J 201 - Section 314

Research Report for “Journalism of Verification”

2012-03-06T19:44:00.000-06:00

In“Journalism of Verification,” the authors Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstieldiscuss journalism as being a discipline of verification. Throughout the piece, Kovach and Rosenstielset a core set of concepts that eventually form the basis of the discipline ofjournalism verification. The main motivethe authors had in writing this excerpt from their book was to show and explainwhat the concept of journalism verification is and to explain the methods inwhich journalism, not necessarily the journalists themselves, should beobjective. One major point the authorsare trying to make is that the “neutral” style of news employed by many newsorganizations is not a fundamental principle of journalism, but rather is anattempt by news organizations to show that they are trying to produce somethingobtained by objective methods. While thejournalists may not be objective, the method/system for gathering informationto find the truth should be objective. Ultimately,a set of core concepts/techniques set a foundation for the verification ofjournalism in order to ensure that the public can trust journalistic accountsand journalism as a whole. This methodof gathering accounts and stories in an objective way has come to be known asthe discipline of journalism verification and consists of never adding anythingthat was not there, never deceiving the audience, being transparent aboutmethods and motives, relying on original reporting, and exercising humility. In order to more critically understand/evaluatethe main ideas and themes that the authors are trying to make, it is necessaryto gain some background information about the authors.

Bill Kovach began his journalismcareer in 1959 at the Johnson CityPress-Chronicle. He was a reporter forThe Nashville Tennessean from1960-1967, where he covered the civil rights movement, Southern politics, andAppalachian poverty. After a year ofstudy at Stanford University, Kovach joined TheNew York Times in 1968, where he worked for eighteen years, serving from1979 to 1986 as the Chief of The New YorkTimes Washington Bureau. Kovach waslater the Editor of The AtlantaJournal-Constitution for two years, after which he became a Curator of theNieman Foundation at Harvard University. Though The Elements of Journalismis his most notable book, he has also authored and contributed to several otherbooks, magazines, and newspapers throughout the world.

Tom Rosenstiel is an author,journalist, and founder/director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism(PEJ). Rosenstiel has been a journalistfor more than thirty years, having worked as a media critic for the Los AngelesTimes and Chief Congressional Correspondent for Newsweek magazine. He is currently Vice Chairman of theCommittee of Concerned Journalists, which is an initiative engaged inconducting a national conversation among journalists about standards andvalues. At PEJ, Rosenstiel is the editorand main author of an annual, comprehensive report on the health of Americanjournalism. Lastly, his writings haveappeared in publications such as Esquire,The New Republic, The New York Times and Colombia Journalism Review.

Nearly all of the reviews that wereencountered about The Elements of Journalism: What News PeopleShould Know and the Public Should Expect were positive reviews. Not only were they positive reviews, but manywere praising the book as it relates to the core values and principles ofjournalism in the modern age. Manyreviews commented that it should be a required reading for institutions andthose majoring in journalism. Furthermore, many of these reviews are from respected people in thejournalism community, such as people affiliated with The New York Times, The WallStreet Journal, American JournalismReview, Colombia University, Harvard University, and more. Because the this excerpt and the book waswritten by such respectable and experienced journalists as Kovach andRosenstiel, it does not necessarily need to be viewed as a provocative articlewritten by someone trying to cause trouble but rather as a very relevant,important, and knowledge-filled piece regarding the field and verification ofjournalism. This does not mean that thearticle should not be viewed in a critical manner (all articles should beviewed as critically as possible), but the track record of Kovach andRosenstiel foreshadows that the information presented in the book is verycompelling, intelligent, and trustworthy, therefore solidifying the confidenceof the readers of the article.

Bibliography (Links to Web PagesUsed)

“Tom Rosenstiel.” Curiosity-From Discovery. curiosity.discovery.com. 2011. Web. 06 March 2012. http://curiosity.discovery.com/user/tom-rosenstiel/bio

“The Essence of Journalism is a Discipline of Verification.” Nieman Foundation for Journalism atHarvard. nieman.harvard.edu. 2012. Web. 06 March 2012. http://nieman.harvard.edu/reports/article/102543/The-Essence-of-Journalism-Is-a-Discipline-of-Verification.aspx

“The Elements of Journalism: WhatPeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect, Completely Update and Revised.” www.journalism.org. 24 April 2007. Web. 06 March 2012. http://www.journalism.org/node/71

“Bill Kovach.” www.bu.edu. 1 May 2007. Web. 06 March 2012. http://www.bu.edu/commencement/2007/biographies/kovach.html

“Principles of Journalism.” Journalism.org. 2012. Web. 06 March 2012. http://www.journalism.org/resources/principles

Research Report - Nicholas Lemann's "The Weekly Warrior"

2012-03-06T18:52:00.001-06:00

Research Report

Jessica Ciufia

Nicholas Lemann’s article “TheWeekly Warrior” commemorates I. F. Stone and his unconventional investigativejournalism. The Wayward Press publishedthis article, along with numerous more of Lemann’s. While Stone is depicted by Lemann as a longtime journalist with an innovative twist, Lemann also includes snippets of hiswork within the article to give his readers a taste of what he was like.

Although Lemann graduated from Harvard, he is currently a dean andprofessor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism as well as ajournalist, editor, and author specifying on twentieth century U.S.history. He is a Member of the Councilon the Future of Media, which ultimately creates an ideal independent newsservice for the public. Not only didLemann correspond for the Atlantic Monthly, he wrote for The New Yorker aswell. His experience, past and presentoccupations, and knowledge on the history of Stone gives him the authority towrite on this particular story. Overall,Lemann describes Stone’s bumpy yet successful career in investigativejournalism. He contained a “courageousindependent voice” (Lemann 2006) throughout the Cold War and essentiallyrevamped how America did reporting.

Lemann wrote of Stone's “problematic crusade” (Lemann 2006) through hislife of journalism because he obviously respects and admires hisaccomplishments. “The Weekly Warrior”contains examples of Stone’s eccentricity as well as groundbreakingreporting. Lemann also wrote onrebellious investigative journalist Edward Murrow in The Murrow Doctrine, whichwas also published in The Wayward Press. The interest in infamous and pioneering journalists clearly compelsLemann to write the articles he does. Lemann discusses their attributions to modern day journalism, andacknowledges that they had the courage to say the government was wrong when noone else did.

I. F. Stone has a biography, along with other debatable pieces focusingon his life, that Lemann feels don’t do him justice. According to Lemann, the biography, writtenby Myra MacPherson, didn’t “capture Stone’s essence”. Lemann says she believes Stone is “simplyopposing injustice,” (Lemann 2006) when indeed, there was much more do it. What MacPherson states is declared true byLemann, but in his opinion, doesn’t even begin to define Stone’s intricacy.

It seems as if Lemann wrote this piece for the soul purpose of honoringI. F. Stone, and regardless of whether or not people would find the storyrelevant was something he wasn’t as focused on. There were no responses to this articlethat I could find, but this piece in itself was a type of response to thebiography of Stone done by MacPherson previous to Lemann’s article. LikeLemann, we should recognize the work Stone has done and realize that he’s pavedthe way for investigative journalists today. Stone was one of the first reporters to use the first amendment withoutworrying about criticizing our government. His speech, thought, and expression should provide a model on how skepticalwe can and very well should be of modern day media.

"LemannBiography." The Atlantic — News and Analysis on Politics, Business,Culture, Technology, National, International, and Life – TheAtlantic.com.Web. 03 Mar. 2012.<http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/about/people/nlbio.htm>.

"SpeakerBio: Nicholas Lemann." Philanthropy New York. Web. 02 Mar. 2012.<http://www.philanthropynewyork.org/s_nyrag/doc.asp?CID=10982>.

Lemann,Nicholas. (November 27, 2006). The Weekly Warrior. Retrieved March 2, 2012.126-133.

"NicholasLemann." The New Yorker. Web. 03 Mar. 2012.<http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/bios/nicholas_lemann/search?page=3>.

Online Assignment (2)

2012-03-02T16:59:00.001-06:00

1) Not well. According to the movie, they presented only what they learned from the government. They were swayed by the general feeling of patriotism, and those companies that tried to publish even news of civilian deaths were scorned for it.

2) The biggest failure of news companies during this time was in pursuit of the truth. These companies bought what the government was selling, and did not (for the most part) question it. Even information that the public would not under normal circumstances be privy to was ‘leaked’ to the news companies who in turn sold it to the public to convince the masses that going to war was the best idea. An example of this was the ‘leaked proof’ that Saddam Hussein had been gathering materials for atomic weapons using ‘aluminum cylinders’.

3) They faced pressure from both government and their audience of the general public. They were expected to only publish news that favored the war in a patriotic manner. The major pressure was to support the war.

4) Most news outlets supported the efforts of the government and supported going to war, and only a few tried to present true facts about it (like CNN). It was a difficult task, especially since the outlets that actually tried to get the facts (rather than just publishing what everyone else published) were scrutinized for it. Conservative outlets published relatively conservative stories, while the more liberal outlets were shunned for trying to shed light on the truth.

