J 201 - Section 312

The Weekly Warrior Research Report

2012-03-06T16:03:00.003-08:00

The article“The Weekly Warrior” was written by Nicholas Lemann, a staff writer and thenWashington correspondent for The NewYorker since 1999. Here haswritten primarily for the column The Wayward Press, where “The Weekly Warrior”occurred on November 27, 2006. He follows behind writers of the column like RobertBenchley and A. J. Liebling. Before joining The New Yorker, he worked at The Washington Monthly, Texas Monthly and The Washington Post as both a writer and an editor. According toThe New Yorker, Lemann was a national correspondent at The Atlantic Monthly beforehand where he wrote on topics regardingpolitics, education, social policy, etc. He has also written three books in thepast 21 years, totaling in five books overall. (The New Yorker)

Lemann’scareer began in New Orleans, where he was born and raised, at the age of 17working for a local newspaper. Throughout college he focused on Americanhistory and literature. Since 2003, he has been the dean of the Graduate Schoolof Journalism at Columbia University. In 2010 he was named a fellow of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Science. (Columbia Journalism School) Throughouthis life Nicholas Lemann has accomplished many things in both the journalismworld as well as the educational world.

He tends to questiona lot of things in his writing and it is usually politically based. Being anational correspondent as well as a Washington correspondent, shows that he hasbeen writing about politics, public affairs, economics, and social policies forquite some time. For this reason as well as the fact that The New Yorker isknown for opinion sections, it is almost clear as day to see his politicalviews in his article “The Weekly Warrior”. Within the article he is analyzing abiography on I.F. Stone by Myra MacPherson. I.F. Stone has been a highlycriticized journalist for almost his entire career because of his “praise” forcommunistic values. Lemann points out in the article that MacPherson is tryingto “present him as a hero”. He directly states that “MacPherson is clumsy andobvious in her attempts” and “he spent his entire career addressing a left wingaudience, whose frame of reference was roughly what MacPherson’s appears tobe”. Lemann’s claims suggest that he is taking more of a conservative approachon MacPherson’s biography on Stone, which leads to him picking apart herbiography bit by bit.

Throughout the article, Lemann doesname the positive qualities of Stone, but continues to bring up communistconnects and such the like. When searching for reviews on the article and hadnearly no luck at all, not even one from the Myra MacPherson. This could possiblymean that the article did not circulate to a large amount of people, it did nothave an impact on many people, or that it simply did not seem interestingenough. Overall, in the article, Nicholas Lemann is taking a different approachat the legacy of I.F. Stone than that of the author of the biography, Myra MacPherson.This approach is evidently different than that of Macpherson and is clearthroughout.

The Weekly Warrior Discussion Questions

2012-03-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

1. The article mentionsthat Stone was both impaired in hearing and sight. How else was I.F. Stone different from other journalists,specifically during the Cold War era? Why did he have to prove himself in his writing more so than others? Does this tie into his "problematic crusade"?

2. Describe Stone’sjournalistic work and style. (Whom he wrote for, what he wrote about, how hewrote, etc.)

3. From the list offive items journalists should do mentioned in class, (be a public forum, informthe public, serve as agenda setter, be a watchdog, and investigate) whichjournalistic function do you think Stone does best according to the article. Why?

4. Stone was anindependent voice who aggressively criticized the government at a time whenmost journalists were “cheerleaders.” Are there any individuals today who fill the role Stone did back then? (Youranswer might relate to the documentary we saw in class about the Iraq War.)

Online Assignment #2

2012-03-02T13:22:00.002-08:00

1. How well did the journalistic community live up to its responsibility to present the 'facts'?
The journalistic community covered the the basics of the story, although their "facts" were not always the truth. They were receiving their information from unreliable sources and many of their claims did not make sense. There was little investigative journalism where it was much needed.

2. Where they failed, why did they do so?
They presented what they received from the Bush administration which turned out to be an unreliable resource. The government was in control of the news because during the surge of patriotism after 9/11, nobody wanted to criticize the government in fear of losing readers. They also failed in the consistency of their stories because they often did not match up with one another.

3. What kinds of pressures did news organizations face?
They faced the pressure of how news was presented visually because they were criticized for showing violent pictures of the war and the casualties in the news. They also faced pressures of giving America what they wanted to hear, rather than the truth because the country was in a fragile emotional state. The ability to find the real facts and hard evidence was another problem the journalistic community encountered.

4. How did different kinds of news outlets cover the issue differently? What was the difference between these outlets?
Some outlets were focused on present the truth while others were being manipulated by the Bush administration, such as Fox. They were praised for showing support to the government and their patriotic behaviors. On the other hand, CNN was criticized for their coverage of the war and reporting the facts, even if it was unpatriotic.

Online Assignment #2- Van Dam

2012-03-02T13:01:00.001-08:00

1) How well did the journalistic community live up to itsresponsibility to present the ‘facts’?

The journalistic community did not liveup well to its responsibility to present the ‘facts.’ There was not a lot ofinvestigative reporting going on at the time trying to discover what really wasgoing on in Iraq and if the war was really necessary. This was mainly becausethe journalists were only publishing the information that the BushAdministration was presenting them with. They did not question the information,and as Eric Boehlert mentioned in the video, the reporters “felt like the war was going to happen and the bestthing for them to do was to get out of the way.” This statement embodies thesentiment of the journalistic community at the time, because not challengingSaddam Hussein and beginning a war on terror would seem blatantly“anti-American,” therefore the reporters passively accepted Bush’s reasons forthe war.

2) Where theyfailed, why did they do so?

As I mentioned before, they failed because challenging the governmentduring war would come across as being anti-American. As Walter Isaacson said in the video, “there was a real sense thatyou don't get that critical of a government that's leading us in war time,”especially in the critical period after 9/11. Later, major news organizationslike the Washington Post and the New York Times were publishinginformation that was given to them by government officials, known asNeo-Conservatives, who were set on entering into war and transforming theMiddle East. Even the Vice-President, Dick Cheney, informed the public thatSaddam Hussein “resumed his efforts to acquire nuclear weapons,” even though hehad no solid evidence to support his claims. The news organizations failedbecause they did not question this information, and therefore did not live upto their journalistic duties. As Deb Blum told us today, a journalist cannottrust all of their sources; the key to being a good investigative reporter isto dig beneath the surface to discover the truth.

3) What kindsof pressures did news organizations face?

The news organizations did face many pressures duringthis controversial time in American journalism. One pressure came from the rawhuman emotion that was linked to the devastating terrorist attacks on 9/11.Because patriotism exploded during that time, many journalists wanted to standby Bush and do what’s best for their country, but at the same time it was theirjob to be speculative of the government’s decision to go to war. This innerconflict was obviously troubling Dan Rather when he talked to David Lettermanand began breaking down, claiming he would go “to hell and back” for hiscountry. He seemed to be aligning himself with the government in that momentwhen he is a part of the journalistic community, which is supposed to act as a“watchdog” of the government’s actions. Another pressure came from authorityfigures in big corporations stopping the reporters from questioning the warbecause of the fear that they were portraying their publication as beinganti-American. Also, the men on the Bush’s Defense Policy Board, Richard Perleand James Woolsey, used their “insider status” to assure the press thatoverthrowing Saddam Hussein would be a relatively easy task. Because these menseemed to be credible sources on the topic, the news organizations were temptedto print what they said.

4) How diddifferent kinds of news outlets cover the issue differently? What was thedifference between these outlets?

As I said before, most news organizations decided toalign with the government. I thought it was very interesting when theymentioned the newspaper in Florida who had editors that refused to printphotographs of civilian casualties. Anything that presented the war in anegative light was frowned upon not only by the government, but by theoverwhelmingly patriotic public as well. On one Fox News report, they seemed to simply assume that the war wasgoing to happen, so we might as well start thinking about how we’re going tobring down Hussein. The New York Timesand The Washington Post followed thismindset, closely linking Saddam with the terrorist attacks. One newsorganization, however, didn’t follow their lead. John Walcott, the Bureau Chiefof Knight Ridder, claimed that their readers were not in Washington, but werethe very people being sent to war. They wanted to be fair to them byquestioning the Administration’s motives for entering into war and to clearlyexplain why the war might occur. After engaging in deep investigativereporting, Knight Ridder began to realize that there really was not any hardevidence connecting Saddam Hussein to Al Qaeda, and the reporters were alsoskeptical about the government’s claims that Saddam was in possession ofweapons of mass destruction. Bill Moyers made clear that this was a “rarityinside the beltway bubble.” Personally I think this was a very noble thing forKnight Ridder to do, because as journalists, they had the responsibility topresent the truth to us, even if it is not what the general public wanted tohear.

Online Assignment #2

2012-03-02T11:29:00.002-08:00

1. How well did the journalistic community live up to its responsibility to present the ‘facts’?

There was sufficient coverage of facts describing what the government was working on, how public figures were aligning themselves, and other events. However, there was little investigative journalism work being done so more often than not, although the facts were presented, the truth was omitted because of the ignorance of the press.

2. Where they failed, why did they do so?

After 9/11 there was a surge of patriotism reaching levels the country had not seen in a long time. Looking back, the trust placed in George Bush by both citizens and the press was inflated and misguided. However, I think for fear of social persecution (media is still a business) and maybe a little bit too much hope that America had once again defined a new threat to the world who we could control to maintain the ‘free world savior,’ super power status the media did not dig as deep as they should have.

