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March 12, 2008


"Hung Out to Dry"
Howard Kurtz, Washington Post, March 12, 2008

"Mars and Venus Dissect the Spitzer Scandal on the TV Talk


Shows"
Alessandra Stanley, The New York Times, March 12, 2008
"Spitzer disappoints on tube, too"
David Hinckley, New York Daily News, March 12, 2008
"ABC News specials mark Iraq war anniversary"
Reuters, March 12, 2008
"The Touchable"
John Koblin, The New York Times, March 11, 2008
"Charting 4-Year Circ Plunge at Major Papers"
Jennifer Saba, Editor and Publisher, March 11, 2008
"Nielsen Will Get Data From New Channel"
Stephanie Kang, The Wall Street Journal, March 12, 2008
"Tribune hires innovation chief"
Thomas S. Mulligan, Los Angeles Times, March 12, 2008
"AP Legend John Roderick Dies at 93"
Associated Press, Editor and Publisher, March 11, 2008
RSS Feed RSS Feed

Latest from PewResearch.org


The Project for Excellence in Journalism is one of eight projects
that make up the Pew Research Center.
Mar 12, 2008
Presidential Calendar Boosts '08 Govs' Races
Mar 12, 2008
Awareness of Iraq War Fatalities Plummets
Mar 07, 2008
Voting Religiously
Mar 07, 2008
Hispanics Give Clinton Crucial Wins
Mar 06, 2008
Public Sees Fair Fight
Today's Lead
lead image
Year in News Coming March 17

What did the year in news look like in 2007? In its most
comprehensive study of news coverage to date, PEJ analyzed
more than 70,000 stories from 48 separate news outlets in five
media sectors in 2007 to uncover what was on the media’s
agenda last year. The study is coming as part of the 2008 State of
the News Media report on March 17.

Read More
lead image
Why Local TV Loves the Presidential Campaign

The bounty from political advertising is expected to set a new


record in the current election cycle. And even with news
consumers migrating to new media outlets, the overwhelming
majority of those dollars will end up in the coffers of an “old
media” platform.

* Cable News Daytime Audience, Jan-Dec 2007


* Cable News Prime Time Audience, Jan-Dec 2007
* Newspapers Try to Count Readers Differently
* Newsmagazine Ad Pages 2007 vs. 2006
* J-School Jobs Hit A Plateau
* U.S. Daily Newspaper Circulation: 1990-2006

lead image
PEJ Annual Report Coming Soon

The 2008 State of the News Media report will be released on


March 17. The fifth edition of the PEJ annual report will assess the
health of U.S. journalism, including a review of developments in
eight different media sectors. Also this year it features a survey
of journalists, a look at the year in news, new tools to track key
indicators and more.

* The Portrait from Iraq - How the Press Has Covered Events on
the Ground
* New Hampshire Teaches National News Media a Lesson
* The Media Verdict on the Iowa Caucuses is Loud and Clear
* Terrorism, Tight Credit, and Tragedies Emerge in the News in
Third Quarter

lead image
Media Admire Clinton’s Resilience, Question Obama’s Toughness:
March 3 - 9, 2008
With wins in Ohio and Texas, Hillary Clinton was the top campaign
newsmaker last week. The media’s first verdict was that her
aggressive attacks succeeded in stopping Barack Obama’s
momentum. Their next question was whether Obama was
capable of responding in kind.

* Campaign Coverage Index, Press Takes a Harder Look at


Obama—and Itself: February 25 - March 2, 2008
* Campaign Coverage Index, Clinton Battles the Obama Boom,
McCain Battles the Times: February 18 - 24, 2008
* Campaign Coverage Index, Media Narrative Vaults Obama
into Frontrunner Slot: February 11 - 17, 2008

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Also Worth Noting
Journalists in Iraq - A Survey of Reporters on the Front Lines
In a PEJ survey, journalists reporting from Iraq say the conditions
are the most dangerous they've ever encountered. 90% say most
of Baghdad remains too dangerous. Nearly 60% of news
organizations had at least one Iraqi staff member killed or
kidnapped.
PEJ’s State of the News Media 2007
The fourth Annual State of the News Media report released March
12. This year, it includes a unique topographical analysis of
journalism Web sites. It also reveals changes ahead for the
blogosphere, cable news, and in the ambitions of news
organizations generally.
A New Updated Edition of the Elements of Journalism
The latest edition of Elements is completely updated and includes
a new 10th principle--the rights and responsibilities of citizens--
flowing from new power conveyed by technology to citizens as
consumers and editors of their own news and information.

Home | Numbers | Analysis | News Index | Daily Briefing | State of


the News Media | Journalism Resources | About PEJ | Contact Us
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Analysis: Our Studies
This section, Studies, contains PEJ's major empirical research
studies, including our annual reports on the state of journalism
divided into searchable subchapters. They are listed below in
chronological order. Or you can use the menus on the left to filter
our entire archive and find exactly what you want.

