Media Systems and Communication Technology
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Hanson7e_PPT06.pptx
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Chapter 6
Newspapers and the News: Reflections of a Democratic Society
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When Is It News That an Entire City Is Being Poisoned By Its Water Supply?
City of Flint, Mich., had high levels of lead in its water after changing from lake to river water
Local journalists say they were slow to respond because officials said water was ok
But local journalists eventually drove the story to receive national attention
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Hanson, Mass Communication: Living in a Media World, 7e
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National journalists saw it as heartland story, followed national stories instead
Communities depend on local journalism for news about important local occurrences
When Is It News That an Entire City Is Being Poisoned By Its Water Supply?
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Early Newspapers
1618: Curanto, published in Amsterdam, is first English-language newspaper
1622: newspapers being published in Britain, distributed through coffeehouses
Followers of church reformers John Calvin and Martin Luther among earliest publishers
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Colonial Publishing
1690: Publick Occurrences, first paper published in American colonies
Colonial newspapers subject to British censorship
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Colonial Publishing
1721: New England Courant
Published by James Franklin, Ben’s older brother
First paper published without “By Authority” notice; James sent to prison for doing so, Ben takes over publishing paper
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Early American Newspapers
Audience primarily wealthy elite
Published by political parties
Focused on opinion, not news
Expensive and had small circulation
Generally bought by prepaid subscription
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Penny Press Revolution
Benjamin Day’s idea: The New York Sun – “It shines for all”
Sold on the street for one or two cents
Supported primarily by advertising
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Penny Press Revolution
First papers to shift focus on news
Journalistic objectivity developed as a way to appeal to larger audiences
Rise of working class supported penny press growth
Hanson, Mass Communication: Living in a Media World, 7e
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A Modern Democratic Society
Rapidly growing number of papers
Growing number of people working for wages
U.S. transforming from rural to urban society
Expanding interest in national and global events
Newspapers promoted democratic market society
People acquire the news “habit”
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Newspaper Wars: Hearst vs. Pulitzer
Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World
Creation of the front page
Often staged sensational stunts
Created headlines with news
Targeting immigrants and women
Nellie Bly and stunt journalism
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Newspaper Wars: Hearst vs. Pulitzer
William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal
Rise of yellow journalism
Popularized comics, including Yellow Kid
Sensationalistic stories by both papers promoting Spanish-American War in Cuba
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Tabloids
Smaller format newspapers written in a lively, often sensationalistic, style
Tabloid “jazz journalism” era
New York Daily News and New York Post
Racy London tabloids
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Broadcast News – Radio
1920: KDKA covers Harding-Cox presidential election results
1930s: newspapers argue radio should not broadcast news
WW II: Edward R. Murrow broadcasting for CBS from Europe. Brought the war home for listeners
www.youtube.com / watch?v = clKaP5YCB8k
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Broadcast News – Television
1940: republican national convention covered by experimental NBC television network
Murrow makes jump from radio to television
1948: CBS starts nightly 15-minute newscast
1963: CBS expands newscast to 30 minutes with Walter Cronkite
1979: ABC starts Nightline during Iranian hostage crisis
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Broadcast News – Cable
1980: CNN goes on the air, promises not to sign off until the “end of the world”
1991: Gulf War makes CNN the place to go for current news
2000s: Fox News comes to dominate the cable news ratings with programming that takes a strong point of view
As of 2017, approximately 50% of Americans get news from television in some form
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Newspapers Today
Few cities have competing daily newspapers
Most newspapers owned by large chains
Largest chain is Gannett, publisher of USA Today; owns approximately 83 daily papers
Advertising revenue fell by two-thirds over last ten years
NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Chicago Tribune all have rapidly growing digital circulation
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Papers with National Reach: Wall Street Journal
Traditional look with focus on financial news
Owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp
Combined digital/print daily circulation of approximately 2.27 million
Editorial page is one of nation’s leading conservative voices
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Papers with National Reach: USA Today
Brought color and design to forefront
Originally described as having “News McNuggets”
Has daily digital/print circulation of 4.14 million
USA Today considers itself a “multi-platform news and information media company”
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Papers with National Reach: New York Times
Started as penny paper
Influential in defining national news
Although tied to New York, has national circulation
Massive growth in online digital circulation
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Papers with National Reach: Washington Post
Came to national prominence with Watergate reporting of Woodward and Bernstein
Prominent source of government news
Much larger national presence online under leadership of new owner Jeff Bezos
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Papers with National Reach: Los Angeles Times
Leading West Coast paper
Gaining national profile with online presence
Won fight with Disney when media giant tried to cut LA Times off from movie screenings. Paper ran negative stories about Disney’s financial relationship with city of Anaheim (where Disneyland is located)
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Objectivity and the View From Nowhere
Multiple meanings for objectivity: just-the-facts, “both sides,” reporting what is true without contrasting point of view
Objectivity as a goal came from era of the penny press to improve sales
Too often objectivity means “what I agree with”
“View From Nowhere” means journalists avoid taking sides so as to appear unbiased
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Implications of View From Nowhere
By placing journalists between extremes of left and right they can all themselves balanced
Because journalists are balanced, they are not biased
Because they are not biased, journalists are being legitimate reporters
Rosen suggests that reporters should focus on being “transparent.” Let audience understand point of view of journalist and present all the evidence
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Community and Suburban Papers
Daily and weekly papers serving individual communities and suburbs
97% of newspapers in U.S. fall into this category
Community papers can and do win Pulitzer Prizes
Publish news people can’t get anywhere else
“A local paper won’t get scooped by CNN”
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What Is News?
