accounting of the events that occurred. The inclusion of the video with the audio of the comments the men made, perpetuates the objectification of and violence against women and in the media. Sexual and violent exploitation of women permeates the news, television programming, and movies. The media, especially news sources should avoid advancing stereotypical graphic depictions of women being subject to the whims of men. Promoting the stereotype that women are the weaker sex through showing unnecessary videos taken by males lacking human empathy and decency further desensitizes the public in ascertaining appropriate and moral behavior toward
women.
Fabricated Stories and Context
None of the reports in either newscast appeared fabricated, although it can be difficult to know immediately if the stories are true and accurate. The viewer may require vast background knowledge of the issue or topic to determine if the facts were skewed or misrepresented. News audiences lacking more than surface knowledge of a topic may be led to believe the accuracy of the news report because they do not understand the underlying facts or the people involved with the issues who are considered credible sources or experts in the field.
Unfortunately for the media and their audiences, journalists too often engage in fabricating stories. Freedom Forum (2007) has an extensive list of journalists who were caught fabricating names of people involved in the event, inventing quotes from sources, misrepresenting facts and figures, and engaging in plagiarism. In order for the viewer to determine if the news story is fabricated or truthful, the report should include sources that can be checked readily. The report provided by Fox News (Fox News, 2013) failing to identify the sources in the gun control news story causes alert viewers to question its legitimacy as a result of the omission.
Other news reports that fail to serve the majority of the audience well are those that lack context. The people reasonably informed about a topic looking for specific updates may not require the background information that most viewers would need. Reports lacking context tend to focus too much on the latest developments and too little information on the events that led to them. These types of reports are often frustrating to viewers who want more detailed information or to gain better understanding of the issue because they must consult multiple news sources to obtain the answers to their questions. The news report about the rape of the 16 year old girl focused on the crude comments captured on video by males other than the perpetrators. Upon the conclusion of the story the audience was unsure of who the accused are and the status of the case. This may be an ongoing news story, but those who do not routinely hear of it require more background information to understand how the event occurred and if justice is prevailing. Fortunately, viewers can easily gain more information by accessing the World Wide Web and the Internet to fill the information gaps.
World Wide Web and the Internet
The World Wide Web and the Internet provide nearly unlimited resources for those seeking information pertaining to political viewpoints. The political points of view are affected by the World Wide Web and the Internet because people tend to seek information consistent with their personal opinions. Consuming information that reiterates the same viewpoints reinforces the legitimacy of the political opinion. Further, people using the World Wide Web participate in chats, e-mail, blogs, and other forms of electronic communication to meet similarly minded people to engage in discussion. The majority of people does not seek or research differing political opinions when using the World Wide Web; therefore, their opinions become more ingrained than through other sources of media. Media, such as newspapers, television, and radio usually report information or advertisements representing a variety of political opinions. People filter opposing views more easily online.
Conclusion
Journalists must truly strive to be objective when reporting the news as there a numerous factors that can affect one’s perspective of the news story. The journalist must consider the medium’s marketing objectives to gain audiences, avoid bias, consult credible sources, and seek balanced reporting. Stories riddled with stereotypes, fabricated facts, and a lack of context frustrate reasonably well informed individuals and cast doubt on the accuracy and reliability of the story and the medium allowing the distribution of misrepresented facts. Moreover, the increasing prominence of the World Wide Web and the Internet as sources of information and news affects audiences’ news perspectives and may prevent or reduce the balanced and fair dissemination of information.
References
CNN. (2013). Newsroom. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2013/01/11/point-duchess-of-cambridge-portrait.cnn.
Fox News. (2013). Video. Retrieved from http://video.foxnews.com/.
Freedom Forum. (2007). The First Amendment center – ethics in journalism. Retrieved from http://catalog.freedomforum.org/FFLib/JournalistScandals.htm.
Anita LaGrone
COM/400
April 27,2015
Shaniece Brickham
News Perspective It would be impossible for most people to live even one day without mass communication, and yet, many people know little of how the media work and how it influence their lives positively and negatively. However, society has always needed effective and efficient means to transfer information in which mass communication media is the result of this need. Mass communication plays a significant role in modern society. For instance, broadcasting of news and other accurate information represents one of the functions of mass communication. People now days have an abundance of sources at their disposal for acquiring news, in particularly, television medium …show more content…
leads all other sources. Television is the main place people say they turn to for news about current events (55%), leading the Internet, at 21%. Much less, 9% say newspapers or other print publications are their main news source, followed by radio, at 6%. However, getting this news is a different take. Who brings us this new? That would be a Journalist. A journalist’s job is to present a well-adjusted report of current events that happens through out the world. News perspectives transferred in a televised and online broadcast are normally colored by the reporter’s conscious choice to present the news under a particular light, indulging in the use of marketing tactics to gain market share, and the use of chosen sources to corroborate the story. In addition, the deadlines imposed on journalists to bring a story to the public may preclude sufficient gathering of relevant detail and facts to present a balanced report, thus distorting the news perspective given to the audience.
Marketing Perspective
The reason for examining news perspectives, the television newscast CNN Newsroom (CNN, 2013) and the online version of Fox News (Fox News, 2013) were viewed. Both media formats use similar marketing strategies to attract and gain audiences. Both newscasts include the wide use of visual aids to punctuate the facts provided in the report. For example, the use of live video, photographs, charts, and graphs provide the newscasts with varied methods to convey the information. The different visual aids appeals to different audiences based on how they prefer to receive news. Further, both CNN and Fox News programs feature human interest, entertainment, pop culture, and sports reports to reach wide and varied audiences. The visual appeal of the products, the news programs, coupled with the various news content provides the media with marketing strategies to increase audiences.