*
PEJ Annual Report Coming Soon
March 6, 2008
The 2008 State of the News Media report will be released on
March 17. The fifth edition of the PEJ annual report will assess the
health of U.S. journalism, including a review of developments in
eight different media sectors. Also this year it features a survey
of journalists, a look at the year in news, new tools to track key
indicators and more.
*
New Hampshire Teaches National News Media a Lesson
January 9, 2008
It wasn’t quite “Dewey Defeats Truman,” but after the Jan. 8
Granite State primary confounded many of the pollsters and
pundits, one of the key story lines that emerged in coverage of
the McCain and Clinton victories was the media’s proclivity to
predict and pre-analyze the results.
*
The Portrait from Iraq - How the Press Has Covered Events on
the Ground
December 19, 2007
What image of war did journalists—challenged with reporting
events from Iraq—portray to the American public in the first 10
months of 2007? What role did violence play in the coverage?
Who did reporters rely on for information? A new study of Iraq
war coverage addresses these questions.
*
Terrorism, Tight Credit, and Tragedies Emerge in the News in
Third Quarter
December 6, 2007
The Iraq policy debate re-emerged as the No. 1 story,
replacing the campaign, in the third quarter, according to a
detailed analysis of PEJ’s News Coverage Index. But terror fears, a
troubled economy, and man-made disasters also grabbed the
media’s attention. So too, did the three top newsmakers who ran
afoul of the law.
*
Journalists in Iraq - A Survey of Reporters on the Front Lines
November 28, 2007
In a new PEJ survey, journalists reporting from Iraq say the
conditions are the most dangerous they've ever encountered.
Ninety percent say most of Baghdad remains too dangerous to
visit. Nearly 60% of the news organizations have had at least one
Iraqi staff member killed or kidnapped in the last year. The survey
is of 111 journalists from 29 news organizations reporting from
Iraq.
*
THE INVISIBLE PRIMARY—INVISIBLE NO LONGER: A First Look
at Coverage of the 2008 Presidential Campaign
October 29, 2007

How have the news media covered the early months of the
2008 presidential election? Which candidate enjoyed the most
exposure, which the best, and which the worst? With the race
starting so early, did the press leap to horse race coverage from
the start? A study by PEJ and Harvard’s Shorenstein Center has
answers.
*
The Latest News Headlines—Your Vote Counts
September 12, 2007

What would a world in which citizens set the news agenda


rather than editors look like? A new PEJ study comparing user-
news sites, like Digg, Del.icio.us,and Reddit, with mainstream
news outlets provides some initial answers. The snapshot
suggests both a drastically different set of topics and information
sources.
*
Fred Thompson's Campaign Web Site Was Already in Full
Swing
September 4, 2007
Now that Fred Thompson has formally announced his
candidacy for President, his live campaign can begin to match the
vigorous cyberspace campaign he's been running for months. In a
follow-up to a July 12 report on the Web sites of the other
Presidential hopefuls, PEJ finds that Thompson’s full-service site is
among the most sophisticated of anyone running--even before he
had declared.
*
Campaign for President Takes Center Stage in Coverage:
Quarterly Report on the News
August 20, 2007

In the second quarter of 2007, the presidential campaign


supplanted the debate over Iraq as the No. 1 story in the media.
Barack Obama overtook Hillary Clinton as the candidate getting
the most attention. And Republicans began to catch up with
Democrats in exposure. PEJ offers a 2nd quarter report on the
media.
*
Election 2008: Candidate Web Sites, Propaganda or News? - A
PEJ Study
July 12, 2007

The presidential hopefuls are using their web sites for


unprecedented two-way communication with citizens. But what
are voters learning here? Is it more than a way to bypass the
media? A new PEJ study of 19 campaign sites finds Democrats are
more interactive, Republicans are more likely to talk about
“values,” and neither wants to talk about ideology.

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Analysis: Our Studies


This section, Studies, contains PEJ's major empirical research
studies, including our annual reports on the state of journalism
divided into searchable subchapters. They are listed below in
chronological order. Or you can use the menus on the left to filter
our entire archive and find exactly what you want.