3. What kinds of pressures did news organizations face?

They faced pressures of social responsibility-- to report the truth, which becomes infinitely more complicated when the country is in such a state of loyalty to the government. Adding to the complications in the early 2000’s was the increased percentage of the population accessing the web. Media consumption was in the early stages of a new, unchartered era and no one really knew how to approach it successfully yet. Media had this giant responsibility all of the sudden to its citizens amidst the gravest terrorist attack on the country and an ensuing war all while still trying to get a grip on new media consumption behavior.

4. How did different kinds of news outlets cover the issue differently? What was the difference between these outlets?

I think the biggest, most definable difference between how news outlets presented coverage of the conflict was in their knowledge of their readers. The Knight Ridder specifically seemed to have a better understanding and feel a closer connection to their audience than others. This allowed them to, along with catering information to their reader’s view points, feet a stronger responsibility to offer them the truth, which motivated them to dig deeper and research their sources more thoroughly.

Carley's Online Assignment 2

2012-03-01T19:56:00.001-08:00

1) How well did the journalistic community live up to its responsibility to present the ‘facts'?

I feel like the journalistic community definitely put up and presented facts--just not the 100% truthful facts. They made connections and illusory correlations to inform the media.

2) Where they failed, why did they do so?

They failed in my opinion because they tried making facts up and connecting them to each other. When they informed the world of these facts they went off and stressed these correlations over and over. People then picked up and made information of their own. The facts were presented, its just that people made correlations of connection info falsely.

3) What kinds of pressures did news organizations face?

They face the pressures of having to produce war correlations from the facts that they were presented. They had to keep the war image up. They all had to be facts that could be backed up as well

4) How did different kinds of news outlets cover the issue differently? What was the difference between these outlets?

The different outlets took different approaches to the war issue. It all depended on who they got their information from and how they were presented. It also depended on who the news outlet got to present their info to the public.

Online Assignment 2 - Dan Martin

2012-03-01T17:20:00.004-08:00

1) How well did the journalistic community live up to its responsibility to present the ‘facts’?

It seemed to me as though the journalistic community did not live up to its responsibility to present the facts. The journalist did not provide any scrutiny of the Bush administration. They did not present both sides of the situation as Murrow once did. The journalistic community mostly presented the side of the Bush administration and that's all. The fact that the Bush Administration was able to manipulate the media accordingly to publicize their war is a disgrace. If the journalistic community did their job in this situation and presented the facts as opposed to biased opinions, maybe the public wouldn't have backed this war. Also, they allowed figures who claimed to be from Iraq to heavily influence their opinions, even though these people did not have any sort of credibility.

2) Where they failed, why did they do so?

As I said before, they failed as a result of their inability to provide objective information in this situation. The journalistic community did not provide the facts. They provided what the Bush Administration presented to be the facts, and this allowed for them to manipulate the public. This was also due to the fact that they were too focused on being "American" and presenting facts that leaned towards patriotism. They were too afraid of presenting objective information due to the newfound patriotic sentiment that had emerged. This caused their failure during the Bush Administration "selling" the war.

3) What kinds of pressures did news organizations face?

The news outlets faced the pressure of being completely patriotic and not going against the anti-Iraqi sentiment that the Bush Administration imposed. Anything that opposed the potential war was not accepted at this time due to the effort of the Bush Administration. Also, the government tried to manipulate the media by controlling how this war was portrayed. Whenever a violent image of wartime Iraq was shown, it had to be balanced out with an image of the collapsing Twin Towers. The objective of balancing the situation of the war with images of what 'caused' it (9/11) made it nearly impossible for them to prevent valid, unbiased news.

4) How did different kinds of news outlets cover the issue differently? What was the difference between these outlets?

When I answered the previous questions, I was speaking in general. Some news outlets presented the information in the way that I described. However, some news outlets provided a more objective approach to the Iraq War, presenting valid facts and being critical of the government at this time. For example, Knight Ridder News made it a point to prevent actual facts. After doing some investigation, they realized that there was little connection between Iraq and 9/11. However, this type of objective journalism was not prevalent at the time. Fox News tried to be patriotic while CNN decided to take a more objective approach. The majority of news outlets were not critical of the government, but there were some that did do this.

Online Assignment #2- Thode

2012-03-01T15:04:00.002-08:00

1. How well did the journalistic community live upto its responsibility to present the ‘facts’?

The journalistic community did anawful job at presenting the facts to the rest of the nation. Journalists were receiving their informationfrom the government, which was not very factual, and publishing that informationto the newspapers and news channels. Instead of being skeptical of the claims made by the government,journalists believed what they said, and did not dig deeper at the ‘redflags’. As time went on, some members ofthe journalistic community began to investigate these claims presented to themby the government to see if they were true. These newspapers found that Bush was stretching certain things toconnect Saddam Hussein to 9/11. Somenewspapers knew this, however, they did not put this information in theirpapers. Overall, the journalisticcommunity did not do a good job at presenting the facts, but this is partly thegovernment’s fault of failing to provide factual claims.

2. Where they failed, why did they do so?

The journalistic community allowedthe government to basically take over the newspapers in order for the Bushadministration to justify, as well as give reason, to kill Saddam Hussein. One newspaper stated, “9/11 was sponsored,supported and perhaps even ordered by Saddam Hussein,” just so President Bushwas able to take action. Thejournalistic community also failed because they were not skeptical ofdefectors. Journalists believed, andreported, on stories the defectors were basically making up. After these stories, told by defectors, werewritten, journalists still could not see that these stories did not addup. Another failure by the journalisticcommunity was how they retained their sources. A detector would tell journalists one thing, and tell the Americangovernment the same thing. Whenjournalists went to the government as another source, they technically only hadone source because theirs and the government’s source was the same person.

3. What kinds of pressures did news organizationsface?

News organizations did face muchpressure during this time for a number of reasons. One main reason being, America was in anemotional state after 9/11, and news organizations had to be extremely carefulwhat went into the newspapers or how it went in the newspapers in order to keeppeople less emotional. News organizationshad the above pressure as well as the pressure of being Americas‘watchdog’. With both of thesepressures, it was very difficult for the news organizations to find a balancethat allowed for both of these things to occur. Some newspapers, like the New York Times, had pressure when regardingcredibility. The New York Times was anextremely credible newspaper and they faced the pressure of maintaining thiscredibility even when some of their stories contained ‘red flags,’ or didn’tadd up.

4. How did different kinds of news outlets coverthe issue differently? What was thedifference between these outlets?

Different news outlets had different ways of covering thenews. One difference was seen inFlorida. The News Herald in Florida toldeditors not to use photos of civilian causalities in Afghanistan, like theirsister newspaper was doing. While somenewspapers put in these horrid pictures, other newspapers decided to leave themout because they were extremely harsh to the eyes. One of the biggest differences in newscoverage was between the newspapers in the Washington beltway, and thenewspapers outside of the beltway. Thedifference in their coverage was that newspapers in the Washington beltway hadmore support for the government then did newspapers out side of the Washingtonbeltway. The difference in this news coverageis large in part due to the location of the newspapers; one was closer toWashington and the government, the others were not.

2012-03-01T12:54:00.002-08:00

1-The journalist community as a whole did not live up to their responsibility to the public very well. They did present facts to the public about 9/11 and inform the public about the situation that was going on, but rather than investigating the facts that were being presented to them by the government most journalists just blindly followed. The journalistic community is supposed to act as kind of watchdog to protect us, the public, from receiving false and potentially harmful messages. After 9/11 the journalistic community did the complete opposite. Even when the allegations on Saddam Hussein obtaining weapons of mass destruction were made and most journalists knew that there was no sensible correlation between Saddam and 9/11 reporters simply listened and did not care to criticize or investigate more. Essentially, the journalistic community failed to be skeptical of the news they were being fed.

2-They did fail. Post 9/11 sparked a strong sense of patriotism throughout America which could have affected the journalists desire to be skeptical of the stories they were given by the government. Scrutinizing the government during a time of immense patriotism would have resulted in bad ratings. However, the means by which they were given the information should have sparked skepticism in at least a large number of journalists. President Bush would set up "mock press conferences" and give specific journalists very specific questions to ask. The fact that these journalists did not take a second to question this is the major reason why they failed.

3-The news organization faced pressures from all over. One of their biggest pressures was probably from the Bush Administration themselves, pushing the press to "market" Bush's decisions. Another pressure was from the people themselves, as stated earlier, during this time of immense patriotism, scrutinizing the government would have resulted in horrible ratings. News organizations ran the risk of looking unpatriotic when they ran stories on the death toll of the war rather than solidifying why they were in the war in the first place. Essentially, the press was backed in a corner by the government and the population.

4-Press from outside Washington were way more skeptical of everything happening in the White House than those inside. This is probably due to the fact that they did not have as many direct pressure from the White House than those closer to the action. Additionally, different news outlets reported the news differently. Some simply would follow and write on the stories threaded to them while others like "Knight Rider" sought out the actual truth."Knight Rider" had two reporters who had many inside sources and even then finding out the actual truth was no easy task. Finally, reports on talk shows, magazines, and newspapers all were different. For example, magazines focused more on the personal interest stories while newspapers focused more on facts.

