The ultimate question posed in this chapter - and, more widely, the culture of news as it stands today, with print journalism backing into the corner as new media journalism further develops - is how, how much, and under what conditions do economics influence news judgment?
Perhaps the importance of this question in today's world lies with understanding how news makes a profit and functions as its own professional milieu in order to see how this old system of journalism could subsist or transform in our current world of new media. Once this issue becomes more clear, we are free to look more closely at how we can evolve without leaving the model of the financially supported professional journalist in the dust.
In order to puzzle out the question, Schudson looks at the following:
- How Papers Make Money. Newspapers make income (around 80%) from ads, not readership. Newspapers want a readership with higher income levels in order to attract higher-paying advertisers.
- Corporatization of news. Family ownership of news networks has transformed into corporate ownership since the 1970s. Trend toward chain and group ownership. However, journalists' desire to produce news based off newsworthy events and not market trends or advertising will always hamper complete commercial control.
- Profits from Subscribers. Most newspaper readers are subscribers, so most news decisions will not greatly affect profits.
- Commodification of the News Through Commercialization. Commercialization of the news media has commodified the news, in effect encouraging professionalism among journalists. This is something that I think has receded with the growth of Internet journalism and reliable blogs written by citizen journos.
Questi
ons:1. Schudson infers that the best way to avoid market-driven censorship is to educate the audience on the importance of access to reliable news. How do you think Schudson expected newspapers to do this? Is there a way new media, particularly blogs, are better or worse than print journalism at educating their audiences on the importance of news?
2. How do the economic theories presented by Schudson seem to shape or frame the news media? How do you think new journalism (blogging, non-profit news sites like the Voice of San Diego) could change or redesign the current for-profit system of print journalism?
News Sources
In chapter 7, Schudson looks at how news sources influence journalism, and, more specifically, how they influence the frames of news media. The main points in the chapter focusing on news sources are below:
- Government Officials and Ease of Contacting a Source. Limited to authorities that are available, knowledgeable, and easy to contact. This often qualifies government officials, the most dominant type of source in today's news. Routine government sources can include press releases, public speeches, press conferences held by government officials. Sources are often constrained to these outlets because of deadlines and budget concerns.
- Sources Looking to Solidify Public Image. News is the currency of community standing; some sources jockey to be in the news (generally surrounding positive events) in order to maintain a favorable public image. Public relations professionals also seek to publish positive news about their clients.
- Parajournalists. Sources must work to compile news to present to a reporter, who then edits this material and frames it to create a story. Government sources can also favor certain publications and journalists, controlling the access to news information. These sources can also use the press to their advantage, seeking to undermine government rivals or leaking information.
- Ethics in Dealing with Sources. Accept no gifts and recognize the fine line between "high-end schmoozing" that elevates the journalist to a "celebrity level" and a professional journalist-source relationship, that may involve a level of manipulation but does not seduce the journalist.
- Source Control of the News. Schudson encourages journalists to recognize the control and power sources can have over the news, while also thinking about how source control could be downplayed.
Questions:
1. How can journalists avoid relying solely on government officials while under tight time and money constraints? How can they avoid buying into or printing spin, and offering only an "elite version" of the news?
2. How would a wider source pool aid print journalists, especially considering that bloggers and other citizen journalists write online using their own sources which are often not government officials?
The Political Culture of News
In chapter 8, Schudson looks at how the news media frame and cover politics and how historical transformation of this process has effected journalism.
- Changes in Government Spark Changes in Political Media Coverage. Changes in government have sparked more media interest and coverage. For instance, during the first century of U.S. history, Supreme Court nominations were closed meetings. When these were opened up, the media converged to cover the breaking story, amplifying the amount of political coverage. In the end, the media have become central to the mass education about our country's political process.
- Media's Role in Politics & Context. Role of the media in relation to politics changes based on current political climate and location. Media also allows public opinion of political processes to be voiced, a critical decisive point in many govnermental policy choices.
- More Politics to Cover. The U.S.'s decentralized and participatory political structure invites more coverage due to the sheer amount of political information available to be covered.
1. How does the U.S. political process (focus on private behavior of public officials, few implications of party strength and emphasis on presidential stature with the public or with Congress) specifically effect the way U.S. journalists frame elections as "political rat races?"
2. How does journalism function as a part or entity of politics? How does news culture hinge on the climate of the day's political climate?
Fantastic! I'm looking forward to tomorrow's discussion.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see the way economics has become so ingrained in the news. Phenomenon like the 24 hour news cycle, the concentrationon celebrity gossip and scandal and, what I see as the impending death of investigative journalism, are all part of it. News sources have become more and more dependent on advertisers and there is little faithin print journalism at all. I wonder though, how much this impacts the actual journalism. Some sources- like the Economist and Time Magazine, seem to have been able to stay on their journalistic game, even while facing possible bankruptcy, while other sources seem to have slipped. And that is only what I can percieve as a reader. How much have the changing economic forces that pressure journalists- the 24 hour news cycle, the need for a affluent readership, the networking of news agencies and the transformation of the news into a commoditiy actually hindered journalism? What investigative ideas get killed because the story might tick off one of many publishers or owners, or might lose the paper an advertiser. How much limitation is put on reporters to do their homework and check their sources and follow up on leads if they literally have to fill every minute of the day with some kind of press coverage? I don't have any of these answers- so if anyone does please respond.
ReplyDeleteOn a completely side note, although stil relevant and pretty funny, here is an essay by Joel Stein that appeared in Time a few weeks ago. His plan to save print journalism? Product placement in news and feature writing.
http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1884457,00.html
Thanks for the link! What a plan. I've heard other journalists talk about such things as making news a side offer to things like fantasy sports leagues! (?) These are compelling question's you've raised and we should address them in class.
ReplyDelete