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Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts
Showing posts with label communication. Show all posts

Editorial: Students Should Know What's Going On

Posted in Labels: , , , | at 2:28 PM




Nikky Raney
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Written for Ed Rice's Editorial Class

One would think that by attending a school with "communications" in the title and being communications and media studies majors with concentrations in other specific fields that the students of New England School of Communications (NESCom) would be more involved with politics and be up-to-date on the current events around them. Well, think again, because we are not living up to our standards.

That's not to say all of us are oblivious to the world around us, but its an indisputable fact that when teachers ask students about current events and what is going on in the world there are not very many of us who can raise our hands and give an answer.

It's shameful to our age group, 18-24 year olds, knowing that according to a document put out by the U.S. Census Bureau in May 2010 called "Voting and Registration of the Election of 2008" only one out of every four registered voter voted. Out of the ones who aren't registered to vote 42 percent of them say it is because they have no interest.

It's understandable that some people may be uncomfortable discussing and debating politics for personal reasons, but there is a difference between expressing personal beliefs and just having common knowledge about what is going on around the country and world. Hell, some people don't even know what is going on in their own state.

How many NESCom students even read a newspaper, watch the news or go to a news web site in their own free time? Within a classroom filled with students in the journalism concentration only a handful of us even bother to act as journalists outside the classroom - and this should not be limited to us, but there should be more than 24 percent of registered voters between 18-24 voting.

Students need to care about what is going on, because the things going on affect each and every one of us. Egypt just gave its power to the military since Mubarak resigned after 30 years, but how many students understand why that even affects the United States?

The sooner we start collectively paying attention and caring about the world around us the sooner we will be able to stop complaining and start participating in making a change.

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Media coverage of suicides By Nikky Raney

Posted in Labels: , , , , , , , , | at 12:23 PM

Media coverage of suicides

 By Nikky Raney

Suicide is a very sensitive and serious issue, and the last thing any family or friend wants to do is talk to the media after a loved one has committed suicide.

Generally news sources have specific ethics, and for the most part suicides are not covered except in circumstances where the suicide is a part of a bigger situation entirely.

When I blogged about the "Craigslist Killer" dying in jail I made sure not to include the word "suicide" within the title - in order to not feed into the sensationalism of some news sources. I think the family is upset enough over the fact that Philip Markoff is known as the "Craigslist Killer."

The reason why that suicide was covered is that it shines a light on the way inmates are treated and watched over in jails. After being placed under watch for potentially being suicidal it doesn't seem right that he was still able to successfully end his own life.

Life behind bars can certainly effect someone's mental health. The lack of communication with the outside world as well as the lack of freedom really takes a toll. The bigger picture behind the suicide being covered was the conditions that led to the suicide.

NPR covered this subject in November 2009 with a segment called "Media Should Tread Carefully in Covering Suicide." The transcript along with audio focuses on when an adolescent commits suicide and the media reports on it - this has happened quite a few times, and it all comes down to ethics. It's how a journalist chooses to go about covering the story - what angle to take. Sometimes the journalist is not given the option to not cover a suicide, because the editor may assign the story and all the reporter can do is figure out a way to cover the story by the deadline.

The NPR piece includes an interview with psychiatric epidemiologist Madelyn Gould at Columbia University in New York City where she says:
"We know from studies that have looked at the impact of the media that there is something called the 'dose-response association.' So the size of the increase in suicides following a suicide story is proportional to the amount, and the duration, and the prominence of the coverage."
The piece continues:
"There are ways that the media can cover a suicide that can actually help mitigate the risk of additional suicides, says psychiatrist Paula Clayton, medical director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, who regularly advises the media on how to report on a suicide. For example, they should report on the many complex factors that may have led up to the suicide and emphasize that 90 percent of people who kill themselves have mental health problems."
Journalism Ethics' Stephen J. A. Ward did a piece on whether journalists exploit tragedies such as suicides. 
Ward does an amazing job at explaining what attracts journalists to covering these types of stories, and why journalists feel like it is a responsibility to cover these events. He writes:
"Take the case of suicides. To be blunt, suicides are frequently newsworthy – a public official in trouble commits suicide, a distraught military hero takes his life. But these cases are frequently more than newsworthy. They challenge journalists to explore the economic and social factors that may help to induce suicidal behavior. When we witness a string of suicides at a school or in an aboriginal community, suicide is no longer personal but social. It is the responsibility of journalists to explore the reasons for these disturbing patterns in the fabric of society. "

That really does sum it up quite nicely.  The problem arises when journalists forget about the sensitivity and emotion surrounding the matter and decide to take the sensational route that becomes more of an exploitation.

