The debate continues : Is there a future in journalism?

It seems that every person related to the journalism field in some way has an opinion about what the future will hold for the industry. Writer Hans Durrer holds a more positive attitude on the subject than most.

"Blind woman gets new kidney from dad she hasn't seen in years," and other 'what were they thinking' headlines!

• Grandmother of eight makes hole in one
• Deaf mute gets new hearing in killing
• Police begin campaign to run down jaywalkers
• House passes gas tax onto senate
• Stiff opposition expected to casketless funeral plan
• Two convicts evade noose, jury hung
• William Kelly was fed secretary
• Milk drinkers are turning to powder
• Safety experts say school bus passengers should be belted
• Quarter of a million Chinese live on water
• Farmer bill dies in house
• Iraqi head seeks arms
• Queen Mary having bottom scraped
• Is there a ring of debris around Uranus?
• Prostitutes appeal to Pope
• Panda mating fails - veterinarian takes over
• NJ judge to rule on nude beach
• Child's stool great for use in garden
• Dr. Ruth to talk about sex with newspaper editors
• Soviet virgin lands short of goal again
• Organ festival ends in smashing climax
• Eye drops off shelf
• Squad helps dog bite victim
• Dealers will hear car talk at noon
• Enraged cow injures farmer with ax
• Lawmen from Mexico barbecue guests
• Miners refuse to work after death
• Two Soviet ships collide - one dies
• Two sisters reunite after eighteen years at checkout counter
• Never withhold herpes from loved one
• Nicaragua sets goal to wipe out literacy
• Drunk drivers paid $1,000 in 1984
• Autos killing 110 a day, let's resolve to do better
• if strike isn't settled quickly it may last a while
• War dims hope for peace
• Smokers are productive, but death cuts efficiency
• Cold wave linked to temperatures
• Child's death ruins couple's holiday
• Blind woman gets new kidney from dad she hasn't seen in years
• Man is fatally slain
• Something went wrong in jet crash, experts say
• Death causes loneliness, feeling of isolation

Copy editing isn't rocket science, it's worse!

This blog is pretty funny. Blogger Kat Richardson talks about the need for copy editing in the world of writing and the nit picking precision that comes along with it!

Casual language/multimedia knowledge

Since this is my last post, I thought I'd do a little combining of subjects. First up, the issue of casual language or slang in headlines has always bothered me. Mostly because I feel like it's frowned upon unless you're in the confines of an art hed or elaborate pun. A few hours ago at work, I wanted to write "digs" in reference to a school's new building -- as in "Elementary school gets 'green' digs." (Green as in energy-efficient.) But I figured that wouldn't really fly in a normal news story. I could be wrong, but kind of don't think I am. I wonder if use of slang is frowned upon because the older crowd is who actually reads the newspaper, or publications think it's an easy way to maintain credibility, but either way, it stinks. I feel like if it's a common expression/word that basically everyone would know, why can't we use it? Everyone knows what "digs" in that context would mean, right? I think if the copy editors banded together and decided to quit being so stuffy, we could actually draw in a younger audience so badly needed with headlines that have more conversational, entertaining language.

The second thing I wanted to touch on was something I saw (once again) on Romenesko, which said something about how newspapers want to hire people who have multimedia knowledge. This scared me a little, because though I like to think I know a good amount about computers, generally, technology and I don't get along too well. Thank god for this class, that we have learned Soundslides and other programs, but apparently the more experiences you have the better. I kind of like staying in my print-knowledge comfort zone (aka basically no multimedia needed), but I know I need to push out of that to keep up with the times. I guess if we walk into a job without having a multifaceted multimedia background, we're going to be in trouble. Enter my next semester god save: the J-school's online media class.

The future is us

I like Tim McGuire's blog. It's just fun and interesting.

His most recent piece argues the merits of citizen journalism vs. mainstream media. Many people apparently view mainstream media as "sold out" and "lacking credibility" -- on the other hand, citizen journalism has been criticized for having no ethics and no guardianship.

I won't repeat the entire piece here (I recommend you read it, though -- it's cool; click on the headline above). For what it's worth, I think I tend to side more with the "mainstream media" point of view on this matter, mainly because of the ethical issue: citizen journalists do not have to adhere to the same code of ethics as do professional journalists.

On the other hand, I think it's important not to eliminate citizen journalism completely, simply because they have information and a point of view that may not be available from any other source. Citizen journalists can be a terrific source for professional journalists...who also might be able to bring to a story deeper, more thorough and investigative aspects that citizen journalists simply don't have the expertise for.

What do you guys think? : )

When is plagiarism not plagiarism?

According to this story, a University of Missouri journalism professor resigned after he admitted that he plagiarized material from a student writer. It's a rather convoluted tale (you can access it by clicking on the headline), but apparently the only thing he "lifted" were quotes. Poynter author Roy Peter Clark seems to take the tack that it really wasn't plagiarism at all, but rather sloppy attribution.

Doesn't this beg the argument that a quote is a quote is a quote? Once the quote is out there, do we really have to say where it came from? I think we do, simply because such information is relevant to whatever we're reading. I do agree with Clark, however, that the "scarlet letter" of plagiarism can easily lead to witch hunts, inducing competent and learned journalists to quit the business at the first blush of scandal.

I'm not arguing in favor of Jayson Blair...but I think that genuine, time-tested and battle-scarred journalists are precisely the men and women we need in the field. It's probably safe to say that the UM professor won't make that mistake again. Would it be better for his students to leave him where he is, sadder but wiser? Or, on the other hand, is that endorsing the very behavior we expel students for?

I'm not drawing conclusions here. I just wanted to air both sides of the tale -- and let you draw your own conclusion.

Online editing

It seems like in the drive to get news online faster, copy editing has gone out the door. I can't count the number of times I have gone on the East Valley Tribune's and Arizona Republic's Web sites and seen clear libel or numerous mistakes that copy editors would have fixed if they had read the stories before they were published on the Web. In newspapers' effort to be first, they have sidestepped the important role that copy editors play in keeping stories accurate, complete and clear. I've seen so many instances where someone has been "arrested for" a crime, which is clearly libelous. Newspapers need to come up with a system where stories filter through the copy desk before they are put online; and I know the Tribune is moving toward that goal and the Republic does have people around the clock putting stories online. Just because the story isn't in print, doesn't mean the newspaper has any less accountability for making that piece accurate and clear. Though copy editors traditionally work at night, perhaps even one person working a graveyard shift can curb many of the mistakes that make their way into stories put directly online. Web publication can be even more problematic in that those stories never go away. Any time someone searches for or comes across an online story, the mistakes will still be there, and that's a huge problem for newspapers.