Online Assignment #2

2012-03-01T10:46:00.003-08:00

1) How well did the journalistic community live up to its responsibility to present the 'facts'?
The documentary stated that the journalists didn't properly report the "facts" because they did not want to scrutinize the administration after 9/11. They portrayed a lot of patriotism regardless of their personal views because they felt it was more necessary to stand with the country. This became an issue when the Bush administration utilized the media to connect Saddam Hussein with 9/11, where these weren't the facts but were printed as so.

2) Where they failed, why did they do so?
The journalistic community failed because they had to remain in competition with the other news outlets. Scrutinizing the government during a period like post-9/11 would cause and uproar within the audience of that media outlet which would then drop sales. The journalism community wanted to please the audience rather than presenting the straight facts, and the audience wanted patriotism so that is what they gave them. No one wanted to lose profit and go under, ruining his or her reputation or even their career.

3) What kinds of pressures did news organizations face?
The news organizations faced looking unpatriotic and being frowned upon by the country. This would then lead to a drop in sales and those who used to rely on that specific news organization could turn their loyalty to a different organization. Also, as the documentary stated, they were ordered to show less of the civilian casualties and more of the reason why we are in the war, referring to 9/11. As I stated in the first two questions, many reporters and journalists did not want to risk losing their job and reputation by acting out against the government.

4) How did different kinds of news outlets cover the issue differently? What was the difference between these outlets?
Some news outlets did go against the grain and search for the truth and validity of the governments relation between the war and Saddam, while others fabricated stories and remained patriotic while avoiding the hard facts. Knight Ridder is an example of a news outlet looking for the truth behind the war and valid evidence behind decisions that were being made. Other papers like the New York Times almost seemed to work with the government by "leaking stories" which the government officials would then have the "proper incentive" to talk about the stories, as claimed by the documentary. These differences happened between all different types of news outlets including television shows, magazines, newspapers, etc.

Online Assignment 2- Battiola

2012-02-29T21:33:00.000-08:00

1. The journalistic community did not fully live up to its responsibility to present the facts. The journalism at the time had little bits of information with no hard evidence. The things they were reporting about Iraq did not make sense and did not use facts to back up their claims. The goal of journalists in the war with Iraq issue should have been to scutinize the Bush administration. This was not done though, and instead journalists made going to war with Iraq to seem like the right thing to do, even though they were not giving any evidence to prove this.

2. The journalism community failed for several reasons. Press and journalists have a reason to exaggerate in order to increase the value of their stories. This is precisely what the journalists were doing. Also many of the reporters on stories about the war with Iraq were from the Washington DC area, so they backed up the Bush administration because they could better relate to what was occurring and because it was many of their own sons or other people they knew who were headed to Iraq for war. Therefore, it only makes sense to endorse their actions. These journalists who did not present the facts were slightly biased and simply made assumptions based on what the president said was true.

3. News organizations faced a variety of pressures, as they always do. They have pressure to sell newspapers and entertain their readers so they will want to keep buying more papers. They also had the pressure of supporting the patriotic ferver that the country possessed at the time. It was soon after 9/11 so it would been seen as anti-American to be critical of the Bush administration or to challenge anything it was doing. In addition, they had pressure from the administration itself because it attempts to market its policy through the press.

4. Different kinds of news outlets covered the issue contrastingly. Magazines and other more sensationalized types of media told the most unrealistic stories about the war. Vanity Fair was especially known for this. Different TV channels had different views from each other; Fox News seemed to be anti-American while CNN tried to be impartial. Networks tend to be more conservative or liberal than others, which causes their reporting to be slightly biased. The TV news often actually had the government officials talk on their shows, whereas newspapers could not do this. Once information was released in the New York Times, for example, governement officials were allowed to talk about it on TV news. They would even come on the TV network the very morning the story appeared in the paper.

Online Assignment #2

2012-02-29T19:58:00.003-08:00

Online Assignment #2

Jen Rau

1. The journalistic community seemed to do a poorjob in presenting the facts before the war against Iraq. Few journalistsquestioned the acts of our own country. They certainly let their emotions getthe best of them, and most seemed to dwell on patriotism rather than actualfacts and evidence.

2. They failed presenting these facts because theyfelt that criticizing the government was un-American, and they wanted tosupport our country during a time of hardship. Emotions throughout the publicwere too strong after the 9/11 attacks; out of fear of losing viewers and beingfrowned upon, the press did not want to further disrupt our state of mind.

3. News organizations faced the difficulty ofpresenting facts visually, because they would receive threatening e-mails whenthey showed photos of war causalities on the front page. Other types of mediawere pressured into telling the public the comforting words that they wanted tohear. In effect, the essence of journalism was lost because hard facts andevidence were minimal during this time period.

4. Newspapers and television newschannels presented war coverage in different ways. The capability of televisionto show video clips and live events made their sector of media much moresuccessful. Newspapers, obviously lacking this capability, could only showphotos and their opinions on the matter. The difference between these outletsis that video clips are much more emotion provoking. Watching an actual eventallows one to draw their own conclusions based on how they perceive what ishappening. Photos alone, such as the ones in newspapers, can sometimes betaking out of context or misleading, as they often do not present the wholestory. This can be a problem for readers because it might skew their ownperceptions and opinions.

Ben Cowen - Online Assignment 2: Buying the War

2012-02-28T18:48:00.000-08:00

1) How well did the journalistic community live up to its responsibility to present the 'facts'?

According to the documentary, the journalistic community did not responsibly present the 'facts'. However, it seemed to me that the lack of facts is not necessarily all the journalists' fault. Rather, government officials and the Bush administration used the media as a platform to present their opinions with minimal evidence and support to the public. For example, many media outlets propagated the idea that it would easy to catch Saddam Hussein or that there was a clear link between Saddam and Al-Qaeda. The government also scripted news conferences to avoid scrutiny of the administration. Therefore, the government was taking advantage of the high levels of patriotism following 9/11 and the fact that journalists did not want to criticize Bush during this time.

2) Where they failed, why did they do so?

The journalistic community failed because the high levels of patriotism following 9/11 caused them to abandon the value of skepticism and constant search for truth and evidence. Because they were competing against American solidarity and patriotism that arose after the attacks, journalists allowed government officials to "market" their ideas by consistently repeating them in the press or on the air. Also, the stories of journalists in America did not correspond with those of journalists reporting from Iraq. For example, journalists abroad were confused about reports of Saddam hiding biological weapons under his house because they did not make sense given the evidence they found in Iraq. Thus, the lack of investigative reporting made it difficult to distinguish between facts and ideas produced and marketed by the government.

3) What kinds of pressures did news organizations face?

As I mentioned in the first two responses, the main pressure that news organizations faced was the ardent patriotism and solidarity that arose following the attacks of September 11th. This patriotic sentiment caused journalist to feel like they had to align with the president and fully support him because they thought it would be inappropriate not to do so. The second pressure was the government trying to control coverage of the war. Many news organizations were told to "balance" coverage by not showing many civilian casualties in Afghanistan and by constantly reminding the public of the attacks that occurred on 9/11.

4) How did different kinds of news outlets cover the issue differently? What was the difference between these outlets?

Different news outlets covered the issue of war differently because some were focused on presenting the truth and the facts with evidence while others were at the mercy of the Bush administration. The documentary spoke of one newspaper that published letters of the neoconservative Bill Crystal every week, and many other papers opened up editorials for government officials to publish their ideas. The video focused on the New York Times, describing how government officials would plant stories in the paper and then cite them later on television. Because the NYT has such a good reputation, few doubted the legitimacy of these stories. Other papers such as the Knight Ridder were more concerned with reporting facts. Two investigative reporters for this paper met with many people in the intelligence community and found little connection between 9/11 and Iraq, which was contrary to government statements. Similar trends were also prevalent in TV news outlets. Some would try to increase patriotic sentiment and others would show coverage of civilian casualties in Afghanistan.

Online Assignment 2 Buying the War.

2012-02-28T12:12:00.000-08:00

1)     How well did the journalistic community live upto its responsibility to present the ‘facts’?
-According to the movie, not very well. It wasn't that they weren't presenting the facts, it was more just that they were presenting the facts that the government were saying were facts. The journalistic community didn't dig deeper to verify the claims coming from the government. Even claims that didn't seem to make sense such as Saddam Hussein has a biological weapons lab under his living room, the press were just taking on good faith from the government. So I am under the impression that journalists were presenting facts however in most cases the facts were being stretched extremely thin by the government.

2)     Where they failed, why did they do so?
-They failed in the sense that they didn't look deeper into the issue and find more concrete facts. An example is when the government was endorsing Ahmed Chalabi as a feature intelligence corespondent, he would tell the government something and then go tell the press the same thing so when the press called the Pentagon to verify the story they just heard, it would be verified by the people at the Pentagon. They failed because they were checking their facts with the very people who were telling them the facts in the first place. They failed because they were just trusting the government without verifying their facts. Why? It is because the government appeared to be honorable in wanting to avenge the attack on our soil and they also had the support of a majority of Americans so the government looked trust worthy.