Some may wonder what counts as exploitation, Ward tells:

"What counts as exploitation? To exploit is to unfairly use people in a less powerful position to achieve your own ends — without a thought to their needs and interests. As Kant famously said, the basic principle of all ethics is: Do not treat other people only as a means to your ends….In journalism, Kant's principle works like this: In reporting on a person's tragedy I am, on one level, treating this event as a means to my end of getting the story. But on another level, I am not exploiting the situation if I treat the persons in question with respect and attempt to minimize harm. "

He continues:

"Ethical journalists still "get the story" but they do so in responsible ways that avoid callous harassment and crude exploitation."

The piece Ward writes is exactly what I believe, and it is good to know that there are journalists out there who share my belief on the ethics of journalism 

Yes, there are many ways to cover a suicide and have the most read or watched coverage - but what is more important is to cover the suicide with respect and sensitivity and get the story without causing more pain to those affected.

"Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do." - Potter Stewart

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Interviews -- Part 1

Posted in Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , | at 3:37 PM


I am sorry for delaying this blog entry. With my birthday just passing, and some other very personal/upsetting situations arising it has been hard for me to keep my head on straight. I have been somewhat of an emotional train wreck, but I am going to attempt to at least begin this blog entry and see what comes of it.


Who to interview?

You want to interview people who can give you the information and quotes that NO ONE else can. Ask the person the question that only THAT PERSON can answer. That is really important.

So, if you are doing an article about the Dover, New Hampshire police station laying off police officers there are many different interviews to obtain and questions to ask.

The chief of police would be asked much different questions than one of the newest rookie cops. You would need to do research to find out who is at the top of the "food chain." Find out WHO made this decision and WHY this decision was made. Ask those people questions that can ONLY be answered by that person.

There are many angles to take on the story.
Whether it be the angle of why the downsizing is happening, how this is going to affect the crime rate, the impact this is having on the families, etc. You would not ask one of the police officers being laid off (as a first question), "What is your favorite memory of being on the job?" No, that is not the right question to ask in this sort of situation. A better question would be, "What was your reaction when you found out you were one of the police officers being let go?"


Actually, I think I want to move to another topic about interviews.
HOW TO CONDUCT INTERVIEWS.

Face-to-Face is the #1 best way to conduct an interview. That way you are speaking straight to the person. You see all the NON-VERBAL communication, and you can notice the tone of voice. You can "feel the presence" of the person and the vibes of the situation. Whether or not the person is feeling tension or relaxed. You are able to re-word and pose your questions differently in order to keep your source feeling at ease. You are able to get the best quotes straight from the person on the spot. You can ask follow up questions and you are really able to connect with the person and form somewhat of a "bond" with one another. The reporter always wants to protect the sources, and the sources need to know that they can trust the reporter.

Phone interviews may not always be great, because you never know who is in the room with that person telling them what to say. You don't get to see the look on the person's face. You may not even be speaking with the right person. Even if you know the person's voice you can never be 100% certain that the person you are speaking with is the person he or she claims to be.

E-mail interviews should be LAST resorts. The person cannot interpret your questions the way you may intend them to be interpreted. They could be perceived in a negative way. The person has time to backspace, reword, rephrase and PRACTICE the quote that will be given and published. The person is able to "rehearse" the quote and make sure that it sounds great.

The person could also be having someone ELSE write the e-mail for them. Someone ELSE could be typing the answers. The e-mail account could also be hacked, and in that case the person responding is not the person that the interview was intended to be with.

That's all I have for now.
My brain is in shambles right now, and I am sorry that I am allowing my personal problems interfere with my blogging personality.

It's actually a big stress reliever when I go on Zennie62.com and blog and expose Tila Tequila's lies. Guilty pleasures are still pleasures.

