pros and cons of the press

1. JOURNALISM BY MS. MARICON C. VIDUYA

2. WHY JOURNALISM Journalism is widely regarded as a glamorous and exciting profession. Disadvantages Low salary The pressure of beating the deadline The long and often irregular hours of work Life-threatening

3. Advantages The power of the press The glory of the byline The thrill of being among the first to know

4. The power of the press Has long been recognized, accepted, and supported In most places, it is one of the few remaining forces that can effectively challenge a corrupt and secretive administration. It has proven its power to galvanize public opinion.

5. The power of the press More often used in a less earth-shaking way e.g. crusading against injustice in a small town, campaigning for worthy causes, publishing useful information on health and safety issues

6. The power of the press “The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” – Thomas Jefferson

7. The power of the press “ Congress watches the President; the Supreme Court watches them both; and the press exposes all their discoverable secrets.” – US Constitution Filipino leaders during the Spanish regime – Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Graciano Lopez-Jaena—turned to press in their crusade for reforms

8. The Glory of the Byline Byline – the author’s name appearing with the story or article - could be nom de plume/ pen name/ pseudonym - full name - may include middle name - first initials or initials together with his full family name

9. Byline Has become the expression of the writer’s style Through the byline, the author could be recognized as a person of influence, a purveyor of wisdom a molder of opinions a shaper of society - Leonard Ray Teel and Ron Taylor

10. Advantages Gives due credit to the reporter Establishes responsibility for the story The reader knows whom to contact either to make a complaint or to offer clues for a follow-up story

11. The First to Know There is excitement in being the first to know This could refer to the important events or to personal concerns of famous people; to the historically significant, to change in the weather, or simply a surprise party for a friend

12. The First to Know The reporter witnesses history as it is taking place. The reporter gets to meet interesting people, not necessarily celebrities, but also common folks who are personalities in their own way. The established journalist has access to the seats of power which is denied to others.

13. Limitations of the Press Ideally, the press should present the truth about any event or issue Realistically, it can only present some facts about every story

14. Limitations of the Press Reporters are not the “omniscient” observers that they might seem to be As pointed out by David Broder, “the dean of political reporters” and Pulitzer prize-winning columnist and author, press reports are flawed

15. 2 reasons for the flaw 1.Time pressure under which reporters have to submit their news stories Lack of time and resources leads to their failure to get different perspectives

16. 2 reasons for the flaw 2. Their inability to reach all the sources they would wish to interview or research Reporters try their best; but the information that they have is always incomplete and is “just a bare sketch of what the reality is”

17. Border suggests that the writer truthfully add, at the end of each story “subject to revision and amplification” Although he concedes that newspapers are the “first draft of history,” Broder believes that they should not be taken as the final authority.

18. Readers tend to trust the printed words implicitly and newsmen pretend to have an authority which they do not possess “Media should start with a premise that they are fallible human beings dealing with very complex reality.”

19. Readers, therefore, should judge what they read critically. They should ask the questions that are left unanswered, in the same way the journalists do when they are digging for facts.

20. Another weakness of the press is its proneness to being manipulated by politicians. “Every good politician will attempt to work the press. If you live in a country where public opinion ultimately decides public policy, any politician who’s at all serious is going to try to manage public opinion, and that means working the press. So they all do it.”

21. Beside public support, the press also needs intelligent criticism, both from the news organization itself and from its readers. The press is after all, “A PRIVATE BUSINESS PERFORMING A PUBLIC SERVICE WITH CONSTITUTIONAL IMMUNITY.” Source: Journalism Handbook, E. Pangilinan

22. Other limitations of the Press 6 Major Limitations of the Press Libel Anti-obscenity law Invasion of privacy laws Law on national security Contempt of court Copyright law