3)     What kinds of pressures did news organizationsface?
-The greatest pressure they felt was the pressure to be 'American'. America still had 9/11 fresh in our minds and the devastation both angered Americans and created a sense of solidarity across the country. So the greatest pressure was that from the government and from the citizens to act patriotic and American. They talked about a newspaper who had a sister newspaper that was receiving death threats and hate mail because they were running articles about the war that included death totals and presented the war in a negative light. This lead the newspaper to not make the same mistake as their sister newspaper and only run pro-America news stories. They also felt the pressure from the government. The video said the there were anti-America 'police' watching the internet and other media sources to make sure that the message that was presented was one of favorable light for the war on terror and retaliation of the events of 9/11.

4)     How did different kinds of news outlets coverthe issue differently? What was the difference between these outlets?
-In the video it said that CNN would run imagines of dead bodies and civilian casualties during their 24 broadcast while Fox would run reminders of 9/11. Fox was getting support from the government and citizens because of their seemingly patriotic behavior while CNN would get calls from their major advertisers telling CNN that they are being unpatriotic and to stop it. The difference, according to the movie, what that Fox was run by the veteran republican operative and media strategist Roger Ailes who had privately urged the White House to use the harshest measures possible after 9/11. In contrast to CNN who was a more liberal network who was more set on covering the war than using any mode of 'censorship' when it came to how they covered the war. In the government's eyes, the war can only be covered in a light that is pro-American retaliation to 9/11. Anything else just would not do.

Online Assignment 2

2012-02-28T08:14:00.001-08:00

I believe the journalistic community did notlive up to its responsibility to present the facts about linking Al Qaeda andSaddam Hussein to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Most journalists simply relayed what they heard from sources(which were simply government insiders) without verifying the facts or diggingdeeper into discrepancies. Journalistsabroad saw what was truly going on and wrote their opinion on the matter, butthe greater US public did not necessarily see such opinions. Overall, the government’s claims and“facts” deserved more scrutiny than journalists gave them.

Most journalists “failed” in presenting thefacts because they were simply not in Iraq where the action was taking placeand new little about Saddam’s regime. They also didn’t want to be overly critical of the government post-9/11 andseem un-American when people needed to unite and trust US policy. Also, reporters were scripted andcalled on like robots during President Bush’s press conference about going towar at the beginning of the film. They were there just for show rather than to obtain accurateinformation.

News organizations faced pressure to present theconsequences of not remaining in Iraq, a side the “press” and in some instancesadvertisers (or government insiders) wanted shown rather than investigativeresearch. They faced falseevidence from the CIA con artist and his affiliates. They were urged to not show or list civilian casualties thatmight upset the public (especially on the front pages of newspapers), keepingthe war on terror vague and secretive. Newspapers were pressured to be pro-American, and not run stories thatcontradicted America’s intentions in invading Iraq.

Cable news outlets often had a “liberal” or“conservative” (such as MSNBC or FOX news) view on the news. Often what was shown on the front pageof the NYT that morning would be seen on TV later that evening because it issuch a well-respected newspaper. Newspapers had editorialists who were strongly biased regarding the war (likethe writer for the Times that wrote dozens of pieces on Saddam and the 9/11attacks) that gave a personal perspective that other news sources lacked. Also, magazines like Vanity Fair put aspread about the war that was just merely for show, (“Fantastic tales”) notaccuracy.

Online Assignment #2

2012-02-27T20:14:00.001-08:00

How well did the journalistic community live upto its responsibility to present the ‘facts’?

It is difficult to say if journalists lived up to its responsibility, because obviously some did and some did not. Over all, though, I felt as if the movie showed that the journalistic community did not necessarily present the facts or the whole truth. Sources of news tended to be biased and were used to justify the war rather than present the hard facts. Many various facts that were published by journalists were later scene as defectors and incorrect, which shows how the journalistic community did not successfully present things in an unbiased and trustworthy manner. As it said in the movie, journalists don't necessarily lie, but they have the power to alter or exaggerate an idea in order to make a point to the readers or in the example of the war, persuade the readers to agree with his or her ideas.

Where they failed, why did they do so?

As I mentioned in the previous answer, journalists were not able to stay entirely unbiased. After such a traumatic and devastating day on 9-11, many journalists let the power of emotion sway their writings. Because of this strong emotion, many people were searching for answers, plans of action, and more. When writings about Saddam Hussein having connections to 9-11 began, many were convinced and numerous journalists published about this relationship. This was not a proven fact, and there has been a lot of debate over that idea. The topic of weapons of mass destruction followed in a similar manner. Journalists failed to present hard facts, but rather presented their own ideas or beliefs in publications. These publications seemed credible and reliable to most of the public, and many failed to be critics when reading various articles around the time of 9-11.

3What kinds of pressures did news organizationsface?

In the time of the crisis and beginning of the war, the news organizations faced an enormous amount of pressure. One of the biggest pressures on the organizations was to present the news in an unbiased way, even though it was an emotional and debatable topic. Newspapers had to try to find the balance between presenting the truth and also still being patriotic and loyal. Also, news organizations had pressure on them to not oppose President Bush too much, nor support a certain political view more than the other. Although it is easy to point a finger and say they 'failed' at presenting the facts and dealing with these topics, it was a very difficult time to produce news perfectly being that it was such a large, important, and emotional topic for all.

4How did different kinds of news outlets coverthe issue differently? What was the difference between these outlets?

Numerous news outlets definitely portrayed the situation and news in completely different ways. Some really focused on the idea of patriotism. These outlets often accused the others that did not focus on this to be disloyal and unjust to our country. Many news outlets, such as FOX and CNN, attacked each other and their various ways of presenting the news and evidence. There were also many news outlets that used their pictures, articles, and headlines to persuade the readers. The movie focused the example of connecting Suddam Hussein, the war, and 9-11 all in one in order to make a point and persuade the audience that there was indeed, a connection between the three. When there started to be some questions raised about these facts or ideas, some news outlets began to question and criticize the lack of hard evidence. These variations in the way the news was covered show how some sources of news sincerely cared about the validity and facts of the story, where others cared more about the money, personal beliefs, and more.

Online Assignment 2: Buying The War

2012-02-27T20:01:00.000-08:00

How well did the journalistic community live up to its responsibility to present the facts? Where did they fail, why did they do so?
-After the 9/11 attacks, patriotism was through the roof along with support for President Bush so any scrutiny in the press on the Bush administration was not only frowned upon, but simply not allowed. The government asssured reporters that getting Sadam Hussein would be easy, so many believed this and reported as face value, while others tried to dig deeper but were shut down.
-They failed in press conferences that were scripted so nothing bad could be asked of government officials, especially anything questioning the validity of the claim against Sadam Hussein and Iraq. When you tie together the pressure of patriotism and censorship of the government, the journalistic community did barely any real reporting that was necessary, on things such as questioning the validity of the claims and the war itself, and digging evidence.

What kinds of pressures did news organizations face?
-Their biggest pressure again was the "patriotism police" who wouldn't allow them to publish anything that questioned the administration or the war because it would be "unamerican." When reporters did try to show the devestation the Afghan civilians were facing, they were forced to do it very lightly accompanied with heavy, painful reminders of the attacks on 9/11. Overall they were pressured by government the most, but indirectly by advertisors as well, especially the way the government 'marketed the war.'
-Also, reporters had to deal with false evidence by defectors, especially from the con artist, Chalaveve. (spelling?)

How did different kinds of news outlets cover the issues differently? What was the difference between these outlets?
-The news outlets overseas reported devestation of civilians overseas heavily, but the Washington Press Core (whom only followed around governement officials), presented devestation very lightly and nearly non-existent. There were those outlets who simply confirmed allegations and idea presented by officials, and then there were those who had little faith and scrutinized the government. Most who questioned allegations, gave up and reported what the lies. However, The Knight Ridders Newspapers questioned and poked at all the 'evidence' that supported these weak claims regarding the war, Iraq and Afghanistan.
-When the New York Times presented something regarding the war, it was immediately thought of as 100% true because of the power the NYT has as a medium due to their powerful reputation.
-Vanity Fair presented elaborate stories that pulled on the emotions and anger of citizens.

Nicole Hanson

Research Report- Wounded but not Slain: The Orderly Retreat of the American Newspaper by James Baughman

2012-02-15T15:27:00.000-08:00

Professor James Baughman has been avaluable asset to UW-Madison’s School of Journalism and Mass Communicationsince 1979. He earned his B.A. in History from Harvard University and his Ph.D.in History from Columbia University. Over the years, he has taught many coursesregarding the history of mass communication as well as news and editorialwriting. He earned many prestigious awards, including UW’s Chancellor’sDistinguished Teaching Award in 2003 and the Fetzer Bascom Professor ofJournalism and Mass Communication in 2011. He was also the director of theSchool of Journalism at UW from 2003 to 2009.

Baughman has published four books andseveral articles, one of which include SameTime, Same Station: Creating American Television from 1948-1961. This work,Wounded but Not Slain: The OrderlyRetreat of the American Newspaper was published in volume 5 of A History of Book in America, The EnduringBook: Print Culture in Postwar America. The book includes works from 33credible contributors from universities across the country, and was edited by JoanShelley Rubin, David Paul Nord and Michael Schudson. The goal of the book is to discuss howeconomic, cultural and societal changes shaped the nature of print after WW2 tothe present. Because the contributors are experts on the subject matter, thispublication should be trusted and is most likely intended for students seekingto understand the historical evolution of print culture.