Cheers, I'll continue you this later.

I will discuss SKYPE in my next part of the interview blogs.

(p.s. Tom from Myspace is following me on Twitter!)

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Reviews: It's easy to criticize.

Posted in Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , | at 3:51 PM

Due to personal reasons I have been unable to update and post onto this blog as frequently as I had previously. I am jumping on the Twitter bandwagon, so click here to follow.


I have never written a review for publication. I was working on my first movie review, but circumstances came up that has put that article on hold for the time being.

I frequently have heard journalism instructors say, "Stop doing reviews! Everyone is just doing reviews."

Reviews seem "easy" to do. You don't have to interview anyone, you don't need to do as much research, you get to put your own opinion, you don't need to do as much fact-checking, and it is based off something you did, read, saw, ate, etc. And bias is not a problem.

Now, I mentioned previously that I have never written a movie review. I am into the investigative things and hard news/features. I love going out there and getting interviews, doing research, fact-checking, (I love copy-editing also), and spending nights without sleep working to meet the deadline.

I decided to write a review, because it was something that I haven't done. In this, I spoke with Katy England, and realized the truth about reviews of any sort. It may be "easy" to write a review, but it is more challenging to write a GOOD review. I know that there are few reviews I have read that really stuck out in my mind as great journalism; I sometimes feel as though someone had nothing else to write about, saw a movie that weekend, and last minute wrote something quick to meet the deadline.

The reason that instructors, editors, etc. are sick of consistent movie reviews is that not every reporter will take the time to write a review and treat it the same way as any other article. There is research to be done in order to help the reader better understand. There are specific techniques to express your opinion without being blunt. The New York Times generally has very good movie reviews, and some of the ones on IMDB.com serve their purposes.

Consistently doing reviews the "easy" way does not advance a journalist. Journalists need to be able to write all forms of copy. From editorials to hard news, features, columns, reviews, etc. Of all the forms reviews may be the easiest to get done, but for it to be done well it will take a longer time. It may not take as long as a feature or as hard news, but when it comes to actually writing the copy it shouldn't be a quick write up.

Most journalism students I have been around have done numerous columns, and I have always avoided columns because I felt they were "too easy." I didn't see how difficult it was. I would rather do an article involving hours or research, numerous interviews, etc. than go to see a movie, restaurant, concert, and write how much I liked it. To me, that seemed like something someone would do on a personal blog, or on a Facebook note.

So, I have a new respect for reviews, and I am excited for when I finish writing my first review. At that point I will be able to say I have written the main types of copy.

So, writing about the movie you saw last night may be a way to save yourself from missing a deadline, but the quality of the article will reflect on how much effort was actually put into it.

That's all for now.
Cheers [:


Next entry will focus on a similar topic: Blogs.

"Today’s journalism is obsessed with the kinds of things that tend to preoccupy thirteen-year-old boys: sports, sex, crime, and narcissism." -- STEVEN STARK, Atlantic Monthly, Sep. 1994

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Quick Post

Posted in Labels: , , , , , , | at 2:09 PM

I have just been overcome with the feeling that I have a genius idea.


Not so much as IDEA, but suggestion.


A suggestion that I think should be a mandate.


Listen closely, (I have told another person, and he agrees):





All future journalists, or anyone with any desire to be a journalist should be required to take an INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS course. Not just a weekend seminar, A COURSE.





I have that class in an hour, and I have previously learned about Interpersonal Communications in Journalism in high school. I seriously believe that the future of journalism can be shaped and pushed in a positive direction if everyone that wants a career in journalism takes an Interpersonal Communication course.





Now, I personally believe that everyone at one point or another should take some sort of Interpersonal Communication course, but journalists NEED it.





Journalists need to be able to properly conduct interviews, understand how to relate to others, cultural differences, etc. Journalists are constantly communicating.. the job of a journalist is to communicate. We communicate with EVERYONE. We want people to listen to us. We want to inform others, and with Interpersonal Communication skills..the world of journalism would be a better place.





Cheers.


Journalist hard at work!







(I am going to try to include photos with my blog entries; I am trying not to include a photo just for the sake of having one.)


"Journalism will kill you, but it will keep you alive while you're at it." --Horace Greeley


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