Online Assignment 2

2012-03-02T16:48:00.001-06:00

1. After the September 11th attacks there certainly was a noticeable patriotic feeling within the news media. However, although the country was brought closer together because of this shared emotional experience, journalists did not quite live up to their responsibilities. They simply became caught up in the emotions of the time period, and didn't relay the facts.

2. The biggest failure, in my opinion, was the journalistic community's failure to question the facts being presented. Each story was like the next, relaying the same exact information to the public. No one even questioned if what was going on, especially regarding weapons of mass destruction, was true even with the absence of sufficient evidence. Stories would be spread through the White House Press and New York Times as "leaked" and then would be talked about by influential people like dick Cheney and President Bush. It seemed as though there was a vicious circle of a small amount of people controlling what was said in the media, without any journalists questioning whether the information was reliable or not.

3. I think media's biggest pressure was to support the war effort. With this spurt of patriotism going on in the country, the news organizations were under a lot of pressure to portray patriotism.

4. I think the main difference between the ways that different news outlets handled the issues was with how they portrayed the war effort. While some news outlets wanted to show all of the good things about America and support the Bush administration no matter what, other news sources (like CNN) questioned the facts and in return were under much scrutiny. However, these differences account for the different types of audiences that seek the news. Stations like FOX are notoriously conservative, so the people that watch these stations are going to be the same people who want to hear good things about the Bush administration. Liberals at this time were questioning the war, so tuning into CNN would make more sense for them.

Online Assignment 2

2012-03-02T16:28:00.000-06:00

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

Many journalists responded to the attacks on 9/11 the same way the public did, extremely emotionally. Any opposition to government or the president was discouraged and looked upon as being un-American. These issues blurred the truth and did not help the American public see the facts of the situation. Instances like the Presidents prepared speech and scripted q&a and the avoidance of showing casualties overseas show that the journalistic community did not uphold its responsibility in the least bit.

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

The journalistic community failed in ways both intentional and unintentional. The US hadn’t seen terrorist attacks like this before and it was a new and challenging topic for journalists to cover. The emotional investment that many reporters felt skewed them away from facts that would criticize the government or expose wrongdoings of the nation. Pressure from media owners and advertisers to be patriotic and support the nation also clouded the truth. The American public relies on news media to get their facts about the world, so untruthful news quickly spreads into public ignorance and altered perceptions.

3) What kinds of pressures did news organizations face?

News organizations faced immense pressure from all sides. They needed to be truthful and honest to their readers who rely on them for information. They also faced pressures from media owners, advertisers, and even competing news sources to not be unpatriotic by criticizing the government or the war. The balance they had to find between the two usually leaned more towards the pressures to be patriotic, and the public lost this battle in a sense. News organizations gave into profit and emotions over facts.

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

Most news outlets covered the war similarly. As it was unpopular to criticize the government, most focused on emotionally uniting the nation and presenting facts that supported the government. Although some were more liberal or conservative, it seemed to me that most news sources such as The Washington Post and The New York Times didn’t dig deeper to question the situation. The Knight Ridder seemed to be the only source to step up and question claims with no substantial evidence. Unlike the main news media, they truly sought the facts and double checked their information to uphold their responsibility to their readers.

Online Assignment 2

2012-03-02T14:08:00.000-06:00

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

The journalistic community as a whole generally did not live up to its responsibility to present the 'facts'. President George W. Bush's repeated assertions that Saddam Hussein was in possession of weapons of mass destruction, among other things, were taken as truths and were virtually unchallenged by the one group who should have challenged them the most-the journalists.

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

There were plenty of researchers and scientists who had been investigating Iraq from the start, and yet very few journalists reached out to them. Instead, government officials were used as the main source of information, which lead to them "repeating apocalyptic warnings with virtually no demand from the establishment press for evidence." Thus, a journalistic community cannot accurately present a story when all the evidence came from one source, a source who was in a position of authority and arguably playing on the fear and pathos of the public to garner support for a senseless war.

3) What kinds of pressures did news organizationsface?

Dissenting opinions were unpopular, and if a news organization presented an opinion against the war, then the dissenters would be deemed unpatriotic. For example, when network and cable news reported civilian casualties caused by American forces attacking terrorist bases in Afghanistan, the "big people" in corporations would reprimand them for being "anti-American".

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

Most news outlets covered the issue similarly: pro-war, anti-Arab, anti-Muslim. Even highly respected and reputable news sources such as New York Times fell victim to playing up baseless claims. Fox News as well was quick to call out any who opposed the war as anti-American and a threat themselves. The Knight Ridder differed, however, in its coverage of the issue. Those working for the Knight Ridder did actual investigation and found evidence dispelling what the high officials of the U.S. government were saying. Unfortunately, the Knight Ridder, though bigger in size, was less influential overall in the scheme of things, and as a result much of their top-notch investigations went under the radar.

Online Assignment #2

2012-03-02T11:24:00.003-06:00

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

Itappeared as though the journalistic community was more concerned with gettingon board with the Bush administration than with presenting the “facts”. Because much of the information presentedby the Bush administration was targeted toward linking Iraq to the events of9/11, journalists who were dedicated to being loyal to the government did notalways present factual news. Sincethere was little tolerance for journalists to critically scrutinize theinformation they were reporting on, they often had to sacrifice reporting thefacts to avoid backlash. Inparticular, the film provided examples of information said about Iraq in themedia that was inaccurate, such as the New York Times’ confirmation of the Bush administration’sclaims about Saddam Hussein and Iraq.

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

Asdescribed in the film, journalists were not skeptical enough of defectors. As a result, many failed to presentfactual information when they printed stories on defectors. Much of information they acquired fromthese interviews was inaccurate, but they would receive verification from theBush administration that they could print the story, so they felt as thoughthey had two sources to back up their claims, when in fact, their only sourcewas the defector.

3) What kinds of pressures did news organizationsface?

There was animmense amount of pressure put on news organizations to be “patriotic”. When they scrutinized or were criticalof the government, they were often accused of being “anti-American” or “disloyal”. For example, the film mentioned how theBush administration ordered that reporters balance images of casualties in Iraqwith reminders of 9/11. Thegovernment put pressure on these news organizations to remain allegiant, and asa result, the government and the press were referred to as “inseparable” in thefilm.

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

There was the classic contrast betweenthose news outlets considered to be liberal such as CNN, and those consideredto be conservative such as Fox News. There were also certain news outlets that had closer ties to the Bushadministration than others. Forexample, the film mentioned how the chief executive of Fox News privately urgedthe Bush administration to use the harshest measures possible after 9/11. Moyers also highlighted the differencesbetween those news outlets within the Washington area, who supported thegovernment the most, and those outside of the beltway “bubble”, who tended toget the story right because they were not as concerned with being loyal to thegovernment.

Online Assignment #2

2012-03-02T00:20:00.001-06:00

1. How well did the journalistic communitylive up to its responsibility to present the facts?

a. Accordingto Buying the War, the journalisticcommunity did a terrible job of living up to its responsibility to present thefacts about the connection between Saddam Hussein/weapons of mass destructionand the 9/11 attacks on America. Manysay they were not critical enough of the claims made the Bush Administrationabout weapons of mass destruction and the need to eliminate SaddamHussein. Also, many of the reporterswere not skeptical enough of the defectors that they got information from.

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

a. Accordingto Buying the War, the press failedin critically scrutinizing the Bush Administration’s justification fordeclaring the War on Terrorism due not wanting to seem un-American at a timewhen American pride was at an all-time high. Also, only certain people were given a voice in transcending theiropinions and viewpoints to the general public. Furthermore, the journalistic community was making questionable linksand connections between Hussein and 9/11 sound like hard evidence, furtherjustifying the need for war again Hussein in the eyes of the public. Once again, one of the main reasons theyfailed in many of the areas they did was due to lack of skepticism towardsoutlets of information.

3. What kinds of pressures did newsorganizations face?

a. Asalluded to earlier, news organizations faced the pressure of seemingun-American by critically scrutinizing the Bush Administration and certainconsequences of military action in the Middle East. Also, they faced the pressure of trying todeliver the truth of what was actually happening compared to what the publicwanted to hear of what was happening.

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

a. Differentnews outlets covered the issue differently by deciding what to portray washappening in the Middle East and electing who they got their information from. For example, many news outlets did not wantto show the bodies of dead civilians in the Middle East on the front page oftheir newspaper for seeming un-American or critical of the United Statesmilitary. Also, some news outlets gaveprominent “face time” to questionable defectors and informants. The difference between these outlets wasessentially the way certain news outlets responded to information in a veryskeptical way while others hardly criticized their informants. Another major difference between these newsoutlets was the power they possessed. For example, certain news outlets were closer to the Bush Administrationthan other outlets, therefore giving them more power and allowing their storyto be more prominent than those not necessarily “on the inside.”

False Intel Presented by the Bush Administration

2012-03-01T23:32:00.000-06:00

How well did the journalistic community live upto its responsibility to present the ‘facts’? The journalists did a horrible job of presenting fact to the American media. Some of the reports were based upon accusations instead of solid or physical evidence. As different reporter began to review the actions of the Bush party, then it became obvious that Bush was abusing his power of authority. Most of the reporters never investigated the intentions of Bush until after the war started.

