The commodity self
individuals consume and pursue fashion to individuate themselves, yet do so in order to
be socially accepted - to fit in and be popular. moreover, mass produced goods and
fashion are used to produce a fake individuality, a commodity self, an image
The process of constructing the news
*selecting what gets covered
*deciding what becomes the focus of the story
*determining how the story gets told
Influences on news construction
unavoidable constraints include:
*deadlines
*resource limitations (staff reductions, budget, etc)
*geographical focus (typically stick to local events)
good news stations (quality news)
*PBS News Hour
*NPR (National Public Radio)
*The New York Times
*NYT Now
*BBC World News America
Influences on News Construction - Business Environment
*commercialism: news organizations are businesses competing for audiences and
advertisers
*professional responsibility perspective: inform public about most important and
significant events
*marketing perspective: find stories and presentation formats that generate largest
audience
*organizational structure
*ownership
*branding
Influences on News Construction - Operating Conventions
*use of sources
*perception of values (small town american people)
*hyperlocalism (most interested in out local news)
*story formulas
professional responsibility perspective
editors select what's important in order to build an informed public -
*significance
, *candidates and issues
*economics and policies
*in-depth coverage
marketing perspective
primary job of editors is to attract and maintain as large an audience as possible -
*soft news
*celebrities
*conflict
*appeal to emotion
advantage of news perspectives
helps journalists simplify and organize the overwhelming amount of material
disadvantage of news perspective
a narrow view of what is considered news - selected stories are treated superficially
changes in news perspective
from social responsibility to marketing. Old criteria: significance, proximity, and
timeliness. New criteria: conflict, appeal to emotions, and visualization
objectivity
*journalism has 'a strong ethic of objectivity'
*editors use personal judgement in assigned stories and resources
*reporters interpret the news perspective using their own personal judgement
balance
when an issue has more than one side, journalists should attempt to mention both sides
equally
(When an issue has more than one side, journalists should attempt to achieve)
are news stories balanced?
*a study of controversial issues found 48% of stories were one-sided. only 7% of stories
were completely balanced
*if journalists don't provide us with balance then we must construct it for ourselves
political bias
*conservatives complain that most reporters are liberal and their stories are biased
*liberals say conservative commentators have too much power and stigmatize liberals
*the broader bias underlying news is more important - commercialism, entertainment,
and superficiality
context
*the most significant form of bias [is when] a story is reported with a lack of context
(Bagdikian, 1992)
*most crimes are white-collar and property crimes, not violent. Which crimes are
reported the most?
*american crime rate has been falling dramatically. Is this the impression we get from
the news?
Emerging issues about news
*transformation of news
-lose viewers and advertisers
-more partisan
-non-journalists increased
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller MEGAMINDS. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $9.99. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.