Johnson, Julie and Oreskes, Micheal. Harvard InternationalJournal of Press Politics. Volumes 4 and 5 Issues 3 1999-2000.
Benson, Thomas. Postmodern Culture. Volume 5 Issue 3 1995. Review.
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| Candace Kimble | |||||||||
| Eng 111 | |||||||||
| Journalism = Reality | |||||||||
| Those seeking a career in journalism may know, journalism is often described as hard to define. As I previewed many different journals, Harvard International Journal of Press Politics, an academic journal and Postmodern Culture, a professional journal assisted in my own understanding of journalism. Both journals are more so for leisure reading than research, still I found both interesting. Harvard International Journal of Press Politics offers a more positive outlook on journalism. Postmodern Culture easily credits journalism as a blackmailer, giving examples to support negativity within journalism. While browsing through both journals I realized bad journalism has left many readers skeptical, believing news is gossip. Comprehending that everybody does not understand everyone, I agree that journalism may be defined as "a way of watching the world, the events, the ideas, and the incidents that shape us"(Oreskes, 102). | |||||||||
| Harvard International Journal of Press Politics distributes a different volume yearly with seasonal issues. It gives a more personal side to the do's and don it's in journalism. The articles carry an opinionated comfort from their authors to their readers. As the authors of the articles present themselves as journalist, I notice they address the struggle between fact and fiction. According to Michael Oreskes "We have to explain what we do if we expect to keep the trust and creditability we must have to keep both our profession and our democracy vibrant," (102). Since no one is perfect, journalist must apply professional standards and still establish a popular level of interest. | |||||||||
| I found Michael Oreskes article "What's News? News: A Bit Hard to Define" very important. Oreskes compares a journalist to a gossip, a polemist, and a preacher, saying "each of them builds his or her work on the work of journalist. "After a massive amount of deep thought, I too agree news is not easy to define. Oreskes also stated "It (news) is the outcome of a practice we call journalism." I also found it interesting that one of Oreskes colleagues compares a journalist to a chef. Oreskes explains "..chefs take raw ingredients and through skill and experience blend them into something more." Oreskes believes "The Front Page" by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur should be consulted regularly, as if it were the bible of journalism, calling it "The most instructive work ever written on journalism..." This article has been qualified by me, Candace Kimble, as a reality check. | |||||||||
| On the other hand, Postmodern Culture released an article "New Political Journalism" by Thomas W. Benson. The article is an overview from Richard Ben Cramer"s "What it Takes: The Way to the White House." Richard Cramer argues that "the press got it wrong." Cramer complains that the media does not focus on the issues of the world but the personality of the campaigner, when it comes down to campaigning. I question myself for saying this but I do see where Cramer is coming from. Cramer argues "the focus on personality has led the press and media into a corruption of their traditional and useful skepticism, resulting in a kind of pack journalism that takes as it's role the day-to-day diminishment of candidates and, at opportune moments, the destruction of candidates in the feeding frenzy of rumored scandal." True some journalist do tend to badger the truth, but I sure their intensions were to benefit somebody. Although the article is mainly about politics, it does show the dark side to journalism. Again another reality check. | |||||||||
| Two journals, one outcome. Journalism is not as easy as I had previously imagined. "Along for the Ride: Reality Journalism and the Right to Privacy" by Julie Johnson is another article I read under Harvard International Journal of Press Politics. In the article the question of reality and reality-based is brought up. Johnson had an answer. Reality journalism is explained as "broadcast news and entertainment programming the relies on the actual footage of law enforcement officers, fire fighters, and emergency medical technicians responding to calls on the job" (Johnson, 107). As for reality-based, it is described as programming that uses actors to reenact incidents based on actual events without benefit of actual footage. In both cases journalism is a part of reality. I have learned that it informs the world of it's many paths and without it, we would be lost. | |||||||||
| Work Cited Johnson, Julie and Oreskes, Micheal. Harvard InternationalJournal of Press Politics. Volumes 4 and 5 Issues 3 1999-2000. Benson, Thomas. Postmodern Culture. Volume 5 Issue 3 1995. Review. |
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