Where they failed, why did they do so? Journalist did not reference sources of intelligence before accepting it as fact. There is an accumulation of information within the different government institutions such as the CIA, ATF, and FBI. Reporters failed to check if what the President and Vice President said matches with data within our government institutes.
Reporters failed to further investigate the information given by the Bush administration. The press never showed the entire story about the war in Iraq. It was mandated that certain photos to be excluded from the paper. Al Quaeda was never proven affiliated with Suddam Hussein. It was unclear as about why Americans were in Iraq. People of the Bush party were piecing together information against Suddam Hussein without Hard evidence.

3
What kinds of pressures did news organizationsface? There was pressure on the organizations to please the government and the public. There were new organizations competing for popularity. New York times feed detail to the public that stretched the truth. People who did not support the war on terror were assumed to be anti-American

4 How did different kinds of news outlets coverthe issue differently? What was the difference between these outlets? Outlets did their reporting based on commercialization. The New York Times supported the war in Iraq. This commercialization lead to invalid news coverage.

Online Assignment 2

2012-03-01T22:08:00.001-06:00

Isabel Harner
Section 314

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

The journalistic community did not live up to its responsibility to present the 'facts' during the lead up to the war. As Dan Rather said, some people did do better than others. The press was concerned with getting the information to the public as fast as they could, which caused a lack in research. Some journalists were afraid to contradict what the government was saying because they didn't want to seem un-patriotic. In turn, the news ended up being more of a platform for the Bush administration's agenda and less centered around getting the truth to the American people.

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

The journalistic community especially failed on scrutinizing the Bush administration after the events of 9/11 and period before the war. Going against the government at this time, who's goal was to "get back" at those responsible for 9/11, came off as un-American. News sources were also quick to find evidence to support what the administration was saying without doing the necessary research to confirm that evidence. The New York Times, for example, interviewed defectors from Iraq who confirmed that Saddam Hussein was in control of nuclear weapons and did not notice the bias and red flags in their evidence.

3 3) What kinds of pressures did news organizations face?

News organizations faced pressures from the American people and other organizations. There was the pressure from the people to give them the most up-to-date news coverage. There was the pressure to remain sympathetic to the events of 9/11 which made it difficult for reporters to cover civilian issues in Iraq or criticize the government without seeming anti-American. If they did seem un-patriotic, advertisers didn't want to be associated with that organization which added another pressure on them to side with the government.

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

Different outlets covered the issue differently. News organizations based in New York had an emotional connection to the terrorist attacks and tended to align with the government. Organizations not based in New York and foreign correspondents did a better job of checking sources and facts to provide honest news to the American people.

Movie Questions

2012-03-01T20:28:00.001-06:00

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

The journalistcommunity ultimately failed in their job to report the ‘facts’ after the eventsof 9/11. Reporters were eager toget out stories as fast as they could given the public’s thirst for knowledgeat the time and this led to a lot of poor question asking with regards to themajor issues reported on. Journalists were also pressured into supporting the Bush administrationfor fear of being accused of being “un-American” even when they knew that not everythingthe administration was saying was reliable.

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

Journalists, especially those from the DC and New York areas were asemotionally affected by the events of 9/11 as anyone else in the country. It was difficult for those journalistsclose to the situation to step back and not act on emotion, which usually ledto a more or less blind following of the Bush administration. By following their emotions, manyjournalists supported the “patriotic” side of the war and failed to report onit objectively. Journalist begansearching for and subsequently publishing any articles that aligned with thestories that the government was leaking to the press

3) What kinds of pressures did newsorganizations face?

News organizations faced a lot of pressure to help to unite the nationin a time of crisis. The UnitedStates government put pressure on many outlets to support the war and tosupport patriotism with out raising too many tough questions. Advertisers put many of the samepressures on the news outlets they advertised on because they did not want tobe associated with “anti-American” stories or anything else, like graphicimages of war, which would offend consumers. News consumers also pressured news organizations to producestories quickly that were interesting.

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

Some outlets, like Night Ridder, asked the toughquestions that every news outlet should have asked. Part of this had to do with Night Ridder not being a NewYork based paper, so their journalists were caught up less in the emotionalflow of the events and were more critical of claims made by the Bush administration. Much of the same could be said offoreign news sources and even American journalist who were serving as foreigncorrespondents. Mostorganizations, however, reported stories without checking the facts behind themor the credibility of their sources, leading to sensationalized news that wasless than creditable.

Online Assignment #2

2012-03-01T18:34:00.000-06:00

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

I feel that after 9/11 the journalistic communitydid not live up to its responsibilities to present the ‘facts’. This was because they had a fear ofbeing called “unpatriotic.” Because of this they simply reported what the administration had toldthem which was an unreliable source. They did not look into what they were told or try to figure out if itwas true.

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

They failed because they did not question thegovernment and just assumed that they were a credible source. One of the reasons for this was that asI said before they had a fear of being called “unpatriotic.” There did not want to appear likeAnti-American so they limited what they said in the press. Also many journalists supported the warand they let their bias opinion take over

3. What kinds of pressures did news organizationsface?

News organizations had pressure from the public aswell as the government. They hadpressure to keep their organization running and keep an image of beingpatriotic. They also had pressurefrom advertisers, because they needed to stay patriotic to keep advertisers in orderto continue to make a profit.

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

Television and print sources covered the issue. They both had a bias opinion andsupported the war. Most newssources associated themselves with the Bush Administration. Television sources like Fox were alsoaligned with the Bush Administration and did not check their sources beforemaking them public. The KnightRidder was the only news source that actually tried to check their sources andinvestigated to try to find out if what they were being told was true or not.

2012-03-01T16:03:00.003-06:00

Cameron Kalmon
J201 Sec 314
3-1-2012

1) The journalistic community did not live up to it's responsibility to present the facts. I believe this was due to the surge of patriotism after the September 11th terrorist attack. Many reporters were more concerned with backing up the U.S. government. This is an understandable feeling as a citizen of the United States but it is very unprofessional. The job of reporters is to "report" the news. They must present the facts so that consumers can decide for themselves.

2) The journalistic community failed at being uncensored and unbiased. They failed to report civilian casualties and allowed the Bush administration to influence what was printed and what wasn't.

3) News organizations faced the trouble of who to interview. The defectors that were coming forth had changed and exaggerated their stories, no one knew what was actually true. Another problem reporters faced was verifying stories. They thought they were contacting two separate sources when really it was the same source feeding the story.

4) Different news outlets provided different perspectives on the war based on where they observed from or how valid their sources were. An example is the Washington Post and how they stayed alongside the president and therefore did not get to see the true nature of the war but rather a glorified, patriotic rendition of American wholesomeness.

Online Assignment #2

2012-03-01T12:51:00.002-06:00

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

The journalistic community did not live up to their responsibility at all. They presented false information to the public to uphold a patriotic image. They knew the undisputed facts about the conflicts that were occuring and it is their responsibility to present these facts to the public; however, they were more concerned with avoiding tarnishing their own image than presenting citizens with the whole story.

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

I believe they failed because they were more concerned about having a patriotic image rather than presenting the whole story. For example, when reporting stories about the war in Iraq, media outlets limited their coverage on the amount of Iraqi casualties and balanced these stories with reminders of 9/11. I find this very appaling that journalist refused to discuss the amount of people dying in an unecessary war from simply because they were on the opposing side. The fear of seeming un-American fueled their writing even though as journalist, it is their responsibility to tell us the whole truth, even if we don't want to hear it.

3. What kinds of pressures did news organizations face?

They definitely faced a lot of pressure from competing news sources. Everyone wanted to get the hot story out the fastest. Also, there was much criticism of competing news sources. Most notably, Fox News referred to sources like CNN as being "un-American" because their stories did not necessarily present America as a superior country. Along with competing outlets, they also faced pressure from the public. People were still very upset from 9/11 and journalists had to be sensitive in their writing in fear of negative reactions from a distraught public.

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

The most influential source, The New York Times, decided to cover the stories in a way that would make them sell. They basically told the public what they wanted to hear even if it wasn't true; for example, they once reported that Saddam Hussein allowed a Kurd on his very private military base even though he had strong opposing views about Kurds. Fox News did the same and presented these stories in the most patriotic way because after 9/11, patriotism is what consumers wanted. It was the Knight Ridder sources that really investigated the war and told the public the truth, something they desperatley needed to hear.

Online Assignment #2

2012-03-01T03:30:00.000-06:00

Robert Welch

J201, Section 314

Online Assignment #2:Buying the War

February 29, 2012

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

The documentary showed that the journalistic community didnot live up to its responsibility to present the facts, but it was not alwaystheir fault. Reporters were made to feelas though they were anit American if they reported anything that remotely madethe US appear to be the ‘bad guy’. Topcolumnists, writers and reporters took the side of the administration eventhough they knew that all of the facts did not add up.