Timeliness
Proximity
Prominence
Consequence
Rarity
Human interest
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Herbert Gans: Basic Journalistic Values
Ethnocentrism
The belief that your own country and culture is better than all others
Altruistic democracy
The idea that politicians should serve the public good, not their own interests
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Herbert Gans: Basic Journalistic Values
Responsible capitalism
The idea that open competition among businesses will create a better, more prosperous world. But must be responsible
Small town pastoralism
Nostalgia for the old-fashioned rural community
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Herbert Gans: Basic Journalistic Values
Individualism
The quest to identify the one person who makes a difference
Moderatism
The value of moderation in all things. Extremists on left and right are viewed with suspicion
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Herbert Gans: Basic Journalistic Values
Social order
When journalists cover disorder they tend to focus on the restoration of order
Leadership
Media look at the actions of leaders whereas the actions of lower-level bureaucrats are ignored
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Hanson, Mass Communication: Living in a Media World, 7e
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Media Transformation: Where Do We Go for the News?
People often choose their news sources based on their political values
40% of Trump supporters in 2016 listed Fox News as main news source; 18% of Clinton supporters listed CNN
Chart categorizes news outlets from liberal to conservative for political point of view
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Media Transformation: Where Do We Go for the News?
Also be categorized by quality from Original Fact Reporting to Inaccurate/Fabricated Information
www.ralphehanson.com /2018/05/21/ ch -6-categorizing-news-sources/
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Hanson, Mass Communication: Living in a Media World, 7e
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Media Transformation: Where Do We Go for the News?
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Hanson, Mass Communication: Living in a Media World, 7e
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Dangers Journalists Face
In 2017, 46 journalists were killed in direct connection with their work
Eight killed in Iraq, 8 killed in Syria, 6 in Mexico and 4 in India
Five journalists shot and killed at Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland in 2018
Big consequence of attacks is that stories from dangerous places won’t get told
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The Ethnic Press
African American press dates back to at least 1827
Freedom’s Journal, North Star published as emancipation papers
Chicago Defender started as yellow journalism paper; still published in 2000s
Spanish-language papers face declining circulation like rest of industry; El Nuevo Herald, in Miami, Florida, is one of the most significant
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The Gay Press
Gay papers started in late 1960s, copied on office equipment, distributed in gay bars
Grew into profitable, professional papers
Hit hard by 2009 recession
Losing revenue as gay advertising moves increasingly into big media
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Alternative Weeklies
Started in 1960s and 1970s as “underground” papers
Targeted at young, urban readership that big media are having a hard time reaching
Most face declining circulation
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Hanson, Mass Communication: Living in a Media World, 7e
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News in the Age of Mobile Media
National reach newspapers (NY Times, Washington Post, etc.) seeing significant online growth
Paper delivery is becoming less important
“It’s wrong to say we’re becoming a digital society. We already are a digital society. And even that statement is behind the times. We’re a mobile society” – Marty Barron, executive editor, Washington Post
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The Future Is Mobile and Social
In 2016, 67% of adults get news through social media
Two-thirds (or more) of social media users get news through social media
News is social and news is mobile
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