In 2009, Baughman was quoted in Madison’sIsthmus saying that he believes thefield of journalism is changing, and as director of the School of Journalism,he wished to “drag the curriculum from an older model that was too based in newspapers.” He noted that “students could imagine workingfor online publications or the Food Network,” and that the field of journalismnow has more of a “narrow focus” that the curriculum must adapt to. Bydiscussing in the chapter how television affected news media and by bringing upthe fact that people now consume news that deals with their particularinterests, I can infer that Baughman was hoping to educate students about theways in which the explosion of new media such as social networking and onlinenews sources are ultimately changing the field of journalism as a whole. Thisexplains why Baughman ends the article looking toward the future, questioningif the print culture can exist in cyberspace. Therefore, the history Baughmanpresents in the chapter reflected his administrative views about how theeducational approach to journalism needed to be altered in order to coincidewith a changing society.

One review from Paul S. Boyer, a Professor of History Emeritus at UW-Madison, says thatthe book is a “valuable reference work” that makes a contribution to WorldWar II American cultural history. The historical content Baughman presented wasnot only received well by students, but by an established intellectual in the historicalfield, and is therefore a glowing academic work that not only teaches us aboutour changes in news consumption, but about our culture in general.

Sources:

"Wounded but Not Slain" Discussion Questions

2012-02-15T13:34:00.000-08:00

Baughman suggests that the internet is a bigger competitor to newspaper than television. Do you agree with this statement? Do you think the newspaper will transition to be exclusively online? How do you think this will affect the industry?
The author shows the changes in preference for the news over many generations in relation to how news media has evolved. He suggests that our generation does not have as much interest in consuming news through the newspaper, television, or internet. How have our generation's social constructs influenced our interest in the news, and what way we choose to consume it?
Baughman mentions that not only the newspaper has changed but the journalists and editors have as well. What do you think the advantages of the movement away from the stereotypic uneducated, white male reporters to include a more diverse and educated staff? Are there any disadvantages?
When you consume news, is it through a paper source or through television and internet? Do you think that magazines have an advantage over newspapers in our current generation?

Research Report- "Media That Stir Emotions"

2012-02-15T09:30:00.000-08:00

“Media That Stir Emotions” is the seventh chapter out of Media Effects Research a book written by Glenn Sparks. This chapter focuses on how media can affect a person’s feelings or perceptions.

Glenn Sparks who was an undergrad at University of Wisconsin-Madison studied communication arts and is currently a communications professor at Purdue. While at Madison, he worked under Joanne Cantor.

Cantor has a Ph. D in communication and has worked at Madison since 1974 as a Professor and is currently an outreach director. Cantor is an author of many books, including “Teddy’s TV troubles” (which was written after her study with Sparks), “Mommy I’m Scared: How TV and Movies Frighten Children and What We Can Do to Protect Them” and “Conquer CyberOverload: Get More Done, Boost Your Creativity, and Reduce Stress.” Her focus lies with psychology of media and communications, so essentially the effects of media on an individual.

The study mentioned in this article pertains to Cantor and Sparks work on finding the effects that media can have on an individual. They were especially interested in the paranormal/frightening effects. It is no secret that each generation has their own share of the popular scary movie. For our parents’ generation it was the “The Exorcist” which is equivalent to our generations “Paranormal Activity”. Each one of these movies was created to induce a scare factor within each of its viewers. Why are these movies so popular though? Sparks explains this is because people are inherently programmed to gain a euphoric high after experience fear during the entire movie.

Additionally, as stated in the article, fear is defined differently in different age groups. Sparks uses Piaget’s Cognitive Stages Theory of development to help define the different age groups. Piaget’s theory consists of four different stages: Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational and Formal Operational. The two stages Sparks did use were the Preoperational and Concrete Operational Stages. In the preoperational stage (ages 2-7 years) children focus mainly on the present and concrete thought process rather than the abstract. Children believe that everyone thinks the exact same way they do and everyone has the same viewpoint. It makes sense that children in this stage would be fearful of a scary object such as Cruella in 101 Dalmatians or The Incredible Hulk. Finally, in the Concrete Operational Stage (ages 7-11 years) children begin to understand other people’s points of view and events that do not occur in their own lives. It is in this stage that Sparks explains that children no longer fear fictional characters but events that could ideally happen such as a kidnapping or in some cases paranormal activity.

In scary movies, producers intentionally create scenes that could be construed as an event that could really happen. Putting in a slide in the begging that says the story was “based on a true story” and then lightly basing the movie off of a real life serial killer (such as Jeffrey Dahmer in Texas: Chainsaw Massacre and Silence of the Lambs) creates a whole new dimension of fear for anyone above the Preoperational Stage.

Reading “Media That Stir Emotions” helps one gain an insight into once again how much media can truly affect an individual. Horror movies have shaped some individuals lives so much that they still unplug the television every night before they go to bed because of the movie “Poltergeist”, or have sent some to therapy to deal with the frightening effects of “The Exorcist”.

Discussion Leader: Media That Stir Emotions

2012-02-14T19:57:00.000-08:00

This article, Media That Stir Emotions, looked at the human emotions that arise from the media. It dealt with the emotion of fear in the beginning of the article so I will too as discussion leader.

First off, the author talks about two different developmental theories when it comes to children and how they interpret fear from media. There are children ages 2-7 who think perceptually and children older than 7 who think more conceptual or abstract.
-What is an example of media that has frightened you perceptually and an example that has frightened you conceptually? Why was it especially frightening to you?

The author states that fear is a negative emotion. Fear, by definition, is unpleasant. Yet people continually consume media that causes them fear.

-Why do people willingly consume media that causes them fear, and why in particular is the paranormal in media so frightening for people?

After consuming media that is frightening to a person, a major challenge is coping with the negative affects (if there are any that is) that follow. The author has testimonials from people who talk about the affects the media had on them and how they dealt with it.
-Have you ever had any lasting affects after seeing frightening media?
-How did you cope with the affects or how did your parents help you cope with it? How would you help your kids cope with it?
For example, after I saw Pet Cemetery when I was little I wouldn't ever turn my back on any of our pet cats (because that is the first thing that came back to life in the movie) but that evolved into never turning my back on our cats, dogs, chickens, cows, or horses because I just couldn't be sure they weren't demons. I never told anyone that it bothered me when I was little because I always wanted to act like I wasn't afraid of anything to seem cool. I just forced it out of my mind and didn't watch a scarey movie again for a long time, out of sight out of mind.

Beyond fear though, the author also states that people feel empathy for people and characters in media.
-Why does this happen and how does the media use that fact to their advantage?

The media can have an influence on our mood as well, the theory of mood management says that the media that we choose to consume is both related to how a person is feeling presently and how the media will make that person feel afterwards.
-Do you really think this theory is valid? Has this ever been the case for you or better yet has this ever dictated the media that you consume with others? (say your buddy just broke up with his girlfriend, does that cause you guys to see an action movie over a romantic comedy?) Why?

-John Peper

Research Report - The Unbeautiful Game

2012-02-08T18:35:00.001-08:00

AdamGopnik, the author of “The Unbeautiful Game” is a writer for The New Yorker and the author of theessay collection Paris To The Moon.So far in his career, he has written 8 books and 6 articles, among many othercritiques. This Pennsylvanian born, Canadian raised author graduated fromMcGill University and completed his graduate at New York University Instituteof Fine Arts and began his career with TheNew Yorker when he submitted an article that combined baseball, RenaissanceArt, and childhood all in one. People adore his writings because he writeshumorous fiction and non-fiction articles that showcase his wit. Gopnik hasbeen recognized with three National Magazine Awards for his essays on criticismand a George Polk award for his magazine reporting. His book, “Paris to theMoon” even was a New York Times Bestseller.

Our writingof Gopnik’s on which we had to take a closer look at was “The UnbeautifulGame.” In this writing, he explains themany different ways that football is portrayed to millions of people everyseason in the media. You can see football as the family sport where everyonegathers around the TV. and enjoys a pick-up type game, or you can see footballas the bone crushing, brain damage causing rough house sport. The media can alsohighlight and make other aspects seem better than they really are. In thearticle, he mentions how the quarterbacks usually get all of the glitz andglory from fans because it seems like they are the ones that make the team,when in reality, when you’re on the field, you actually see that it is thelinebackers that deserve all of the credit. He also makes light on how you canbe making millions one day, and “divorced and on the streets” the next day.

Since The New Yorker is mainly known for itscommentaries and opinion sections, this article should be taken with a grain ofsalt. You could somewhat see his opinions shine through in the writing. For anexample he writes for “The New Yorker”and all of the teams that he is cheering for are the New York Jets and the NewYork Giants, and the team that he is against is the New England Patriots.Coincidence? Most likely not. The audience for this article is most likely men18 and older. You do not see too many kids running around reading The New Yorker.

As for reviewsof this article, there are non posted on its website. Because I am not a memberof the archives I cannot see if there are any comments either. Throughoutdifferent blog posts though, people have left numerous comments saying theyadmire Gopnik’s work, although they thought with this article, he took a“cynical” look on the world of sports.