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

The journalists failed by not giving the public thetruth. It is understandable that thejournalists wanted to keep their jobs so they wrote pro-war articles. The journalists let the white house sell warto the public without inputting their true opinion and informing the public ofwhat was going on.

3) What kinds of pressures did news organizations face?

New organizations faced pressure from many sources; thegovernment, the readers and other competing new organizations. The government made it so that the presidentwas prepped with answers to questions he received during pressconferences. Readers were extra criticalto new that portrayed America in a bad light. Everyone was still saddened by the 9-11 tragedy and any negative newswould only spark uproar amongst the public.

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

The one news outlet that actuallylived up to it’s journalistic duty was the investigative reporters of theKnight Ridder news organization. Thedocumentary showed that while others blindly believed what was being sad aboutthe dictator Saddam Hussein, the journalists for Knight Ridder dug deeper andfound that these stories had no evidence to back their claims up.

Online Assignment 2

2012-02-29T22:36:00.002-06:00

1. The journalistic community succeeded in presenting factsregarding the 9/11 attacks, but failed to do so accurately. It seems as thoughJournalists were eager to present their knowledge quickly, and, as a result,miscommunicated some of the facts. Many of them did not have reliable sourcesand did not further investigate their claims.

2. Many journalists failed to support their “facts” andpresent proper evidence. For example, the Bush Administration publicallyconnected the 9/11 attacks and Saddam Hussein to Al Qaeda without realevidence. Also, the media felt a lot of pressure to produce facts, and producethem quickly, nonetheless.

3. I believe that the media received pressure from thepublic and the government. Many journalists were worried about what the publicwas thinking and what was appropriate to publish. At a time like 9/11, being onthe verge of a war, the media felt pressure to please both the government andthe public. They were worried about being perceived as “un-American.”

4. Media outlets with different political stances coveredthe news differently, as well as outlets seeking maximum profits. However, mostmajor news sources, such as the New York Times, supported the war on terror.Many conservative sources accused others of being un-American. Liberal sourcesfocused less on the war and more on the public good.

Online Assignment Two

2012-02-29T19:00:00.001-06:00

1. I think that much of the journalistic community failed to deliver the true "facts" to the general public. Some companies such as Knight Ridder's papers or the Middle East correspondents did deliver facts to the public and performed their jobs correctly. They didn't cater to the extreme nationalism that was sweeping the country and instead went beyond the stories being reported to find out if what the country was planning was justified. Their investigative reporters followed many leads and tried to determine whether they was credible evidence being presented. They also used only reliable sources so that their stories would have integrity. However, these outlets were the exception to the rule, almost every other publication presented stories without reliable sources and used their voice as propaganda to fuel the fires of war.

2. I think many of the publications that failed to properly present facts failed because they were blinded by patriotism and they also feared alienating the public. Many correspondents probably felt similar to Dan Rather when he went on David Letterman and said the president simply needs to tell him where to line up. There was also government pressure to produce news stories that would support their hope to go to war. The government offered David Challaby as a credible Iraqi dissident who could provide reliable information but in actuality the reporters didn't realize he was the one feeding the government information and so when fact-checking all stories really led back to one unreliable source. Outlets also feared deviating from the norm that other papers were adhering to because they feared backlash.

3. There was governmental, public and economic pressure for every news outlet. They all were hoping to break the newest story about Iraq and so many stories were published without substantiated evidence or sources such as the Vanity Fair article or the New York Times article that Iraq was trying to gain more weapons of mass destruction. The government also put pressure on journalists because they were deeply opposed to any dissident voices and needed the press to help them gain the ability to go to war in Iraq. The public also provided pressure because they were extremely opposed to any articles that weren't patriotic and several newspapers refused to show civilian casualties just to avoid backlash from their readership.

4. The Knight Ridder outlets decided to really examine every part of the story and not simply beat the drum for war in Iraq. They also used much more reliable sources and acted with more professionalism. On the other hand papers such as Weekly Standard were continuously supporting War in Iraq and many other outlets joined them such as Fox News and many others. The NY Times printed many stories that weren't always reliable and instead supported what the government was reporting. One of the reasons that Knight Ridder may have deviated from the pack is that they didn't have any news outlets in the Washington D.C. or New York area. The publications that were important there probably felt much more pressure to fall in line with the government's view of going to war. The main difference between Knight Ridder and the many other outlets that covered the issue is that Knight Ridder presented the true facts and used reliable sources. The other papers bought into the wave of patriotism and were blinded by their hope to help the country go to war; as a result they reported falsified stories and didn't perform their duties as journalists.

Online Assignment 2

2012-02-27T16:11:00.001-06:00

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

Incomparison to the mass quantities of available media during this time, it seemsto me as if the responsible journalists were in short supply. Majority of news was indirect propaganda fromthe White House, ultimately “selling war” to our country to promote acceptanceof a potentially wrong invasion of Iraq. However, unlike the New York Times and many members of the White Houseon live news, some journalists remained skeptical and sought out thetruth. Bob Simon and other responsiblejournalists that spoke in this film gave our country a take on the chaoticcoverage in which they tracked down each source personally. These reporters did not settle with the storiescoming from vague, if any, sources (mainly the White House) that didn’t makesense. This small portion of thejournalistic community, at least, presented the cold hard facts.

2) Where theyfailed, why did they do so?

AsI stated previously, many reporters and journalists were not concerned with thepeople they were selling these stories to, but the government that were feedingthese stories to them. In the beginningof the film, reporters raised their hand, pretending like they had a chance ofbeing called on by G.W. Bush during his press conference, when in fact they allknew that the questions asked were scripted. This is a simple and tangible example we can see with our own eyeshappening on live TV in front of us. Many of the things that were supposedly linked to Iraq didn’t makesense, but this didn’t stop a massive amount of journalists from reportingthem. All in all, if journalists areeasily convinced, they are not good journalists.

3) What kinds ofpressures did news organizations face?

Newsorganizations faced pressure from advertisers and the government itself. Indirectly, advertisers would remind reportersthat 9/11 and what’s going on in Iraq should be known to the public; yet, ifthis kind of medium was too graphic, advertisers would call organizations“un-American”. The goal was to notoffend anyone, especially our country, yet keep them explicitly informed. The government and the press were called‘inseparable’ in the film. For example, somehow the leaked stories from theWhite House ironically showed up in the NY Times the same morning that the VPwas supposed to talk on live television, including subjects that the VP wouldnot be allowed to discuss if they hadn’t been in the news pre-interview.

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

When deciphering thedifferent kinds of news outlets, you could mean live television versus print onnewspapers, or outlets that seek the truth versus those who only seek tomaximize profit. A big organization likethe New York Times was a greatly influential newspaper during this time andstill is in the present. In the film, wesee that NY Times teamed up with PBS for a certain story, thus, incorporatinglive TV with print. It was also saidthat morning stories in the NY Times paper would often show up in the nightlynews. While the Times was one of thenewspapers followed during this period of time, CNN was watched and had adifferent take on things. CNN was called‘vaguely liberal’ in the film, and more anti-government than FOX or other newschannels. I think the questioningstories written by the skeptical journalists would have been more likely toshow up here than other places similar to the NY Times.

Research Report: "Wounded But Not Slain"

2012-02-14T20:29:00.000-06:00

“‘Wounded But Not Slain’: The Orderly Retreat of the American Newspaper 1945-2000” is James L. Baughman’s contribution to The History of the Book in America, vol. 5, published in 2009. Although this piece is only one chapter in a collection of histories of print in America, it chronicles the struggles and changes facing one of the most threatened of printed media today, the newspaper. This chapter highlights the changes in newspaper consumption from the 1940‘s, where newspapers were routine and ubiquitous, to modern newspaper’s steady decline. Baughman cites new rules and new technologies as being responsible for the decline in newspaper consumption since WWII. The internet is the newspaper’s biggest competitor today, according to the article. With more easily accessible news media being produced, print news threatens to be wiped off the radar.

James L. Baughman should be a name we all recognize, as he has been on the UW faculty since 1979 and was the director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication from 2003 to 2009. In 2003 he even earned the UW Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching award. Baughman was an undergrad at Harvard and earned his Ph.D. in history from Columbia University. As an academic and a respected scholar, James L. Baughman is a source to trust on issues pertaining to mass media. His experiences and life achievements have granted him the title of expert on the history of media. After studying and teaching the history of media, Baughman authored four books and is currently writing another dealing with the history of American political journalism after 1960.

This article is one contribution of 33 authors in The History of the Book in America, vol. 5, which is the final book in a series which explores the history, evolution and current condition of print media in America. Every author featured is an expert in the field they discuss. It was difficult to find many reader reviews but every editorial review of the book had nothing but high praise and overall extremely positive reviews. Many compliment the book’s scholarliness and compelling insight. Being a compilation of professional opinions, this book has definite credibility and a range of information and ideas. The Journal of Scholarly Publishing claimed it is "A model of scholarly publication and institutional cooperation. . . . A timely achievement and a great one.”

‘Wounded But Not Slain’ is a scholarly and professionally written document which can be trusted as a credible source on the history of media. The book in which it was published is scholarly enough to alone establish its validity, not to mention the authors expertise and authoritative knowledge on the subject of print media. This article provides valuable information on the history and evolution of newspapers, and it is an article in which we should trust and learn from.

