Types of journalism

TASK 14

Watch the Types of Journalism video to identify the examples of different types of journalism described in the text you have read. Choose one episode to reproduce with the help of useful words and phrases from the table. Tell your groupmates about current political, economic, cultural and sports events in your country and abroad.

Episode	Type of journalism	Useful words and phrases
1		to ban, catwalk shows, overly thin models, low body mass index, eating disorders, die of anorexia or bulimia
2		oil spill, to claim economic and health damages, Transocean, BP
3		shares, economic data, investors, profits, trade deficit, debt, oil price
4		media empire, arrests, alleged corruption, detained, investigation, phone-hacking scandal, illegal payments, officials for information
5		to follow royal tradition, patron of four charities, in the footsteps of Lady Diana, the Duchess of Cambridge
6		authorities, hostage, islamicmilitants, rescue, helicopters attacks, secret service agent, seized
7		US open final, match point, title of the year, championship
8		breaking news, witness, burning wreckage, Facebook: WNNfans.com, Twitter:@abcWNN

In small groups discuss

• the ultimate aims and the established standards of the news journalism

• what is required to report on business and finance

• the challenges of investigative journalism

• the pro and contra of celebrity and fashion journalism

• what makes sports journalism ever popular

• the essence of citizen journalism

What type of journalism would you like to go in for? What appeals to you about it? Ask yourgroup mates about their preferences.

Can you think of other types of journalism not mentioned in the text and the video you have watched?

• WATCHING VIDEO 3

Peace vs. War journalism

TASK 15

 Consider a short film introducing the concept of Peace Journalism*. Here the author conveys how the press and news create in our mind an image of the world. This video mirrors the main principles of Peace Journalism using hummus, which is a staple dish for both Israelis and Palestinians, as an analogy to reality.

As a group, develop and present your vision for the concept of any type of journalism you have discussed. (See Supplement for Unit I, Text 3 for tips on making an educational video.) You might as well use some entries from the journalism lingo dictionary:

• Advocacy journalism: a style of journalism in which a reporter takes sides in controversial issues and develops a point of view. It is the opposite of mainstream journalism, in which reporters are expected to be objective.

• Ambush journalism: aggressive tactics practiced by journalists who suddenly confront and question people who otherwise do not wish to speak to a journalist.

• Yellow journalism: inflammatory publication tactics attributed to newspaperman William Randolph Hearst and others in drumming up support for war against Spain in the 1890s. Today, it is aggressive, lurid and irresponsible journalism.

• Journalism of Traditional and Emerging Media

Why wouldn’t it be a mistake to say that journalism is part of our culture?

Do you think Journalism is a discipline that stands on its own?

 READING AND DISCUSSING 2

TASK 16

Read the following text to see how techniques journalists use in their work relate a medium to the media, journalism to other disciplines and to culture in general. Do the tasks that follow the text.

Text 2

Every day, people are curious about events happening all around them. Some will sit nestled with their morning newspapers at their breakfast nooks. Others peruse their weekly news magazines as soon as they hit the mailbox. Television newscasts and informational websites are also very popular for keeping abreast of current events. All these have become part of our culture.

James Carey* described journalism as ‘a culture’s conversation with itself”. The conversation that holds a culture together includes talk of crime, politics and world affairs, of course, but it also includes talk of everyday life, humor and gossip. All of that can be news. To gather facts for their stories, journalists use many of the same techniques used by sociologists, political scientists and historians. But to tell their stories so that those facts can be understood, journalists often use the techniques of other storytellers – novelists and screenwriters.

Media researchers have learned that newspapers and magazines are better than television or radio for explaining the impact of an issue or the causes of a conflict. Although most people say they get most of their news from television, few can remember very much of what they’ve seen or heard on a newscast. But print can’t compete with television in speed or emotional power.

The differing strengths and limitations of each medium make it more likely that you’ll find a lengthy explanatory story in a newspaper or magazine, while you will learn of an event from television, radio or the Internet. A newspaper lets you read the details of a budget or a box score, but television shows you the worker whose job was cut or the player scoring the winning basket. The unique power of online journalism brings together the immediacy of television and the comprehensive authority of print, with endless opportunities for users to pursue their interests through the Web. And they can join the public conversation by posting comments to an existing blog or by launching their own.

http://www.theartcareerproject.com/journalism-careers/1303/

Mark the statements as True or False:

1. Most people are curious about current events.

2. Media coverage includes crime, politics, world affairs, and daily life topics.

3. Humor and gossip don’t make news.

4. Journalists use unique professional techniques to gather their stories.

5. Print media have the advantage of explaining causes and effects of events.

6. Broadcast media can’t compete with print for speed and emotional impact.

Answer the questions:

1. Why is journalism part of our culture?

2. What are the main subjects of media conversation?

3. What do the strengths and limitations of each medium result in?

4. In what way is Journalism connected to other disciplines?

• Convergence Journalism

Do you agree that today’s Journalism is a changing notion in a changing environment? Compare the two schemes below. How are they different? What do you think they illustrate?

TASK 17

You know a lot and will learn even more from the Units in this book about journalism of traditional, or legacy, media. Do you know what Convergence Journalism is? Find out how outside developments influence the face and the essence of contemporary journalism.