After youare done reading the article, it definitely leaves you wondering about all ofthe different ways media can shape how you perceive different events.

Research Report- Coda: The Advent of Media by Paul Starr

2012-02-08T14:31:00.001-08:00

TheAdvent of the Media is the twelfth chapter in Paul Starr’s book TheCreation of the Media: PoliticalOrigins of Modern Communication. Thischapter focuses on media history and how media developed in a society that hadideals of a democracy.

In order to fully understandthis article, it is important to look at the author, Paul Starr, and developinsight as to why he wrote this chapter. Starr is currently a Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs atPrinceton University. He has receivedmany awards for the work he does dealing with Liberalism, American society, andcommunications.

Starr statesthat media equals power. He writes thatat first, the government held this power through political parties influencingthe media. As the American Societyturned to a democracy, the media gained its own power through commercialindependence and freedom of speech. Thisidea Starr shares with us comes from his earlier book, Freedom’s Power. In thisbook, Starr describes how a liberal society and liberal politics createpower. In The Advent of Media, Starr uses these findings from his earlierbook to explain to readers how becoming a liberal society has helped media gainpower. The reason this chapter took theangle of media power and democracy is because Starr has studied the effects offreedom and power, and has written a book on the matter.

It isapparent that The Advent of Media focuseson the history of media. One of Starr’smany areas of expertise is American History. In 1984 Starr won the Bancroft Prize in American History. The Creation of the Media waspublished in 2004, a piece of work Starr began after he won the Bancroft Prize. With this award, it is obvious that Starr’sbook on media would have insights into American History. Starr also won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984,which explains why he used a quote from Joseph Pulitzer in this chapter.

From myfindings, Starr had two main reasons for writing this book, the first reasonbeing for his students at Princeton. Starrteaches a course in Media and Public Policy, in which the syllabus includesreadings from his book: The Creation of the Media. The second reason being that Starr has won manyawards. To continue winning awards meanscontinuing to write books in his area of expertise that are good enough to receivethese awards. According to reviews onthe book, the intended audience really enjoyed Starr’s depiction of thecreation of the media and is asking for a sequel.

Understatingthese aspects of Paul Starr has offered myself some insight into The Advent of the Media. Based on all the awards Starr has receivedand his credentials, it is safe to say that he is a reliable source with animmense amount of credibility. Gainingideas of Starr’s areas of expertise, previous novels, awards, and the audiencehe is writing to, helps better understand why he wrote The Creation of theMedia, and more importantly, TheAdvent of the Media.

Discussion Questions "The Advent of Media"

2012-02-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

Below are some discussion questions I have for tomorrow's discussion of The Advent of Media reading.

The Author says that decisions made in the context of the primacy of the nation state, the emergence of liberal constitutionalism and the expansion of the reading public and other cultural markets are responsible for the development paths of media. How did these decisions differ between the United States and Europe (primarily Britain)?

What are some of the consequences of these different decisions?

There seems to be a distinction drawn between "the press" and the new sense of a commercially driven mass media. How are these two things different?

What similarities do they have?

Laws and norms about expression in the media have tended to be media specific. What examples of this do we see as new media outlets develop?

What examples of this do we see today?

In the 1920's there is a sentiment that the media should become more accountable and grounded in scientific principles. What does this mean?

Increasingly people get their news and information from social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook. Does this desire for media accountability exist today and how is it impacted by this change?

Lazarfeld's study of media influence did not address the long term effects of the media, specifically from generation to generation. Do you think this idea has relevance?

What examples of media driven opinion shift do we see between us and our parents or us and our grandparents?

Online assignment 1

2012-02-02T20:20:00.000-08:00

Alex Meyer Plymouth, MN

Future job? Anyone in that job who you really admire?
In my ideal world I'll be a professional cyclist in the next year or two. And in again in a perfect world I'll make a career out of it. As for riders who I admire, I would say Phillip Gilbert and Fabian Cancellara are my "idols". Their style of racing is a lot like mine.

Do you consume "news"? If so where does it come from?
I am a big consumer of news. Most of it comes from online sources. I'm a big fan of using twitter to aggregate my news experience. I follow many of the major "news" outlets (Time Magazine, New York Times, etc.) and use this as a way to find my news.

What kind of music do you listen to?
Lately I've been listening to a lot of classical music. Primarily I've been enjoying listening to small chamber groups type ensembles.

Favorite online video?
Sh*t Cyclists Say
Probably not as funny if you aren't a really avid cyclists.

What recent pop culture expression do you love?
Lately my roommates and I have been quoting the movie Step Brothers a lot.

Schudson's "Discovering the News" Research Report

2012-02-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

Author of Discoveringthe News: A Social History of American Newspapers and six other booksrelating to media, Michael Schudson has become a very prominent figure withinthe subject of journalism. His interest in journalism began when he was young.This comes as no surprise, given the fact that he grew up in a time period knownfor an influx of political, social, and psychologicalchange that was greatly influenced by evolving types of media. Schudsongraduated from Swarthmore College and went on to receive his M.A. and Ph.D inSociology from Harvard. He has taught at the University of Chicago, as well asthe University of California- San Diego and is currently a professor atColumbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. After reading the chapterregarding the penny press in Schudson’s Discovering theNews, I immediately questioned how qualified he is. However, once Iinvestigated his background, his competence appeared evident based on hisassociation with so many prestigious schools. And seeing as he spent many yearsof schooling on the subject of journalism, I believe it is safe to say that hismotivation for writing this work was purely for the sake of thorough researchaccompanied by a strong development of ideas.

Nonetheless,the quality of his education and time spent in school were only a few of thefactors that allowed me to trust his conclusions on the revolution of the pennypress. As mentioned earlier, Schudson does not just focus on journalism amonghis career, but he also possesses an extensive knowledge in sociology.Sociology, the scientific study of society, and journalism paired togethertruly goes hand in hand with the content of this chapter, given that it isabout the penny press’s effect on society and vice versa. His background andinterest in sociology is another motivation that may have spurred his writingabout the penny press.

Discoveringthe News was published by Basic Books Inc., a company that is mostcommonly known for the publication of nonfictional writing by intellectuals andscholars. Based upon this information, it is quite clear that Discoveringthe News is published by a company that deals with strictly informationaland well-investigated material. This information may also explain the largequantity of evidence and analysis that Schudson uses to justify his ideas.

I alsolooked in to various reviews written online in regards to Discovering theNews. Not once did I come across any opposition to Schudson’s writing.This wide acceptance of Schudson’s book appears to be the result of theextensive reasoning and particular examples given to support his thoughts.Another interesting topic that seemed to keep appearing while looking throughreviews was the fact that Schudson presents the audience with three mainfactors that may have influenced the rise of penny press (technology, literacy,and democracy). Schudson goes into great detail about the strengths andweaknesses of these three factors, but clearly leaves it up to the audience toform their own ideas regarding which issue may have played the biggest role insociety.

Based on thematerial gathered from my research on Discovering the News, I havedetermined that not only does Michael Schudson demonstrate his credentials onthe topic of society and media, but also, it is apparent that the work was publishedby a highly credited source and is trusted and perceived by outsiders as aprofessional piece of writing. Under this reasoning, one can certainly beconfident in the information presented.

Research Report- Luther article

2012-02-01T19:49:00.001-08:00

RESEARCH REPORT – HOW LUTHERWENT VIRAL

How Luther Went Viral was published in the December 17, 2011 printedition of The Economist. The article suggests that authoritarianregimes cannot suppress people thanks to social media, which has existed forcenturies – from the Reformation in the 16^th century to today.

Headquartered in London, The Economist is an internationalaffairs publication. Thepublication focuses on world news, politics and business. It attracts a highly educated globalaudience. Its long articles insmall print are intended for a readership not afraid to tackle in-depth hardnews reporting. It is also anaudience that may be intrigued by the comparison of technological developmentstoday to those with similar roots 500 years in the past. The editor selected this articlebecause it was fun, thought provoking and relatable (considering the widespreadusage of social media like Facebook and Twitter).

During the holidays, thepublication features more varied articles. For example, HowLuther Went Viral appeared in the edition in which the cover story was In Search of Rare Frogs. There is likely a bit less hard newsduring the holiday season, providing an opportunity for more special interestarticles for a broader audience.

The author of How Luther Went Viral is unnamed in theprint version. However, the authorwas actually Tom Standage, who is the Digital Editor at The Economist. He hasworked as a science and technology writer for The Guardian and business editor for The Economist. He hasalso written for Wired, The New York Times and The Daily Telegraph. He is a journalist and authoraccustomed to investigative reporting.

Standage selectedsocial media today and five centuries ago for the topic of this article becausehe was well versed in historical comparisons. In one of his books, The Victorian Internet, he describes how the development of thetelegraph during the second half of the 19^th century mirrored thatof the Internet in the late 20^thcentury. He offers insights intothe way these two new technologies changed communication within society in asingle generation. This book is a prime example of Standage’sskill at creating analogies between historical events that are centuries apart. The author selectedtwo movements in which the The Economistaudience would be well versed. Hewent for the game-changers – the Internet and the Reformation.

Responses to the article werepositive, except for the fact that social media being applied to reformation isrelative. If social media todaytakes root from that event, what about the Internet? It is an interesting andwell-written piece, but it should be noted that social media is only a part ofthe process that is necessary to get a movement like Luther’s started.