2012-02-14T18:14:00.002-06:00

Media that Stir Emotions - Discussion Questions

Emily Quandt

1. The reading taught us about the effects that media can haveon people’s emotions. Have you ever noticed certain media (movies, TV, books) having a long-term effect on yourself? What kind of emotions did you feel?How long did it they last? Or, do you disagree that media can have such drasticeffects on people? Do you think that different types of media (movies, TV shows, books) have different types ofeffects on moods or emotions?

2. Do you agree that there is a correlation between mood andtypes of media consumed? Can media be used to alter one’s own mood? Have youdone so, perhaps unintentionally? Have you ever deliberately used media toalter your mood?

3. Dolf Zillmann suggests that new technology may be disruptingand/or confusing the human tendency to express emotions. Do you agree/disagree?What do you think Zillmann means when he writes that empathetic reactions areoften “deprived of their inherent intensity, while other reactions areartificially intensified?” What makes it artificial?

4. In lecture this week, Professor Wells discussedidentification with characters, while the reading uses the Olympics as an exampleof empathy. Would you agree that fiction has the same ability to cause empathy?If you know something is “not real,” like parents tell their children, do youstill empathize with the characters to the same extent of watching your teamplay in the Olympics?

Discussion Questions - Wounded but Not Slain (Baughman)

2012-02-14T17:46:00.000-06:00

Discussion Questions for Wounded but Not Slain (Baughman)

In"Wounded but Not Slain", James Baughman details the gradual declineof the American newspaper as well as the many changes and iterations theindustry has gone through to survive the onslaught of new media. Fewer andfewer citizens subscribed to the daily newspaper and as a result competitionbetween city newspapers vanished, papers sought capital instead ofprize-winning journalism and minority newspapers dwindled away. The gradualevolution from smoke-laden offices to the professional atmosphere of the 1970'sand finally the digital age where newspapers are all searching for the bestrevenue stream online all demonstrate that the American newspaper is not yetdown for the count.

1. Magazines and specific channels such as ESPN arereferenced as serving a niche market in the past while print journalism wasstill fairly popular. Print has definitely declined, but has it dwindled enoughto only be considered as serving a niche market nowadays?

2. Minority newspapers such as the Chicago Defender have allbut disappeared from print, do you believe the internet and digital media offera viable chance for minority newspapers and other smaller news outlets tosucceed?

3. A main theme of this piece is newspapers constantlyfacing a new threat whether it was television or the internet. What were someof the changes newspapers made to adapt to the changing market and whatalterations would you make to help keep modern newspapers afloat?

4. Baughman also references newspapers shifting focus toanalytical writing as opposed to fact-based reporting. Have newspapers nowadaysplaced too much emphasis on the analysis of news stories instead of presentingthe straight facts?

5. The newspaper industry is portrayed as if it mustsacrifice well done journalism, the style Knight Ridder stressed, forcommercialization. Companies goal is to focuson the economics of the industryinstead of the quality of the paper. Is it still possible to present thePulitzer-prize worthy articles Ridder sought and have a viable money makingpublication?

Research Repot: "Media that Stir Emotions"

2012-02-14T17:21:00.004-06:00

Research Repot: "Media that Stir Emotions"

Sam Zwick

Glen Sparks is a professor of communicationsat Perdue University, a position he took up in 1986 following a three-yearappointment at Cleveland State University. Sparks also serves as the Associate Head of The Brian LambSchool of Communication at Perdue. He received his bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College in 1975, his mastersfrom Northern Illinois University in 1976 and his doctoral degree from theUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison in 1983. Sparks has written and co-written a number of books about the emotionaland cognitive effects of media, particularly frightening and violent forms oftelevision and film.

In this chapter, “Media that StirEmotions”, from his book, Media EffectsResearch: A Basic Overview, Sparks analyzes the relationship between fear-inducingmedia and it’s effects on different demographics of viewers. Sparks begins the chapter by makingreference to a particular episode of The Twilight Zone, that left such an impression of fear upon him as a 6 year oldchild, that he believes it to be part of the reason he came to study theeffects of frightening media on children. Sparks joined a research study headed by Professor Joanne Cantor atMadison in the late 1970s that focused on the different themes that cause fearin young children (ages 2 to 7), older children (ages 7 and up), andadults.

The study revealed that the way inwhich different age groups understand and perceive reality greatly affects thethemes that cause them fear. Theyounger children studied were generally frightened by images that lookedfrightening despite how realistic or conceivable in real life they may be. This inability to concentrate on theplausible events depicted as those that are frightening changed as the studyobserved older children and adults. Things like monsters no longer induced fear, but were replaced byreal-life scenarios like explosions and natural disasters in the olderchildren, while paranormal images and scenarios caused the most fear in adults.

Though Sparks does not do so in thechapter, it is easy to relate the data collected through his research to hisown experience as a 6 year old. Sparks recalls being so frightened by the a Twilight Zone episode that depicts manikins that came to life in adepartment store after hours, that he himself refused to enter a departmentstore for some time. At age 6,Sparks was just beginning to reach the age where he feared the manikins notonly for their unnatural and fake look, like the younger children in the study,but also because he felt there was a possibility, however unlikely, that theevents depicted in the show could happen to him.

While this study was conducted inthe late 1970s and early 1980s, it retains its relevance as it did not focus ona type of media that has changed drastically in the last 30 years, butsomething that has stayed relatively consistent, as the methods behind creatingfrightening television and films have. The emotional responses of children today may be slightly different aschildren become exposed to violence earlier and more often in their lives, butthe way’s in which children and adults alike process fear remain constant.

Discussion Questions: "The Creation of the Media" (Starr)

2012-02-08T15:50:00.002-06:00

The advent and astronomical rise of the media in theUnited States was instrumental in welcoming a new era of communication amongcitizens, among military personnel, and among nations. Since the advent of themedia, the media have become a commercial success and a powerful force to bereckoned with, permeating through both public and private aspects of citizens’lives.

1. “Themedia had also become a phenomenon of power in another sense. Their reachthrough space and time was far greater than ever before. They had fulfilled thedemocratic hope of universal access so well that they were developing into anearly ubiquitous aspect of daily experience.”

As the media plays such a large role in our lives, is our immersion in massmedia more damaging than beneficial?

2. “Commerce both distorts and enlarges thepublic sphere; the incentive to attract more readers, listeners, or viewerssometimes produces reckless sensationalism and sometimes engages new groups inpublic debate.” With so many sources of news, from CNN to MSNBC to Fox News toPerezHilton, how do we know we know which one to trust? Why do we need so manydifferent sources? How trustworthy is the media?

3. Lippmann asserted that “there can be no higherlaw in journalism than to tell the truth and shame the devil” and thatreporters should be more “objective”. Is there such thing as completeobjectivity, and if so, would there still be a need for multiple news sourcesto exist?

4. Withthe two-step flow, opinion leaders pay close attention to public affairs andthen talk with others in the community. Is the two-step flow a good thing, ordoes the addition of another middle man keep people further from the truth?

5. “Newspapersroutinely put their liberty into practice by vilifying public officials.” Arethere any subjects or people that should be off-limits to the press or media?

Discussion Questions: "The Unbeautiful Game" (Gopnik)

2012-02-08T03:16:00.002-06:00

“The Unbeautiful Game”, written by Adam Gopnik, was published in 2007 in The New Yorker. In it, Gopnik discusses reasons for the popularity of football, as well as its effects on the press. He points out that the game is different from every point of view: what analysts see is not the same as what someone watching from home might see, and even simply based on where you might be standing. Gopnik wrote about how football has become and ‘unbeautiful’ game, “because it isn’t fun”. This is represented in a number of books that have been published about the game, and Gopnik explains that a significant part of the reason stems from issues related to money. He also talks about how pro football resists statistical analysis, partly because, since each player has a part in the way a play unfolds, it is difficult to figure out who deserves blame or credit. Gopnik brings to light many facets of the game that are not generally a part of a spectator’s thoughts, but in order to understand it completely, these things must be taken into consideration.

1.) What are Gopnik’s reasons for writing that “pro football… has traditionally resisted statistical analysis”?

2.) In Wisconsin, being a fan of the Packers is a big deal. In Madison, being a fan of the Badgers is a big deal. What makes football so important (or unimportant) to you, personally? Would you agree or disagree with Gopnik’s assessment of the reasons for widespread interest in football?

3.) So many people quote baseball as being ‘America’s Favorite Pastime’, but what makes football so widely popular? What about it appeals to so many different varieties of people?

4.) Gopnik points out the attitude that has been instilled in football players by the league, their entourage and agents. What does this mean for the press?

5.) How has the press influenced football, and how has football influenced the press?

6.) Money plays a significant role in the way football is structured and represented. Is this role positive or negative in the view of the American majority, and why? Are they right?

