Fall 2020 JOU 1000 11th Class FIRST PRESENTATION for week of September 28, 2020

1. JOU 1000
Introduction to
Journalism
Professor Michael Rizzo
Director, Journalism Program
Division of Mass Communication
Collins College of Professional Studies
First Presentation for week of Sept. 28, 2020

2. JOU 1000
Introduction to
Journalism
Last class presentation – Sept. 21
Interviewing
Last class – Sept. 24
Interview assignment

3. JOU 1000
Introduction to
Journalism
Today
Start Chapter 4 of textbook
Mid-term prep

4. RECAP
The interview assignment you did
should have focused on asking
how, what, why questions
Profile stories should reveal the
newsworthiness of your interviewee
based on his/her biography and
complemented by quotes

5. Elements of Journalism
1. Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth.
2. Its loyalty is to citizens.
3. Its essence is a discipline of verification.
4. Its practitioners must maintain independence
5. It must serve as a monitor of power.
6. It must provide a forum for public criticism.
7. It must make the significant interesting and
relevant.
8. It must keep the news comprehensive and
proportional.
9. Journalists must exercise their personal conscience.
10. Citizens also have rights and responsibilities to the
news.

6. The course outline states we will
review Chapter 4 this week.
For last week it described that you
should read Chapter 4 of the textbook:
Pages 98-106 (start with the section
The Essence of Journalism is a
Discipline of Verification)
Your assignment was re-focused to
complete your interview assignment.

7. We’ll begin Chapter 4 today and
continue it after the mid-term.
For the mid-term you do need to read
Pages 98-106 of Chapter 4 of the
textbook (start with the section
The Essence of Journalism is a
Discipline of Verification)

8. Chapter 4:
Journalism of Verification
The essence of journalism
is a discipline of verification.
(#3 on the list of Elements of Journalism)

9. Verification confirms facts and
facts separate journalism from
fiction because fiction is fake.
Verification of facts is the enemy
of fake news

10. Modern journalism seems to have
become a blend of news,
opinion and taking sides.
Cable news channels seem not
just about reporting news but
holding opinion “sessions” by
“news anchors” with interviewees
and experts that seem to offer
only supporting perspectives.

11. Some journalists often seem to
spend more time looking to
repeat something reported
elsewhere than trying to do their
own original reporting by
uncovering and verifying
something new on a story.

12. Journalism needs to let facts of a
story unfold and tell those facts
before it reports the reasons and
opinions related to the story.
Good journalists do not follow
a larger or popular narrative
until they’ve confirmed it
themselves.

13. The story on the following slide
happened at the beginning of the
Trump presidency.

15. The fuller story was the claim
by the reporter that the bust of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had
been replaced in the Oval Office
indicating a opposition by
President Trump to honoring Dr.
King.

16. Miller’s Tweet was quickly spread
by other reporters without their
own check of what had happened.
Miller, in fact, had made an
incorrect news report in his Tweet.
It was then widely reported how
Miller had practiced bad
journalism.

17. https://time.com/4645541/donald-trump-white-house-oval-office/

18. In analyzing Miller’s reporting
based on concepts in the text:
• he didn’t make a full
observation for his story
• he didn’t get other perspectives
by asking others in the room
what they saw or didn’t see
• he focused on speed versus
accuracy

19. He said he was sorry but:
• it was embarrassing for Miller
• it was a stain on his reputation
as a diligent reporter
• it was a poor reflection on the
other news organizations that
re-Tweeted the “news” without
checking the facts

20. Good journalism should provide
objectivity in reporting
This is the definition of being objective.
Good journalists should follow it.

21. What are the Methods of
Objectivity?
• Never add anything
• Never deceive
• Be transparent
• Rely on original reporting
• Exercise humility

22. Journalism as “entertainment”
and "infotainment" focus more
on what is on the surface and
distracting than what is at the
root of newsworthy stories.

23. MID-TERM FOR JOU 1000
On Thursday, Oct. 1, the mid-term exam
will pose several questions on BlackBoard
that will ask you to apply and use the
concepts covered in the assigned readings
from Chapter 1 and Chapter 4, the class
presentations and the handouts provided
on BlackBoard.
You will have a specified time to complete
your answers and submit them directly
into Blackboard as the exam provides.

24. Because of issues some of us have had
with our technology, YOU SHOULD
SAVE ALL YOUR ANSWERS IN A SEPARATE
DOCUMENT APART FROM BLACKBOARD.
This will allow you to email me your
saved answers IF you encounter an issue
with BlackBoard.
If you have questions, email me at
rizzom@stjohns.edu.

25. STAY WELL
AND
STAY SAFE