Overall, the article is veryfactual and persuasive, but should be interpreted with caution. Most can agree the Luther’s pamphletswere widespread and opinionated, but saying that this social media sparked a revolutionor is directly related to social media today is a stretch.

How Luther Went Viral Discussion Question

2012-02-01T18:18:00.000-08:00

I, Dan Martin, will be leading the discussion for the article entitled "How Luther Went Viral". The following are the questions that I will be asking tomorrow. Check them out and lets get a good a discussion going!

-Besides the example of the Arab Spring, do any of you have specific examples of how modern day media has had a vast social or political impact on society? I'm making this quite specific in hopes of receiving all sorts of input.

-Do you think Luther nailing his 95 Theses onto a church door would have such a sweeping effect these days? Why or why not?

-How did Luther appeal to his target audience in his later writings? Do you think this had an immense effect on the spread and appeal of his writings?

-Do you think these events would be possible without social media?

-Do you believe that our society is better than it was during Luther's time as a result of the social media that we have?

-Has the way information spreads changed that much at all from how it did during the times of Luther?

Discussion Leadership

2012-01-30T20:24:00.000-08:00

I am the discussion leader for the week. I am posting one of my main questions that we will discuss!

The article discusses the large changes in journalism that took place during the time of the penny press. The article also discusses the possible reasons of why journalism changed so much and how it had such big imparcts on society. Some of the reasonings were developments in technology, that there was overall higher literacy rates, and the 'natural history argument'. Which one of these arguments seems the most valid to you? Why? Or do you have a personal idea of why journalism changed so much? Discuss the three arguments discussed in the reading and which one seems the most, or least valid, to you.

Online Assignment #1!

2012-01-28T14:17:00.000-08:00

Mel Beaudry: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you really admire now?

I want to be a Dentist, possibly an oral surgeon. Eventually one day I want to travel to less fortunate countries and do free surgeries for young kids with cleft lip and cleft palate. :) There's really not anyone in the job that I know of and admire, but I'm sure there's someone out there.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are your main sources?

I consume some news here at school, but definitely way more whenever I'm at home. At home, my dad always has different news channels on T.V. Here in Madison, I rely mostly on Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon. Most of the news is more pop culture or world affairs rather than politics...I hate politics.

What kind of music do you like?

I feel like I have music A.D.D. I listen to all different types of music and it all depends on my mood or what I'm doing. But I'm not into the heavy metal, screamo, or whatever that type is

Favorite online video?

This is the hardest question! I basically have a love affair with YouTube. I'm really into the the funny videos and this one is definitely one of my favorites and it never gets old!

Can I Have Your Number

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or find yourself using)?

I guess me and my friends say a lot of lame twitter hashtags like "fat girl problems" after we eat a ton of food and other stuff like that.

ONLINE ASSIGNMENT ONE!

2012-01-27T06:45:00.000-08:00

Samantha Wolfin, Woodcliff Lake New Jersey

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you really admire now?
My dream job would definitely be to be an editor or major contributor to the magazines in which I admire most. I love reading Glamour, Instyle, and Allure magazine. Although all three of these magazines may seem just about clothing and beauty, there are many beautiful articles within the pages that are both relative and important. Someone I look up to are the editors of these magazines, of course, but also my former camp counselor named Shira Savada. Upon graduating from one of the top journalism schools in the country, Shira made a name for herself working for Martha Stewart's online magazine. I admire her because she seems extremely successful and content with her life right now.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are your main sources?

I like to believe that I consume news, but maybe not all of the right news. I do watch the news as background noise when getting ready for class in the morning or going to bed at night. Also, I follow many newspapers and news sources on twitter, and often check the headlining articles for that day. Unfortunately, I tend to consume "fluff" news like celebrity life, but what college-aged girl doesn't?

What kind of music do you like?

I guess the best answer to this question is where I am, what time, what situation, and what type of mood I am in defines my music choices. When hanging out in my room mindlessly roaming the internet, I could listen to just about anything. I am not ashamed to say though that sometimes in the summer time (okay, everyday) I blast Taylor Swift because she is an absolute ball to listen to while driving. While I am running on the treadmill or working out, I turn to hip-hop and fast paced songs. When I am at summer camp, my favorite place in the world, we tend to listen to indie music, sometimes folk as well.

Favorite online video

Marcel the Shell could be one of the most genius things on youtube. Some find it annoying and don't get the humor, but I find it so incredibly smart and simple. I literally laugh the entire time, and I quote it endlessly with my best friend.

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or find yourself using)?

In an effort not to sound like "just another sorority girl" I have to just admit that I have caught myself saying "sucks to suck." This expression is the title of a book written by the Twitter account "Sorority Girl Problems." Sometimes, the saying just fits.

Online Assignment #1!

2012-01-26T20:07:00.000-08:00

Brittany Kellen, Oregon Wisconsin

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you really admire now?

My dream job would be working for a wedding magazine designing the page spreads. I absolutely love all things weddings and have a strong passion for graphic design, so what could be better? There is not anyone that I specifically admire, however I do appreciate the hard work and talent that is put into those publications.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are your main sources?

I do consume news, although probably not as often as I should... I get most of my news through articles posted on Facebook and the occasional status posted about a hot topic. I do try to catch some news shows such as Good Morning America or the Nightly News, but it is not a common occurrence.

What kind of music do you like?

I'm pretty easy going when it comes to music--I will listen to just about anything.

Favorite online video

Oh boy! It is nearly impossible to pick just one video, but I suppose that listening to Josh Groban sing Kanye West tweets is pretty high on my list of favorites.

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or find yourself using)?

I tend to say "let's be honest" and "oh boy!" quite a bit. I also do enjoy quoting a good line from the pure genius comedy, 30 Rock.

Sparknoted Autobiography (Online assg. 1)

2012-01-26T19:23:00.000-08:00

Melissa Howison, Pittsburgh, PA.

My dream job would be to work as a novelist, my all-time favorite is Ayn Rand but more currently I would have to say I really admire Stephen King and Vladimir Nabokov.

My top sources for news are New York Times and Huffington Post (TMZ as a guilty pleasure)

Lots of music; George Harrison and Cat Stevens are my ultimates but currently the new Lykke Li album is great and I love anything by The Avett Bros. or The Black Keys

My favorite video right now is the Christmas edition of Drunk History

I like to say "cool story, bro" whenever someone tells a really horrible story as if it were epic

Online Assignment #1

2012-01-26T17:18:00.000-08:00

Name & Hometown: Ashley Thode, Green Bay

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you really admire?

In the future, I want to work for a fashion magazine doing public relations and advertising. I am really interested in public relations and I have a love for fashion, so for me I feel like this would be the perfect fit. I really admire the fashion marketer of teen vogue, Mary Kate Steinmiller because she does a wonderful job advertising Teen Vogue and other clothing lines. She also has an amazing sense of style.

Do you consume "news"? If you do, what are your main sources?

I do consume news in many different ways. A lot of the news I hear is through Facebook and Twitter. This news affects me because my friends post news that interests me. I also watch the news in the morning, on channel NBC, when I am getting ready for class.

What kind of music do you like?

I like a lot of different music. I really love alternative music and finding random artists that people have not heard of before. As for more mainstream music I enjoy listening to Rihanna and Adele.

Favorite online video?

Double Rainbow video

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or find yourself using)?

My friends and I always quote Bridesmaids. It is a hilarious movie and there's always a line or two that fit in perfectly with our lives.

Post #1

2012-01-26T15:42:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth Templin, Bloomington, MN

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you reallyadmire now?

I would love to be in a marketing or communicationsposition for a big food product company, like General Mills, Kraft, orKellogg. There’s no one specificallyI admire, just all successful, hardworking women.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are yourmain sources?
 
At home, Iread the NYT newspaper. At school,I use the NYT and Washington Post online aps and Twitter posts to get a blurbabout what is going on.

What kind of music do you like?  

I love oldie classics and hip hop.

Favorite online video:  
David Blaine
 
What recent pop culture expression do you love (orfind yourself using)?

Well, I don’t often use it but Noob is a good one (it’s now in thedictionary too).

About Me

2012-01-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

Name and home town: Katie Van Dam, Wilmette, IL

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you really admire now? I still haven't completely decided, but I'd love to have a job in PR. I'm hoping to study Strategic Communication in the School of Journalism. Lately, I've been thinking how cool it would be to promote different authors to help spread the word about their books. I also love to travel, and I've always considered myself to be a bit of a "foodie," so it would be amazing to work for some sort of travel magazine and write reviews for restaurants around the world.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are your main sources? Yes, I consume a lot of news. I recently became a bit of a Twitter addict, so I get most of my news from my twitter feed. I follow everything from Entertainment Weekly to the New York Times. My friends in my dorm like to discuss current events, so I also get a lot of information from them.

What kind of music do you like? I'm a big indie rock fan. My favorite band is Arcade Fire. I also love Wilco, Vampire Weekend, Nada Surf, Sufjan Stevens and Bon Iver. I'm also obsessed with the music on the O.C, so as embarrassing as it is, I spend way too much time listening to my O.C. playlist.

Favorite online video: Hmm...that's a tough one. I'd have to go with the literal Harry Potter trailer because I've seen it a million times and it still makes me laugh.