Research Report "The Unbeautiful Game"

2012-02-07T23:51:00.002-06:00

Adam Gopnik is an accomplishedwriter who was born in Philadelphia but raised in Canada. He attended McGillUniversity in Montreal, and now lives and writes in New York. He is a staffwriter at The New Yorker and has beenthere since 1986. He is also very well known for his journals written whileliving in France, his many novels, and his awards in journalism including threeNational Magazine Awards for Essay and Criticism, and a George Polk Award formagazine reporting.

Gopnik has covered an array of topicswhile working at The New Yorker,which fall under almost every major section of the magazine itself. Establishedin 1925, The New Yorker was a weeklymagazine (now only publishing forty-seven copies a year) known for its wittyand sometimes satirical writers and articles covering reportage, commentary,criticism, essays, fiction, cartoons, and even poetry. Through wit and welldeveloped thought, Gopnik comments on modern culture ranging from the arts tosports as in the case of “The Unbeautiful Game.” The New Yorker is eclectic for the most part. It would make sensethat Gopnik would be a staff writer for such a magazine for this very reason.Because his primary interest lies in commenting on modern society and culture,Gopnik successfully portrays the ideas and styles of The New Yorker by remaining sophisticated yet relatable,open-minded yet certain of his own ideas, and most importantly modern andrelevant.

In this specific article, “TheUnbeautiful Game,” Gopnik comments on the different ways in which the sport offootball can be viewed, how the sport has changed over the years, and how themedia has changed the game. While the analysis given about the sport offootball itself is accurate and interesting, the main points of the article aresomething deeper than the sport of football itself. The main argument Gopnikpresents to the audience is simple: football has become an “unbeautiful” game.Gopnik recounts through many examples that through television, statisticalanalysis, and books written on the game itself, football is seen through a newand systematic window. The audience isn’t getting the full “story” of a game,rather have turned it something into completely different. Viewing a game inperson is different from the “reality television”—as Gopnik calls it—of watchinga game on television. Purely a team sport, through statistical analysis andmedia focus on the quarterback has consequently given viewers a way to blame aloss or credit a win to a certain player. Something that Gopnik thinks makesthe game “unbeautiful.” While the gimics—uniforms, commercials, and rooting for“the hero of the game”—seem to keep the viewers watching, Gopnik believes thatlike so many things in life, football has different values and is a differentgame than it used to be.

The argument is believable theauthor is credible for simple reasons. For one, The New Yorker published the article and encourages personalopinions based on substantial evidence. Being the experienced and professionalwriter that he is, Gopnik successfully gives the readers extensive analysis ofselect writers, books, NFL managers, and professional football players tosupport claims. Through clear prose and necessary detail, even those notinterested in football can easily see Gopnik’s argument as a compelling, smart,and thought provoking one.

Research Report

2012-02-07T19:25:00.000-06:00

Research Report: The Creation of Media: Political Origins ofModern Communication by Paul Starr

As the new medium, television began to form this lead todifferent firms competing over the architecture and layout of its content. After WW II, television extended into theAmerican society but there was struggle between the coexistence of radio andvideo broadcast. Media led toconstellation of power. Thisconstellation consisted of large organizations dominating communication inprint, film, and by word of mouth. Inthe nineteenth century, newspapers became dependent on advertising, editors,and publishers. Later on the typicalAmerican reader was considered a consumer instead of a polity of a politicalparty. Charles Merz Lippmann argues that a crisis within the Americandemocratic society was its crisis in journalism.

Paul Starr is Columbia University graduate and holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University. He was born May 12, 1949. At Princeton, Starr holds the Stuart chair inCommunications and Public Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School. In 1984, Starr won the Pulitzer Prize forGeneral Non-Fiction. His most bookcalled, The creation of the Media:Political Origins of Modern Communication recently received the Goldsmithbook prize in 2005.

The power of modern media is a result of the threerealities, primacy of the nation-state, liberal constitutionalism, andexpansion of the reading public. InEurope, communication was used to concentrate their power. Postal services used monopolies to build taxrevenues. Liberal constitutionalismcalled for limitations on the state and doing that allows the press to consumea larger roles in regards to public accountability. The Revolutionary period inAmerica which initiates with resistance of the Stamp Act produced a convergenceof printers and patriots to stand up and fight for the freedom of press. Government prevented any party frommonopolizing subsides in order to consolidate press power. The government adapted a system of checks andbalances to ensure decentralization.

A study by Paul Lazarsfeld, Benrnard Berelson, and HazelGaudet was done in order to learn how Ohio county residents would vote. The study results showed that a small portionof the people changed their minds because of anything that was heard or read inthe media. Majority of the populous waspersuaded through social relationships and person influence. Most of the information came from a studycalled, “two-step flow”. Media had aboundary on the effects in which change ones opinion. Secondly, media had reinforcing effects uponthe public.

The information used throughout the book was taken fromseveral different sources. Paul A. David’scontribution to a book called, “Historical Economics in the long run.” His contributiongave some of the information about work concerning law and constitutions, socialconstruction of technology, network externalities, and path dependence. He wrote in the American Economic Review,Papers and Proceedings and there was information about the technologicalimprovement of the QWERTY keyboard.

The publisher called New York: Basic Books decidedthat the book could describe the importance of technological architecture. By publishing the article it created the argumentthat “architecture is politics” does not apply to modern technologies.

Research Report: Michael Schudson and " The Age of Egalitarianism: The Penny Press"

2012-02-01T09:19:00.000-06:00

American newspapers have undergone an immense transformation since the early 1800s when the first “real” news was produced. At this time, “six cent” papers, local news about which goods were coming into town, could by purchased. However, in 1833, the first penny paper was created to make the news more affordable for its consumers. The penny paper would try to incorporate all types of advertisements without any political bias. In his article “The Age of Egalitarianism: The Penny Press”, Michael Schudson, an American academic sociologist, goes into great detail about this history and apparent change in the distribution of news.

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Schudson began his collegiate career at Swarthmore College where he obtained his undergraduate degree. He, then, received his doctorate in sociology from Harvard University. Subsequently, Schudson spent time teaching in universities across the country. In 1976, he was an assistant professor at the University of Chicago and from 1980 until 2009 he continued his career at the University of California-San Diego as a Professor of Communication and Adjunct Professor of Sociology. Currently, Schudson at sixty five years of age teaches at the Journalism School at Columbia University. During his nearly forty year career, Michael Schudon has written and published six books pertaining to the history of American news media and its representation in our society.

“The Age of Egalitarianism: The Penny Press” is a chapter in the book Discovering the News: A Social History of American Newspapers and was published in 1978. The novel, both instructive and entertaining, shows us how American newspapers have become democratized through the idea of impartial and objective news since the 19th century. Schudson analyzes the vastly different reportorial styles throughout our history as well as this idea of objectivity. Schudson also uses a variety of quotes from great historical figures, many of which were involved with major newspapers at the time, in order to support his claims.

Reviews by the readers of the book are, for the most part, fairly positive. However, considering the book was written in 1978, there were some concerns on whether or not the book would be updated. In this update, people also wanted the “internet” age to come into the conversation and the way in which it has affected how we deliver and obtain the news. Michael Schudson is regarded as being a respected figure in the journalism and sociology community with a boundless repertoire of knowledge on American news media. Schudson showed us the impact the penny press had on society but these changes were needed in order for journalism to progress. Many believe the penny press helped us as a country to become more democratic in our thinking and what we write but many also believe this transformation was inescapable because we would have encountered democracy no matter what.

The Economist: Research Report

2012-02-01T00:09:00.003-06:00

The Economist: Research Report

Theauthor of our class reading “How Luther Went Viral” is Tom Standage a journalist and author from England. A graduate of OxfordUniversity, Standage has worked as a science and technology writerfor The Guardian,has been published in Wired,The New YorkTimes, and The DailyTelegraph, and has published five books, including The VictorianInternet. The Victorian Internet explores thehistorical development of the telegraph and the social ramifications associatedwith this development. Tom Standage also proposes that if Victorians from the19th century were to be around today, they would be far from impressed withpresent Internetcapabilities. This is because thedevelopment of the telegraph essentially mirrored the development of theInternet. (1) Tom Standage waspreviously the business affairs editor at TheEconomist and currently holds the title of digital editor. (2)

Standage’s article “How Luther WentViral” appeared in The Economist’smost recent Christmas issue and is the most recent article featured in ourJournalism 201 e-reader. The Economist is a trustworthy sourcethat had an average circulation of 1.6 million copies per issue in 2009. TheEconomist has a very devoted following according to The New York Review ofMagazines. (3) In an era where the vast majority of the news is free The Economist still thrives as aprevalent news publication,

InTom Standage’s studio interview on TheEconomist website discusses the similarities between the way news spread500 years and how it spreads today. Themain forms of new travel were through Luther’s pamphlets, woodcuts and ballads. Luther’s first pamphlet was not arranged tobe printed, but ended up being copied in 3 towns and reprinted in German. Word of Luther’s pamphlet’s spread and by thetime his second work came out Luther expected a large response. Standage compares today’s mash-ups musicwhere artists mix different genres of music to Luther’s news ballads about thetwo monks who were burned at the stake in Brussels. Just like in today’s society Luther’s workwent viral by sharing between people. Inthe 16^th century Luther’s message was re-shared and re-printedmultiple times in different towns

The comment reactions on thewebpage surrounding this article are very welcoming one commenter even calledit Standage’s article “inspiring”. Otherthan these comments directly linked to the article homepage I found no otherresponses to this article.

