This document discusses principles of journalism and news. It covers several topics: 1. Group assignments for a journalism class - students will lead discussions on assigned readings and be prepared to summarize articles. 2. Three common metaphors for journalism - the mirror, the watchdog, and the marketplace. Each fulfills different democratic needs like information dissemination and accountability. 3. A definition of journalism as a set of transparent and independent procedures to gather and report truthful information for citizens in a democracy. Key aspects of journalism discussed are that it must be free but also responsible, and perform functions important to democratic self-governance like being a forum for discussion and holding power accountable.