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or find yourself using)? I love quoting the show Arrested Development. I think everything Tobias says is hilarious, and I find myself doing this a little too often.

Online Assignment 1

2012-01-26T13:34:00.000-08:00

Name and hometown: Tori Larkin Waconia, Minnesota

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you really admire now? I am completely undecided so it is hard to say my possible future job. I have a wide range of interests so I have not chose a major quite yet.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are your mainsources? I consume news quite often. The majority of it does come from sites such as Facebook. However, I also enjoy reading various newspapers and magazines as well. I do look at news online sometimes too.

What kind of music do you like? I listen to every genre of music practically. I love pop, country, oldies, acoustic, and more. Some of my favorite bands and singers are Eric Hutchinson and Adele.

Favorite online video: It's hard to say what my favorite is, but this one always makes me and my friends laugh. David After The Dentist

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or findyourself using)? I can not think of any I say a lot. Me and my friends quote movies, like the Hangover, quite a bit though.

My Online Assignment

2012-01-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

Name and Hometown: Jessica Graser

Mukwonago, Wi

Possible future job? Anyone in that job you really admire now? I am hopefully majoring in Marketing and MHR with an emphasis on Management. If that does not work out, I am planning on applying to the Journalism school for strategic communication. There really is not a particular person I admire in those fields.

Do you consume "news"? If you do, what are your main sources? I mostly get most of my news from twitter and facebook. I also occasionally watch the Today show and I get a lot of pop culture news from Jimmy Fallon.

What kind of music do you like? There is not a whole lot of music that I do not like. My taste ranges from country to rap and pop etc. It is hard for me to find music I really do not enjoy.

Favorite online video: "One Man Disney Movie"

What favorite pop culture expression do you love (or find yourself using)? I really do not use a lot of pop culture expressions in my daily life. I do occasionally use hash tags or abbreviations without noticing....probably not the best habit.

Online Assignment 1

2012-01-26T12:43:00.000-08:00

Name and hometown: Emily Olsen. Eagan, MN

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you really admire now? I still haven't decided on a major but I'm thinking about becoming a Spanish teacher. I really admire my high school Spanish teacher because I learned so much from him during my senior year.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are your main sources? I get most of my news from Twitter and Facebook, which tends to be mostly pop culture and any major events. I usually stay away from anything involving politics though.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear in lecture.) I like pretty much every kind of music, but my favorites are John Mayer, Jason Mraz, and basically all country.

Favorite online video (link to it): My roommate showed me this video earlier this year, and whenever we need a laugh (or are baking something with blueberries), we watch this: You Forgot Blueberries!

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or find yourself using)? This year, I find myself using the word "casual" a lot to describe what someone is doing. I also tend to say "classic" after something funny happens.

Online Assignment 1

2012-01-26T11:51:00.000-08:00

Name and Hometown: Sophie Battiola. Brookfield, WI

Possible futue job? Anybody in that job you really admire now? I would like to have a job in the business field, possibly as some sort of manager or human resources worker. My ultimate goal that I will strive for is to become a CEO of a company. I admire Steve Jobs because he was so determined and successful in all that he did.

Do you consume "news"? If you do, what are your main sources? Yes, I consume news. I wish I stayed up with the news more than I actually do right now though. I get most of my news through the internet, from sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and MSN. I hope to make more time in my daily schedule to consume news from other, more insightful sources.

What kind of music do you like? I don't really have a certain genre I enjoy more than others. I like all types of music. Right now I like listening to Adele and whatever songs I get from cds from my friends.

Favorite online video: I laughed really hard at this video when I watched it. My current favorite on YouTube.

What favorite pop culture expression do you love (or find yourself using)? I'm not really sure what expression I love. I sometimes use hastags on tweets. But as for using in person, I joke around with my close friends and use the short abbreviations like "lol," "ttyl," and "brb" to make fun of when we seriously used those during our young high school and middle school years.

Dan Martin's First Assignment

2012-01-26T10:28:00.000-08:00

Name and hometown: Dan Martin. Stratford, Connecticut.

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you really admire now? I really want to be involved in the television industry in some way. I'm still trying to decide what exactly I want to do. Working at the ESPN studio in Bristol, Connecticut would be so awesome though! Lee Corso is pretty classic. I also really like Donald Glover. I don't want to be an actor though.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are your main sources? I'd say I consume news pretty often. I use twitter a lot. I try to read the Daily Cardinal as much as possible, even though it is mostly news that is only relevant to people on campus. I also use the USA Today website to browse the news in the morning when I'm eating my Trix.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear in lecture.) I'm really into a lot of types of music. I love alternative and hip-hop music. Kanye West is my idol, so I like him a lot. I've been listening to Pearl Jam a lot lately though. My top 25 most played on iTunes consists of a wide variety of music, including The Cool Kids, Kanye, Jay-Z, The Beach Boys, Chiddy Bang, A-Trak, Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D, B.o.B, Eddie Vedder, Big Sean, Childish Gambino, and a few more.

Favorite online video (link to it): I like a lot of online videos but I'd say the videos of Kyle are my favorite.

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or find yourself using)? This is a tough one. I don't really use a lot of pop culture expressions but I'd say if I had to choose one, Step Brothers is pretty quotable.

Online Assignment 1

2012-01-25T20:51:00.000-08:00

Name and hometown: Jen Rau; Sleepy Hollow, IL

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you really admire now? I am very interested in pursuing a career in the fashion industry, whether it be the business side of fashion or the design side. I really admire young beginner designers, such as Whitney Port.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are your main sources? Yes; most of the news that I consume comes from my homepage, CNN.com.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear in lecture.) My favorite artist is Skrillex, but I also like listening to any artists that create mash-ups, like Girl Talk or DJ D-veloped.

Favorite online video (link to it): I love all of Jenna Marbles's videos!

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or find yourself using)? I wouldn't say I "love" this, but I find myself using a lot of hash tag-like expressions in normal conversations #sorrynotsorry

Ben Cowen -- Online Assignment 1

2012-01-25T20:22:00.000-08:00

Name and hometown: Ben Cowen -- New City, NY

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you really admire now? I would like to work in public relations or marketing for a major company like Disney or ESPN. There is nobody specific that I admire in the field, but I do love the "This is Sportscenter" ad campaign that ESPN runs.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are your main sources? Most of the news I consume comes from my twitter feed. I will also occasionally browse through stories from the New York Times or CNN.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear in lecture.) My favorite bands are ones that play great live and acoustic music. My top picks are Dispatch, John Mayer, DMB, State Radio, and John Legend.

Favorite online video (link to it): As a Scrubs fan I really appreciate this video, featuring two of the show's main characters.

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or find yourself using)? My favorite pop culture expression is "Ted Mosby, architect" from How I Met Your Mother. Unfortunately, that expression is not too applicable to me.

A little about me! (Online Assignment 1)

2012-01-25T18:10:00.000-08:00

Name and hometown: Nikki Hanson from Eau Claire, WI

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you really admire now? Any possible future jobs include anything in marketing and advertising, however my ideal job would be to work within marketing management of a professional sports team.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are your main sources? I consume news when its convenient, so usually through Facebook, Twitter, and the television. In the case that something is of interest to me then I'll do a little more indepth research.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear in lecture.) I enjoy mostly all music, whether its classics or more modern music, however one of my favorites is Bon Iver, a newly famous indie band that is actually from my hometown!

Favorite online video (link to it): It's a little wierd if you're not familiar with David Blaine, but it is one of my favorites!

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or find yourself using)? My roommates and I tend to fly through ridiculous phases of random phrases, but one that I catch us saying far too often is "sorry 'bout it." I prefer twitter trends over expressions, such as #sconnieproblems or #firstworldpains.

2012-01-25T17:59:00.000-08:00

Carley Traynor--Janesville Wisconsin

My ideal future job would be sports marketing or something of the sort. My dream job would be working with a pro team, such as an NFL, NHL, MLB team...etc. Either that, or I would love to have Erin Andrews job. If those jobs don't happen to work out for me in the future, I would absolutely love it if I could open my own bakery!

The only news that I really ever pay attention to is what is on the Yahoo! homepage. If I actually dig deeper into news sources I will go to E! News...which is sad...because that really isn't news at all.

I really will listen to just about anything as far as music goes. Any genre pretty much works for me! Country...Rap...Acoustic....Pop....

Here are some funny videos! Not necessarily the first video that pops up, but 95% of her videos are hilarious!

As far as the whole pop culture slang thing goes....I really am not sure what I all say? I guess if there is a good movie I will repeat some of the quotes? And as for the girls that are addicted to pinterest...we can quote those e-cards a ton!

Introduce myself

2012-01-25T16:06:00.000-08:00

John Peper, New Richmond WI

My future job will be as a Hydrologist someday. There really isn't anyone that I admire in the field right now though.

I really do not consume news that often, I will read the paper every once in a while. I see a lot of my news from the home page of yahoo.com where they have stories that are trending now. Also from Facebook I see news posted.

My favorite music is Country music and Billboard top 40 songs.

My favorite link is a MadTV short called Coach Hines

I find myself using the phrase "oh for Pete's peppers son" or "you gotta be outside your mind" and a few that I am not allowed to say in a civilized discussion.