You can followTom Standage on Twitter @tomstandage

1.Wikipedia. "Tom Standage." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia .N.p., 21 Dec.

2011.Web. 31 Jan. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Standage>.

2. TheEconomist. "Mr Tom Standage." The Economist . N.p., n.d. Web.31 Jan. 2012.

<http://www.economist.com/mediadirectory/tom-standage>.

3.Gottipati, Sruthi. "The New York Review of Magazines." Rev. of TheEconomist .

TheNew York Review of Magazines. N.p., 12 May 2010. Web. 31 Jan. 2012.

<http://nyrm.org/2010/05/12/how-does-the-economist-do-it/>.

Online Assignment 1

2012-01-31T22:28:00.001-06:00

Name and Hometown: Alana Woolley, Bloomington Minnesota

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you really admire now?: My dream job would be to write for movies and television on networks like NBC. Tina Fey is an amazing comedy writer and definitely one of my idols.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are your main sources?: I get a lot of my information from social networking sites but I also try to consume news on a more professional level. I often read CNN online and when I’m at home I try to read the newspaper daily.

What kind of music do you like?: I like a variety of music but I really love acoustic and alternative music. Some favorite artists of mine are The Bens (Kweller, Folds and Lee), Elliot Smith, Dave Matthews and Ben Harper.

Favorite online video?: Single Ladies Gone Wrong

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or find yourself using)?: Not that Billy Madison is recent by any means, but it is my favorite movie and I quote it all the time. A few gems are “don’t tell me my business, devil woman,” “I thought I was your snack pack?” “‘sorry’ doesn’t put the triscuit crackers in my stomach now, does it Carl?” and “YOU BLEW IT!”

Discussion Questions for Economist Reading

2012-01-31T20:33:00.000-06:00

Overview

The Economist evaluates Martin Luther's use of the media of his time and compares it to the use of modern technology during the Arab Spring. He compares both campaigns and the importance of new types of technology in their attempt to challenge corrupt institutions. Specifically, the author applauds Luther for his use of pamphlets and various types of media that was somewhat unfamiliar at the time, claiming that this was essential to the reformation. Through this comparison of these events, the author questions whether the technology of today really makes for a more advanced revolution.

Discussion Questions

1. In what ways does the author believe that the Arab Spring and Martin Luther's reformation are similar? How are they different?

2. How did the newly developed printing press prove to be beneficial to Martin Luther?

3. Who had the ability to express opinions on Luther's ideas? Who has the ability to express their opinions today and how do they do this?

4. What other types of media proved useful for Luther? Do you believe using more than one kind of medium helped the reformation?

5. In your opinion, was the Arab Spring or the reformation more successful in utilizing new technology to challenge a corrupt system?

6. In the last paragraph, the author says "Modern society tends to regard itself as somehow better than previous ones, and technological advance reinforces that sense of superiority. But history shows us there is nothing new under the sun." Do you agree with this assumption that our generation is no more advanced than Luther's generation?

2012-01-31T19:31:00.003-06:00

Name and Hometown: My name is Sam Zwick and I'm from Plymouth, Wisconsin which is right between Green Bay and Milwaukee just off the lake.

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you really admire now? I would really like to work for ESPN as a broadcast journalist. I really like the writing style of Rick Reilly and the smoothness of the on-air deliveries of Stewart Scott and Chris Berman.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are your main sources? I consume a lot of sports news via ESPN, but I also have Yahoo! as my homepage an there I read a lot of articles ranging from entertainment to world news.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear in lecture.) I'm a country boy through and through. I listen to a lot of Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood and Eric Church. It's just fun, relaxing music.

Favorite online video (link to it): I don't have a favorite clip I can think of but I do check IWasteSoMuchTime pretty frequently and I save some of the images or graphics that make me laugh to my desktop for a quick laugh on a rainy day.

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or find yourself using)? I don't use many pop culture references (at least I don't think I do), however, I am really bad about using perfect punctuation while texting but, then using words phrases like"gonna" or "What'ch ya" which tend to sort of cancel out the punctuation thing.

2012-01-31T17:33:00.000-06:00

Name and Hometown: My name is Adam Paris, I'm from Belleville, Wisconsin which is about 25 miles south of Madison.

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you really admire now? I hope to one day write for GameInformer magazine or any other game journalism outlet. There aren't many specific writers I admire write now that are in the industry, but there are many who I enjoy reading.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are your main sources? Yes, but mainly through sites like ESPN or Gameinformer.com. I check sports news sometimes on the Wisconsin State Journal's webpage and if I'm back at my house I'll read the print edition most every day.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear in lecture.) I listen to a lot of soundtracks especially while doing homework, but other than that I enjoy Death Cab for Cutie, Gayngs and John Statz.

Favorite online video (link to it): Salem from Sabrina Explodes

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or find yourself using)? I don't use too many pop culture expressions, the only ones I really use are sick to describe something awesome or whaddurp.

2012-01-31T17:13:00.001-06:00

Name and hometown: My name is Tanner Blaschkaand I am from Wausau, WI, which is basically right in the middle of the state.

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you reallyadmire now? I plan to someday become a marketing manager or coordinatorfor a reputable outdoors firm or sports team. I do not know any specific person with that job title, but someone inthe business field that I admire is my uncle, who is the Chief ExecutiveOfficer Overseas (CEOO) of a Madison based company.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are your mainsources? I do consume news, though probably not as much as I should. My main sources of news come from ESPN, thehomepage of Yahoo.com, and Facebook.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear inlecture.) Though I enjoy almost all kinds of music, my favorite isdefinitely country music. Zac BrownBand, Kenny Chesney, and Tim McGraw are some of my favorites, as well as myfuture wife, Carrie Underwood.

Favorite online video (link to it): NeatureWalk-Episode 1

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or findyourself using)? I find myself using a lot of funny movie quotes fromclassics like Anchorman, Dodgeball, Tropic Thunder, etc. It never hurts to throw in an intelligentJersey Shore quote here and there either.

Online Assignment

2012-01-31T16:17:00.000-06:00

Name and hometown: My name is Emily Quandt and I am originally from the St. Paul area (but on the WI side of the river) but I have lived in Madison for almost ten years now.

Possibile future job? My dream job is to be a photojournalist because I am obsessed with traveling and love photography. Realistically, though, I'm thinking about either a job in Anthropology or Journalism. I'm leaning towards anthropology because I'm very interested in other cultures and I would love to study/photograph them. I really admire Smithsonian and National Geographic because of their amazing cultural studies (and photos, of course!)

News sources: I usually consume news by word of mouth - I hear important things from my sister (who is extremely political) and my friends. I'm usually not one to sit down and read a newspaper. I do periodically read online news articles, though. Also, Facebook and Twitter do an excellent job of keeping me in the loop with important things!

Kind of music I enjoy: I like indie music - indie rock, indie pop, etc. I also like classic rock. Really, the only kind of music that I will not listen to is pop-country.

Favorite online video: Boys Will Be Girls. There is also an episode where the girls act like boys, but it's not nearly as funny. There is also a sequel here.

Popculture expression: I tend to hash-tag things in real life. #TakingTwitterTooFar

Discussion Questions for Schudson’s Reading

2012-01-31T15:29:00.001-06:00

Overview

In Schudson’s reading, he illustrates theways in which American journalism was revolutionized in the early to mid1800s. Specifically, he describesthe rise of the penny press to convey the transformation of newspapers at thistime. Through explaining how thepenny papers laid the foundation for modern American journalism, Schudsondiscusses both the possible causes and the effects of this revolution in thepress. He explores the argumentsthat technology, literacy, the natural progression of history, and thedemocratization of politics and news all played significant roles in the riseof the penny press.

Discussion Questions

1. In what way did American journalism change inthe 1830s according to Schudson? How did emphasis on certain topics in the newspapersshift?

2. What specific aspects of the pennypress made it so successful and revolutionary?

3. What arguments does Schudson introduce aspossible explanations for the rise of the penny press? Which one(s) seem most plausible to you and why?

My 1st Online Assignment

2012-01-30T23:57:00.002-06:00

Name and hometown: Darius White and Beloit, WI

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you reallyadmire now? In the future, there are there a few different fields thatinterest me such as, business management, entrepreneurship, risk management, orperhaps actuarial science. There is nosingle individual in my field of study in which I admire because I am in theprocess of deciding which business major to pursue.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are your mainsources? I consume small pieces ofnews in random intervals. Yes, of course, I mostly stay informed by FOXnews and by use of the google.com search engine. One of the main reasons that I end upwatching FOX is because that it happens to be the main channel showingthroughout the day at my workplace. Secondly, I frequently find myself engaging in social networking such asFacebook.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear inlecture.) My favorite kind of musicincludes hip-hop and r&b. I do nothave a favorite artist although I have a repertoire of artists that I encountermyself listening to repeatedly. Lately, Ihave constantly listened to the hip-hop artist Drake.

