Collaborative Presentation:

Key Concepts
Gladstone, pp. 57-110
The Great Refusal (57-59)
There is nothing in them but tittering jeering emptiness. They have all made what Dante calls The Great Refusal.

They are the neutrals, whose lives meant nothing, because they refused to commit themselves.

Even now, arguably another time of profound moral crisis, most reporters make the Great Refusal.

Example: Hurricane Maria

Question: What are the consequences of reporters who make the Great Refusal?
Political Bias (60-61)
Commercial Bias (62)

News needs conflict and momentum.

If we had a keen vision and feeling of all ordinary human life, it would be like
hearing the grass grow and the squirrels heart beat, and we should die of
that roar which lies on the other side of silence.

Ex: The OJ Simpson car chase in 1994.

What is the purpose of commercial bias?

Bad News Bias (62)

We are wired to care about anything that even remotely threatens us -- so

emphasizing bad news is good business.

Ex: The zika virus

What are the effects of bad news bias?

Status Quo Bias (63)
Because of the status quo bias, the media ignore any position that advocates radical change.(63)

The mainstream media never question the structure of the political system. The American way is the only way,
politically and socially...(63)

Ex: 2016 US election, after the Trump won the election, some media were discuss the election system.

The mainstream media believes that the man who lead the United States should be more mature in politics.

What is the effect of the status quo bias?

Access Bias (64)
The military can bar, expel, and jail reporters. It can also - this goes
without saying - save their lives. Without friends in uniform, war
reporters are at risk.

Theres consequences to reporting, either you say the right thing or

the wrong thing.

What are the problems of access bias ?

Visual Bias (65-68)
Visual hook is more likely to be noticed (pg.65)

Pictures made us notice (pg.65)

Biases intertwine resulting in thrilling misleading reporting (pg.67 )

Pulling down the statute was not the spontaneous act of Iraqis, as often depicted by the media. In fact, the square
was empty when the statue was seen by a Marine gunner (pg. 67)
What is the significance of a visual hook? And What is the problem of a visual bias?
 Narrative Bias (65-68)
But sometimes, when, say, an erstwhile media darling changes his
narrative, reporters are forced to rewrite the script. Pg. 66

These news stories never really have and end, the stay stuck in
between the beginning of a story, and the end.

What is the problem of narrative bias?

Sometimes bias intertwine, resulting in thrillingly misleading

reporting Pg. 67

Example: Pulling down the statue wasnt the spontaneous act of Iraqis,
as often depicted by the media. In fact, the square was empty when the
statue was seen by a marine gunner Pg. 67

What is the difference between visual and narrative bias?

Fairness Bias (69-70
Journalists will bend over backward to appear balanced by offering equal time to opposing
viewpoints, even when they arent equal.

For weeks, the main stream media flooded the zone with equal coverage of the two unequal sides,
distorting the truth in pursuit of the appearance of balance. Pg 69

How is fairness bias changing? How is it staying the same?

War Journalism (78-79)
Out of Civil War emerges the template for future war journalism -- use and abuse of new
technology, press releases, censorship, passive reporting (Gladstone 78)
Ex.
Before
Journalisms reported news on war whenever they want
Now
Journalists have to sign their names on the news that they publish
This means that whatever journalists report about the war, everyone would know who that
journalist is and he/she would be involved in the war
What is the purpose of war journalism?
War Propaganda (79-82)
Once lead this People into war and they will forget there ever was such a thing as tolerance. (79)
President Woodrow Wilsons CPI suppressed the bad news and made the enemy seem like demons so
the people would be more swayed to go into war

Why did the people of America listen to President Woodrow wilson when he was using propaganda for
something way different for than what he campaigned for?
Embedded Journalists (83-86, 92-95)
Embedded Journalists were put on the front line with the troops.The Pentagons goal was to build
trust and admiration for the military(92).
By putting reporters on the front lines with invading forces. The U.S military has generated a
bounty of positive coverage of the Iraq invasion(93).
Embedded Journalists give a distorted view of war because the military limits them on what they
can hear and see.
How does embedded Journalism affect how a country views a war?
Vietnam Syndrome (87-91)
Ronald Reagan
announce concept on tv Vietnam Syndrome
distorted truth(89) in media
Ex: Tet offensive
Winning media Vs Winning in battle field
loss of faith and a defeatist
Yet many believe that Tet offensive soured America
attitude towards war
on the war. They blame the media for spinning the
victory of Tet into political defeat. (88)
Number of deaths
War itself

Question: Does media have such power that it can affect war and who
wins?
Objectivity/Impartiality (96-98)
Objectivity emerges as a selling point in American journalism (96)
The idea of being objective, but in reality the public wants to hear their opinion voiced.
News is a commodity like bread. Freshness matters. Inaccuracy doesnt (96)
News is bought and sold and has to appeal to the public.
News editors write about what the audience wants to read about.
The price of the newspaper drops:
The newspaper originally cost six cents, most of its funding came from different political parties.
In 1833 the New York Sun cut the price, opening their audience to immigrants and workers.
By doing this their profit now comes from ads advertised in the paper.
Does the audience want hear about something that they are passionate about or concrete facts?
Facts versus Values (99-100)
Values reflect how we believe the world should work, while facts are assertions about the world
that can be independently validated (99).
This is exemplified in nearly all controversial issues, especially dealing with those issues of human
rights:
Gay Marriage: traditional Christian values apore, yet the fact of the matter is that people are people no
matter what, and thus, have the same rights to love.
What are the consequences of holding on to values while ignoring the facts?
Interpretive Journalism (102)
A style of reporting that tries to put issues and events in a broader social and historical context to
help the public understand
Interpretive Journalism thrives after the war(world war one), political columns are clearly marked
and more stories are byline, so readers know what and who they are reading(102).
Before world war one, reporters cant tell the difference between value and facts and are called
naive empiricists, the 1920s come around and news that soldiers are coming back home damaged
are seen in the newspapers. Long held values do not fit the new facts and it may be impossible to
really know anything (99).
What is the meaning of Interpretive Journalism?
Politics and Technology (103-104)
By the mid 1950s, more than half the nations living rooms have a TV set, which serves as a kind of
national mirror. It reflects a populace that is white, christian, and middle-class. It has no accent. It defines
normal. It defines America (p.103)

-Infant TV network depends on ad revenue to fund production, so they need audiences of unprecedented
size. Networks rely on the government for broadcast licenses and most of the news. Controversy is bad
for the TV biz, and thats good for government.

What is the meaning of TV ?

Sphere of Consensus (105)
The region of motherhood and apple pie (105).

Represents values and truths of lives.

What leads an idea or concept to become a consensus?

Sphere of Legitimate Controversy (105)
Here issues are undecided, debated, probed (105).

Debates about social, economic, and political views are examples of legitimate controversy.

In what ways does legitimate controversy play a role in our everyday lives?
Sphere of Deviance (105)
The place for people and opinions that the mainstream of the
society reject as unworthy of being heard. Objective reporters
dont go there(Gladstone 105).
Outside of the donut

The Black Lives Matter movement is an example of deviance

because it caused a lot of controversy that no one wanted to talk
about. It kicked the dust up from underneath the rug.

How is the Sphere of Deviance changing?

So What? (108-110)