Who is the new media? They are the guerilla reporters at Capitol building

[PretzelWarrior]

they are Huffington Post with their own reporting, columnists, and aggregation of news stories. They are thousands upon thousands of regular everyday people catching actual news with their twitter updates, cell phone videos and the like, They are The Young Turks doing excellent work exposing the Old Media and providing analysis of the news.

When companies like Washington Post see the success of these outfits, what is their response? Do they sit around a long conference room table and do some soul searching about what the American citizen wants when they think news? Or do they get clever and think we want to see 2 highly paid columnists attempting screwball comedy on a webcam? Does CNN stop and think about the content of their character? Or do they install even more giant plasma screens, holograms, and beg people to twitter them?

What is most interesting and telling about the BIG OLD CORPORATE media response to a very real response to their lethargy and unwillingness to change is that mostly they just whine about the changes and try to undermine the NEW MEDIA as not really media at all.

Well, idiots in the old media. Maybe you need to realize that unless you want to descend completely into the grave, you had better go back and read your books on journalism, mass media communication, and an informed public. If you don't care about telling us what matters and instead only want to tell us what your corporate sponsors think is important, you will die.

Oh, and a message to new media. This screed leveled at old media doesn't mean you are off the hook. Although Huffington Post has good points, I see too much garbage starting to show up on their pages that constitute "not news" and merely titillation and ratings or page view grabs.

If you are an individual that wants to record history and journalize what is happening in the world around you, I urge you to take stock of what a real journalist does and attempt to copy those standards in your work. You may not have an editor, but people on this site and elsewhere would be happy to help in that process.

http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

Preamble
Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist's credibility. Members of the Society share a dedication to ethical behavior and adopt this code to declare the Society's principles and standards of practice.



Seek Truth and Report It
Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.

Journalists should:


— Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible.
— Diligently seek out subjects of news stories to give them the opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoing.
— Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources' reliability.
— Always question sources’ motives before promising anonymity. Clarify conditions attached to any promise made in exchange for information. Keep promises.
— Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.
— Never distort the content of news photos or video. Image enhancement for technical clarity is always permissible. Label montages and photo illustrations.
— Avoid misleading re-enactments or staged news events. If re-enactment is necessary to tell a story, label it.
— Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public. Use of such methods should be explained as part of the story
— Never plagiarize.
— Tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience boldly, even when it is unpopular to do so.
— Examine their own cultural values and avoid imposing those values on others.
— Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status.
— Support the open exchange of views, even views they find repugnant.
— Give voice to the voiceless; official and unofficial sources of information can be equally valid.
— Distinguish between advocacy and news reporting. Analysis and commentary should be labeled and not misrepresent fact or context.
— Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two.
— Recognize a special obligation to ensure that the public's business is conducted in the open and that government records are open to inspection.




Minimize Harm
Ethical journalists treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect.

Journalists should:



— Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by news coverage. Use special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects.
— Be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy or grief.
— Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance.
— Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy.
— Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.
— Be cautious about identifying juvenile suspects or victims of sex crimes.
— Be judicious about naming criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges.
— Balance a criminal suspect’s fair trial rights with the public’s right to be informed.




Act Independently
Journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know.

Journalists should:



—Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
— Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.
— Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.
— Disclose unavoidable conflicts.
— Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable.
— Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage.
— Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; avoid bidding for news.




Be Accountable
Journalists are accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and each other.

Journalists should:



— Clarify and explain news coverage and invite dialogue with the public over journalistic conduct.
— Encourage the public to voice grievances against the news media.
— Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.
— Expose unethical practices of journalists and the news media.
— Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others.

[NYC_SKP]

1. Odd that when I post my reply, I see a much longer OP. WTF? Anyway, K&R.

Fuck the media, go around them.

Cell phone, Twitter (yes, Twitter) and blog the hell out of it.

I trust a stranger using Twitter more than I trust Wolf Blitzer.

:patriot:

[PretzelWarrior]

2. I think that was because I later decided to copy and paste the journalism ethics

from the website I linked. But thanks for the kick. Every day is an opportunity to behave as a journalist for every single person around this country.

[emulatorloo]

3. So where do Newsmax. Pajamas Media, Red State, Townhall, Drude Report fit?

For every HuffPo there are ten Newsbusters. None of those groups follow the ethics you list. However they all seem to be able to push fake stories into the mainstream.

(Sorry to be an old crank)

[PretzelWarrior]

4. my belief is previously they could engage in assymetric warfare

with stodgy old news corporations who were not agile enough to counteract their effect.

My point is that true journalism is what 80% or more of the country is seeking. With that in mind, the wheat will be separated from the chaff. Only those who want to be subjective and will themselves to be misinformed will accept those news sites.

What I see arising out of this cataclysmic shift in the media landscape will be a more holistic appreciation of what news really is and a grass roots support of genuine inquiry.

[emulatorloo]

5. Interesting theory -- thank for taking the time to write it up. n/t

[PretzelWarrior]

8. no problem. and I could be way off. it looks like those who want to misinform

are doing everything they can to keep clouding the issues. And sometimes I think our education system has done a horrible job of teaching us as a population of thinking critically.

we shall see.

[BrklynLiberal]

6. ergo...No one at FAUX NOISE would qualify as a journalist.

[PretzelWarrior]

7. yep. that's partially the point. and all can do something to make that point.

[coconut22]

9. Chip Reid of CBS news is ..

a little bitch!! He has almost jumped out of his skin from day one when he realized that the president had a different skin color than he,and he has been in attack mode every since..Watch him in a press conference he has a scowl on his face and a distained,distaste,hate for our President. Kiss our ass Chip Reid!!!