Sources, Bias, Improving Balance
A notable difference observed between the televised CNN news broadcast and the online Fox News program were the identification of the sources used in the news reports.
CNN consistently identified the sources and experts used in the reports. It appeared that although CNN usually consulted with sources on both sides of the issues, the reports typically provided more weight to particular news perspectives. For example, one CNN (CNN, 2013) story relative to gun control failed to provide a perspective for gun rights. The entire news report featured television news personality Piers Morgan and his opinion on gun control. The report lacked the gun advocate perspective and touted the opinions of a television personality who has no expertise in the issue, which infers bias and a lack of credibility in the report. Instead, the journalist should consult with experts representing both sides of the issue to provide more balanced reporting. Facts and figures from reliable and credible third parities will also improve fairness in …show more content…
reporting.
Fox News (Fox News, 2013) appears to rely on single sources per news report to comment on the issues, which causes one to wonder if the network provides balanced reports. Although the sources consulted are appropriate, the news organization should gather varied opinions to increase credibility in its reporting. Most of the sources Fox News used in its reports had the expertise, knowledge, and experience to add credibility to most stories. However, in a satellite story again concerning gun control, a report from Fox’s Los Angeles news office failed to identify sources during one of its news reports. The report included video commentary from three separate sources primarily citing figures relative to the successful use of guns for defensive purposes. However, none of the opining individuals in the report were identified; the omission of this information cast a biased light and reduced or eliminated the credibility of the report’s message. It is crucial that journalists identify contributors to the news stories and why their input is relevant. In addition, the audience should be easily able to verify facts and figures cited within the report.
Stereotypes
A disturbing news report featured on Fox News (Fox News, 2013) showed video of a teen girl who had passed out because of presumed alcohol consumption.
The report indicated the girl was dragged from college party to party by male students and repeatedly raped. The report stated the males in the video were not present during the rapes, but it showed the men standing over the girl jokingly making crass and offensive comments about her state of consciousness. The news report without the video would contain the same horrific accounting of the events that occurred. The inclusion of the video with the audio of the comments the men made, perpetuates the objectification of and violence against women and in the media. Sexual and violent exploitation of women permeates the news, television programming, and movies. The media, especially news sources should avoid advancing stereotypical graphic depictions of women being subject to the whims of men. Promoting the stereotype that women are the weaker sex through showing unnecessary videos taken by males lacking human empathy and decency further desensitizes the public in ascertaining appropriate and moral behavior toward
women.
Fabricated Stories and Context
None of the reports in either newscast appeared fabricated, although it can be difficult to know immediately if the stories are true and accurate. The viewer may require vast background knowledge of the issue or topic to determine if the facts were skewed or misrepresented. News audiences lacking more than surface knowledge of a topic may be led to believe the accuracy of the news report because they do not understand the underlying facts or the people involved with the issues who are considered credible sources or experts in the field.
Unfortunately for the media and their audiences, journalists too often engage in fabricating stories. Freedom Forum (2007) has an extensive list of journalists who were caught fabricating names of people involved in the event, inventing quotes from sources, misrepresenting facts and figures, and engaging in plagiarism. In order for the viewer to determine if the news story is fabricated or truthful, the report should include sources that can be checked readily. The report provided by Fox News (Fox News, 2013) failing to identify the sources in the gun control news story causes alert viewers to question its legitimacy as a result of the omission.
Other news reports that fail to serve the majority of the audience well are those that lack context. The people reasonably informed about a topic looking for specific updates may not require the background information that most viewers would need. Reports lacking context tend to focus too much on the latest developments and too little information on the events that led to them. These types of reports are often frustrating to viewers who want more detailed information or to gain better understanding of the issue because they must consult multiple news sources to obtain the answers to their questions. The news report about the rape of the 16 year old girl focused on the crude comments captured on video by males other than the perpetrators. Upon the conclusion of the story the audience was unsure of who the accused are and the status of the case. This may be an ongoing news story, but those who do not routinely hear of it require more background information to understand how the event occurred and if justice is prevailing. Fortunately, viewers can easily gain more information by accessing the World Wide Web and the Internet to fill the information gaps.
World Wide Web and the Internet
The World Wide Web and the Internet provide nearly unlimited resources for those seeking information pertaining to political viewpoints. The political points of view are affected by the World Wide Web and the Internet because people tend to seek information consistent with their personal opinions. Consuming information that reiterates the same viewpoints reinforces the legitimacy of the political opinion. Further, people using the World Wide Web participate in chats, e-mail, blogs, and other forms of electronic communication to meet similarly minded people to engage in discussion. The majority of people does not seek or research differing political opinions when using the World Wide Web; therefore, their opinions become more ingrained than through other sources of media. Media, such as newspapers, television, and radio usually report information or advertisements representing a variety of political opinions. People filter opposing views more easily online.
Conclusion
Journalists must truly strive to be objective when reporting the news as there a numerous factors that can affect one’s perspective of the news story. The journalist must consider the medium’s marketing objectives to gain audiences, avoid bias, consult credible sources, and seek balanced reporting. Stories riddled with stereotypes, fabricated facts, and a lack of context frustrate reasonably well informed individuals and cast doubt on the accuracy and reliability of the story and the medium allowing the distribution of misrepresented facts. Moreover, the increasing prominence of the World Wide Web and the Internet as sources of information and news affects audiences’ news perspectives and may prevent or reduce the balanced and fair dissemination of information.
References
CNN. (2013). Newsroom. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2013/01/11/point-duchess-of-cambridge-portrait.cnn.
Fox News. (2013). Video. Retrieved from http://video.foxnews.com/.
Freedom Forum. (2007). The First Amendment center – ethics in journalism. Retrieved from http://catalog.freedomforum.org/FFLib/JournalistScandals.htm.