Posted on April 6th, 2011 by Deb Wenger
What happens when a newsroom values diversity? Reporter Jessica Chapin of KGUN-TV in Tucson, Ariz., says it leads to better storytelling and better decision making. “Tucson is an hour from the border, so diversity in the newsroom and Spanish as a second language is definitely a plus,” Chapin says. “I’m constantly doing interviews in broken Spanish [...]
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Posted on September 23rd, 2010 by Deb Wenger
While the country continues to get more diverse every year, America’s TV and radio newsrooms are becoming more homogenous. The latest RTDNA/Hofstra University Annual Survey found that, overall, the percentage of minorities in both radio and television fell for the third straight year, although the drop in television was small. “Again, the percentage of minorities in [...]
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Posted on September 14th, 2010 by Deborah Potter
Transparency, accountability and openness are among the core values of journalism. They’re embodied in the SPJ ethics code, after all, which thousands of journalists and news organizations subscribe to. So what would be the point of a pledge to support those three values–a pledge that comes with a new seal of approval? John Hamer of the [...]
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Posted on June 1st, 2010 by Deb Wenger
Every year RTDNA and UNITY give out awards to honor “outstanding television, radio and online journalism focused on diversity.” “This year, the winning entries go beyond the basics of diversity coverage and truly embrace the concept of community,” said RTDNA chairman Mark Kraham. “These organizations set a high and apt standard of how diversity coverage should [...]
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Posted on May 18th, 2010 by Deb Wenger
A lot has happened in television news over the past twenty years, not all of it for the good. But at least one development can be applauded – the network newscasts are featuring more women and minorities as anchors and reporters than ever before. According to the Miller-McCune website, a new study published in Electronic [...]
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Posted on May 3rd, 2010 by Deb Wenger
At 78 years old, Dan Rather is still reporting the news. With his 60 years in the business, he has had a lot of time to reflect on the role of journalists in society. Speaking before a packed house at the University of Mississippi, Rather said “journalists must bear withess;” they must be “honest brokers [...]
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Posted on March 8th, 2010 by Deborah Potter
Exclusive! the headline screamed: “U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts considering stepping down.” The story was posted around mid-day last Thursday on the gossip site Radar Online, owned by the National Enquirer. It said Roberts might step aside for personal reasons and could announce his decision at any time. While other sites, including the [...]
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Posted on February 10th, 2010 by Deborah Potter
Reporting with sound isn’t just a technical challenge–it can raise ethical issues as well. How do you gather sound in the field and how do you use it? How much editing is okay? Guidelines like the RTDNA ethics code, which warns journalists not to “manipulate sound in any way that is misleading,” are a good [...]
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Posted on February 5th, 2010 by Deb Wenger
In case you haven’t seen them, here’s a link to the Radio Television Digital News Association ethical guidelines for the use of social media in gathering and disseminating news. The Poynter’s Al Tompkins was one of the architects. We wanted to speak to how speed and space limitations can compromise accuracy and fairness. We wanted to [...]
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Posted on December 21st, 2009 by Deborah Potter
Who said media law is dull and dry? Check out this video explanation of libel from Mark Harmon of the University of Tennessee. You might have to watch it twice to take it all in. Betty Boop Explains Libel from Mark Harmon on Vimeo.
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