broadcast journalism. Upward Bound, Boulder, CO

Day 1: Welcome!

Tuesday June 17, 2014

 

- Ice breaker

- Review syllabus

 

Content

 

Reflection:
Why are you in this course?
Each student writes answer on the board, and writes final answer in your notebook.

What are your journalism goals?
Go around the room and share. Students write at least two goals for this course in notebook.
 

Concepts:

What IS journalism?

Today we’re going to talk and think about journalism, broadly speaking - not just broadcast journalism. We’ll talk about documentary as well. Let's think about broadcast journalism as a close relative of documentary.
 

Journalism is defined as:

- the activity or profession of writing for newspapers or magazines or of broadcasting news on radio or television.

- the product of the activity of journalism.

 

But it's more than just that.
Several prominent journalists give their definition of journalism:

 

Andy Revkin’s definition:
On a complicated, fast-forward planet enveloped in information, journalists who thrive will be those who offer news consumers the same sense of trust that a skilled mountain guide provides to climbers after an avalanche. A sure trail cannot be guaranteed, but an honest effort can. Cronkite’s “That’s the way it is” no longer applies. Authority will derive less from an established media brand than through the constant scrutiny of the crowd. Effectiveness and impact may still come sometimes through a competitive scoop, but more often through collaborative networks in which insights flow in many directions.

 

Brenda Butler’s definition:

Journalism is for the people. It is community-centric yet global in perspective. It is to inform and enlighten; to expand the dialogue; to probe and provoke; to stimulate and engage; to show the way or present another way; to open the doors and to uncover wrong; to give the voiceless a megaphone.

 

My (short) definition:

I think of my journalism as a type of documentary.

 

As a journalist, I always keep in mind the importance of democracy, accountability, equality, raising your voice, representing the underrepresented, telling lesser-told stories.

 

We're going to borrow ideas from what is called "solutions journalism."

 

There’s even a Solutions Journalism Network. Here’s an excerpt of how they describe themselves:

“Solutions journalism is critical and clear-eyed reporting that investigates and explains credible responses to social problems. It looks at examples where people are working toward solutions, focusing not just on what may be working, but how and why it appears to be working based on the best available evidence, or, alternatively, why it may be stumbling.
...Solutions journalism is about ideas, how people are trying to make them work, and the observable or measurable effects they are producing.  What makes solutions journalism compelling is the discovery — the journey that brings the reader or viewer to an insight about how the world works and, perhaps, how it could be made to work better.”

 

Watch this short video explaining solutions journalism.

 

Discussion 1:

Do you want to be a solutions journalist?

Why or why not?

What's the benefit of talking about solutions, not just problems?

 

Discussion 2: Your nose for news

Do you read the news?
Or watch it?
Who? Why? 

Where do you get most of your news?

What appeals to you?

 

Watch & Critique:

Watch the following newscasts and short documentaries together. Think about your existing concepts of good sounds, narration, shots/images, and a good storyline (beginning - middle - end, question - significance - answer; etc.).  Discuss each piece as a class.

 

CBS News: Quit Smoking

 

NBC Nightly News:  Texas Border Children

 

Imba Means Sing

 

Worlds Apart

 

Street Gangs of Pine Ridge

 

Final Thoughts:

Getting behind the camera, being a journalist, means a certain emotional separation - but can too much separation be detrimental? You don't want to get too attached - but you want to develop empathy and understanding with your characters or subjects. This short cartoon/film created from a radio episode of This American Life helps to explain this concept:

 

The Cameraman

 

Homework:

 

Watch 2-5 short newscasts.

Write a ½ page to one page about why each one appeals to you, if they do in fact appeal to you: What makes it a successful broadcast? What doesn’t? What do you want to emulate in your own work in this class? What do you want to avoid?