Favorite online video (link to it): Drake-Headlines.

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or findyourself using)? I find myself saying the words, ‘nice watch’because it reminds me of a song that I enjoy by J. Cole. I find that I tend to blurt those words atrandom moments of excitement or success throughout events. The title of this recorded track is called Mr.Nice Watch.

Online Assignment 1

2012-01-30T22:58:00.001-06:00

Name and Hometown: Isabel Harner from Arlington, Virginia

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you really admire now? My dream jobs have always been a magazine editor or event planner. I actually have no idea what goes into being an event planner, I just think it looks really fun, so magazine editor might be more realistic.

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

My main sources of news are Twitter, Facebook, and online newspapers.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear in lecture.)

My taste in music is always changing and goes through phases but the artists I could listen to over and over are Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Drake and Sara Barielles.

Favorite online video (link to it):

The "Shit Girls Say" videos.

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

Abreviations. Aka Abrev’s, they might be totes annoying but are definitely easier to type and say.

2012-01-30T22:39:00.000-06:00

Name and hometown: Eric Mikuski, Las Vegas, NV

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you really admire now? I am considering a career as an editor, publisher, or journalist.

Do you consume “news”? If you do, what are your mainsources? My main source of "news" comes from Yahoo news.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear inlecture.) I listen to primarily R&B, pop, rap, and some alternative stuff. Huge fan of 90s music.

Favorite online video (link to it): Anything with Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on SNL. Here's one video:
SNL-Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton

What recent pop culture expression do you love (or findyourself using)? I don't really use any.

First Assignment

2012-01-30T19:25:00.000-06:00

Cameron Kalmon, Racine WI

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

I am looking at a possible career in advertising right now but that is subject to possible change.

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

Yes, I consume the news from online sources and from the occasional newspaper picked up here and there.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear in lecture.)

I love alternative rock, pop punk, punk, hardcore, and punk core. I love Blink-182, because even though some songs or bands come in fads but I always can listen to blink. Music is so important and influential to me that I've considered a career in the music industry many times.

Favorite online video (link to it):

Blink-182 First Date music video

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

"ripped"- when one party retaliates with a much better insult or improves a point, the second party is then ripped.

Online Assignment

2012-01-30T18:58:00.001-06:00

Name and Hometown: Austin Marg from Black River Falls, WI

Possible Future Job? Anyone in that job that you really admire now?: I'm hoping to have a career in Public Relations or Advertising at this point in time and I don't really have anyone that inspires me in those fields.

Do you consume "news"? If you do, what are your main sources: I consume news on the computer. I predominately use the websites Twitter, Politico, the New York Times, and ESPN to learn about things that interest me.

What kind of music do you like?: I like all kinds of music but I especially love Bob Marley.

Favorite online video: The Worst Hurdle Race Ever. If I ever have a bad day, this does the trick.
What recent pop culture expression do you love?: I don't really think I have an expression that I really like, but I do hate abbreviations of simple words, like "probs" and "totes." Just say the whole word…it's not a difficult concept.

Online Assignment #1

2012-01-30T17:21:00.000-06:00

Name and hometown: Chloe K. Washington D.C.

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

As of now, I want to work in marketing. Someone I admire that is in this field is my sister, who is a marketing coordinator for Equinox Fitness Clubs. I'm really interested in the type of work she does.

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

I definitely don't consume news as much as I should. When I do, it is usually through social networking sites. I often use the Washington Post Social Reader application on Facebook.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear in lecture.)

I love country. My favorite country singers are Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum.

Favorite online video (link to it):

Marcel the Shell

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

I tend to say "literally" a lot, especially when I'm exaggerating. I'm not sure if that counts as a pop culture expression, but it's definitely a recent development.

Online Assignment #1

2012-01-30T15:01:00.001-06:00

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

I would like to enter thebroadcast journalism field and become a television or radio reporter. Scott Van Pelt is a sports reporter on ESPN’sSports Center and also the host of TheScott Van Pelt Show on ESPN radio. ScottVan Pelt’s high school is in the same county as my own, which is a biginspiration to me because it shows that it is possible to be from the same areaas myself and make it as a major news reporter.

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

My main source of newsconsumption is twitter. My main sourcesof information are determined by the accounts that I follow on twitter, becausethe majority of the accounts that I follow deal with basketball the majority ofmy new revolves around basketball.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear inlecture.)

My favorite type of musicto listen is hip-hop/rap, but I have a very diverse iTunes library filled withcountry, jazz, and r&b. Some of myfavorite artists are Jay-Z, Wale, Beyonce, Childish Gambino, and J. Cole.

Favorite online video (link to it):

Little Boy Singing Gospel

Trey Songz Impersonation

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

YOLO. You Only Live Once. This expression is coined in Drake’s hit song‘The Motto’.

Drake-The Motto (feat. Lil Wayne & Tyga)

Online Assignment (1)

2012-01-30T14:54:00.001-06:00

Name and hometown:

My name is Carolyn Nave, and I am from Appleton. I've only lived in Wisconsin for a year now, because I tend to move pretty frequently. Last year I was attending the University of Texas - Arlington, and before that I was living in Arizona.

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

I'm pretty flexible, really, but I hope to get my degree in management or marketing, and find a career in either publishing or a recording studio.

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

I do consume news, mostly via radio, television and the internet. I like to get world news from BBC, but otherwise I watch MSNBC or CNN.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear in lecture.)

I was raised on classic rock, consisting of bands like Rush, Yes, Bon Jovi, Led Zeppelin and Queen. I also listen to more modern rock, like Pearl Jam, Flogging Molly, Cage the Elephant, and so on. I also really like Basshunter and Daft Punk.

Favorite online video (link to it):

This video is really cool. Did you know that most popular songs can be reduced to the same four chords? The Axis of Awesome does a great job of showing us just how many you might recognize. A note for the weak of heart- it does start out with a couple mentions of 'unsavory' language.

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

That's a difficult question. There are so many! It's taking me far too long to think of something, so I'll just admit that through playing a game for the Xbox 360 called Skyrim, my friends and I have taken to quoting part of it. "I used to be an adventurer like you, but then I took an arrow to the knee."

Online Assignment 1

2012-01-30T14:47:00.006-06:00

Nameand Hometown: Kate Grahek – Osceola, Wisconsin

Possiblefuture job? Anybody in that job you really admire now?: I’dlike to work in the sports broadcasting department, much like Erin Andrews.Ideally, I would love to be on the sidelines of college football games. On adifferent level, I would also be interested in teaching inner-city kids, takingafter my stepmom.

Doyou consume “news”? If you do, what are your main sources?:I try to, but mainly I just look at Twitter and Facebook, and the occasionalMSN.com. On Twitter I follow a few news channels like CNN, so I get some worldnews there.

Whatkind of music do you like?: I like a little bit of everything.I mainly listen to country (Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, etc.) but I also likeacoustic music, and songs from the Top 40 list. The only kind I don’t reallylike is screaming rock music.

Favoriteonline video?: Track and Failed

Whatrecent pop culture expression do you love (or find yourself using)?:I use the occasional “hash tag” followed by a phrase, like on Twitter. Mainly, I find myself saying a lot of thingssaid on Twitter or Facebook. I also quote a ton of movies on a daily basis.

Online Assignment 1

2012-01-30T14:37:00.000-06:00

Name and hometown: JessicaCiufia - Oak Forest, Illinois

Possible future job? Anybody in that job you reallyadmire now? Although not in the near future, I’m hoping to dosomething in the field of strategic communications and specialize in marketing/advertising. I don’t know yet of many prominentpeople in this particular career.

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

Sure, I read the Yahooarticles on my laptops homepage everyday. When I’m at home, I watch the news because it’s usually always on, butaway at college, not so much.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear inlecture.) I like a lot of different genres with the exceptionof techno, dub step, and country – not a fan of these. I enjoy listening to stuff like Queen, BobDylan, all the way to Lupe Fiasco.

Favorite online video (link to it): Jerome Simpson's front flip Jerome Simpson’s front flip

What recent pop culture expression do you love (orfind yourself using)? Although I don’t find myself using them often, Ialways get a good laugh out of any quote from the movie Anchorman. “I lovelamp.”

Online Assignment #1

2012-01-30T13:57:00.000-06:00

Name and hometown: Annie C. Minnetonka Minnesota

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

The future job that Iwould love to have is to work as a PR for a NHL team. My family and I are all really big hockey fans, and I wouldlove to continue to be involved with hockey and help manage the flow ofinformation from the NHL team to the public.

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

Yes I do consumenews. My main sources would besocial networking sites such as twitter and facebook but like to check Yahoonews when I have the extra time.

What kind of music do you like? (It could appear inlecture.)

My favorite kind of musicis country music. I love listeningto Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, and Blake Shelton.

Favorite online video (link to it):

Sophia Grace Singing Super Bass

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

I tend to call people "dude" a lot, and also sometimes say hashtag before works because of twitter