News Final Exam Study Guide PDF

Chapter 5: Two reasons why libel/privacy/access issues are important -Protection of individuals rights -Transparency and accountability Libel (& difference from slander) –Libel is defamation by written words or by communication in some other tangible form. –Slander is defamation by spoken words or...

Chapter 5: Two reasons why libel/privacy/access issues are important -Protection of individuals rights -Transparency and accountability Libel (& difference from slander) –Libel is defamation by written words or by communication in some other tangible form. –Slander is defamation by spoken words or gestures First Amendment rights –Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government. Six elements of libel suits -Defamation -Identification -Publication -Falsity -Fault -Damages Public officials v. public figures (+three types of p.f.) –Public officials; must hold some government position. This covers elected officials and also appointed officials and government employees –Public figures; a person has voluntarily assumed some special role or prominence in society Three libel defenses –Truth; most courts require only proof that the gist of the statement/story is true –Fair-report privilege; journalists have this when describing such governmental proceedings as court hearings, administrative agency meetings, and legislative sessions at all levels of government –Fair comment and criticism; this protects people who express their opinions about matters of legitimate public interest Four kinds of privacy invasion (examples of each) –Intruding on a person's seclusion or solitude -going into someone's home without permission –Giving publicity to private facts -publicizing private facts –Placing a person in a false light -leaving someone alone –Appropriating a person's name or likeness for one's own benefit  -using someone's name in an advertisement Three kinds of news-gathering issues (press v. courts+law enforcement) –Access to nonjudicial events and records –Records and meetings –Access to judicial proceedings Chapter 6: Difference between morals and ethics Morals: refer to personal behavior Ethics: refers to broader codes of behavior Two reasons why journalists need to maintain ethics/credibility Minimize harm Seek truth and report it Act independently Be accountable and transparent Ethical decision-making (two questions that a journalist should ask when facing an ethical decision) What is the objective of the story? Is my desicion in lne with the reason for writing the story? Is there a better alterative? Can I look myself in the mirror tomorrow? What principles or values can i apply? Conduct issues Quoting sources (friends+relatives, anonymous) Conflicts of interest Exists when journalist, their friends, and relatives, or news organizations are in a position to benefit directly from a story Posing v. misrepresentation Misrepresentation: serious ethical and legal problems arise when journalists actively misrepresent themselves in order to gain access to places and information close to the general public. Posing: new organizations might allow their staff to pose only when no other safe way exists t obtain an important story. Chapter 12: “Hard” and “soft” news Hard: covers serious, timely, and impactful topics like politics, crime, and major events, focusing on factual and objective reporting. Soft: focuses on entertainment, lifestyle, and human interest stories, often less time-sensitive and more conversational in tone Where do feature ideas come from? Human interest. Find ideas by being curious and observant Types of Feature Stories Profiles Historical Adventure Seasonal Explanatory How to do it Occupation or hobby Behind the scenes Participatory Chapter 13: The broadcast news story Four common types of leads Hard leads–give important information immediately Soft leads–tell the audience something important is coming up Throwaway leads–intrigues viewers and makes them focus on the story Umbrella leads–ties together two or more related news stories before delving into each separately The body of a story (two broadcast story structures) Hard news Soft news Sources for broadcast news Newspaper, online news, and broadcast sources Public relations news releases People Broadcast interviews Chapter 17: Basic aspects of public affairs reporting Focus on federal, state, or local buiness Qualities of a public affairs reporter be diligent Know the sources Be accurate Write clear explanations Police/crime beat sources + types of documents Police blotters Incident reports Jail booking records Autopsy reports Medical examiners report Arrest report Criminal history records Government beats Court beats (civil/criminal) Chapter 19: Internal v. external PR Internal- the PR person informs staff of activities at headquarters as well as at other plants or offices External- PR promotes a positive image of an organization by identifying different segments of the public and researching the best ways to reach them Similarities and differences between journalists + PR Why do journalists + PR need each other? Elements of bad press releases (puffery, lack of newsworthiness) Stating the obvious Absence of solid facts One-sided stories