*
A Media Mystery: Private Security Companies in Iraq - A PEJ
Study
June 21, 2007

The 30,000 employees of Private Security Companies


currently operating inside Iraq represent a new element in
modern-day warfare. They are armed, suffer casualties, are paid
by the U.S. government, and perform tasks once done by the
nation’s military. But a new study by PEJ reveals that for the most
part, these forces have operated below the media radar.
*
Iraq Dominates PEJ’s First Quarterly NCI Report
May 25, 2007

The war in Iraq eclipsed all other news in the first three
months of 2007. The 2008 presidential race was the next biggest
story, and most of that was about Democrats. These are among
the findings in PEJ’s first quarterly report of its News Coverage
Index, which allows us to probe the data more deeply than we
can on a weekly basis.
*
Anna Nicole Smith - Anatomy of a Feeding Frenzy: PEJ Special
Index Report
April 4, 2007

How did the sad saga of the Playmate/heiress become one of


the biggest stories in America in the 23 days from her death to
her burial? A PEJ report on the media’s role in the Smith episode
finds that the coverage wasn’t as widespread as you might think.
Still, some outlets couldn’t seem to get enough of the tabloid
tale.
*
PEJ’s State of the News Media 2007
March 12, 2007
The fourth edition of the Project’s Annual State of the News
Media report released March 12. This year, the report includes a
unique topographical analysis of journalism Web sites. The report
also reveals changes ahead for the blogosphere, cable news, and
in the ambitions of news organizations generally.
*
2007 State of the News Media Report - Cable TV
March 12, 2007

The Cable TV chapter from the fourth edition of the Project’s


Annual State of the News Media report
*
2007 State of the News Media Report - Digital Journalism
March 12, 2007

The topography of news websites from the fourth edition of


the Project’s Annual State of the News Media report
*
2007 State of the News Media Report - Local TV
March 12, 2007

The Local TV chapter from the fourth edition of the Project’s


Annual State of the News Media report
*
2007 State of the News Media Report - Newspapers
March 12, 2007

The Newspaper chapter from the fourth edition of the


Project’s Annual State of the News Media report.
*
2007 State of the News Media Report - Online
March 12, 2007

The Newspaper chapter from the fourth edition of the


Project’s Annual State of the News Media report.
*
2007 State of the News Media Report - Radio
March 12, 2007
The Radio chapter from the fourth edition of the Project’s
Annual State of the News Media report.

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the News Media | Journalism Resources | About PEJ | Contact Us
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Analysis: Our Studies


This section, Studies, contains PEJ's major empirical research
studies, including our annual reports on the state of journalism
divided into searchable subchapters. They are listed below in
chronological order. Or you can use the menus on the left to filter
our entire archive and find exactly what you want.

*
Election Night 2006: An Evening in the Life of the American
Media
November 27, 2006

How did the news media fare on Nov. 7? A PEJ study of 32


different media outlets on Election Day offers “five lessons” about
the coverage of major breaking- news events in the multi-media
era, and a “sector-by-sector” breakdown. While some outlets
struggled to find their role, those that combined both speed and
interactivity seemed the most useful destinations.
*
Alternative Media Audience Trends: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Alternative Media Economics and Ownership: 2006 Annual
Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Blogs, A Day in the Life: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the 2006 State of the News Media report.


*
Cable TV Audience: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Cable TV Content Analysis: 2006 Annual Report: A Day in the
Life of the News
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report


*
Cable TV Economics: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media Report.


*
Cable TV Newsroom Investment: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Cable TV Ownership: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Cable TV Public Attitudes: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.

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the News Media | Journalism Resources | About PEJ | Contact Us
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| Site Map
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Analysis: Our Studies


This section, Studies, contains PEJ's major empirical research
studies, including our annual reports on the state of journalism
divided into searchable subchapters. They are listed below in
chronological order. Or you can use the menus on the left to filter
our entire archive and find exactly what you want.

*
Ethnic Media Audience Trends: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Ethnic Media Content Analysis: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Ethnic Media Economics: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Ethnic Media Overview: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Ethnic Media Ownership: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Local TV Audience: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Local TV Content, A Day in the Life: Annual Report 2006
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Local TV Economics: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Local TV Newsroom Investment: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Local TV Ownership: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006
From the annual State of the News Media report.

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the News Media | Journalism Resources | About PEJ | Contact Us
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Analysis: Our Studies


This section, Studies, contains PEJ's major empirical research
studies, including our annual reports on the state of journalism
divided into searchable subchapters. They are listed below in
chronological order. Or you can use the menus on the left to filter
our entire archive and find exactly what you want.

*
Local TV Public Attitudes: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006
From the annual State of the News Media report.
*
Magazine Audience: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Magazine Content: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Magazine Economics: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Magazine Newsroom Investment: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Magazine Ownership: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Magazine Public Attitudes: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media Report


*
Network TV Audience Trends: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the 2006 Annual Report.


*
Network TV Content, A Day in the Life: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Network TV Economics: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the 2006 Annual Report.

« first‹ previous123456789…next ›last »

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the News Media | Journalism Resources | About PEJ | Contact Us
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Analysis: Our Studies


This section, Studies, contains PEJ's major empirical research
studies, including our annual reports on the state of journalism
divided into searchable subchapters. They are listed below in
chronological order. Or you can use the menus on the left to filter
our entire archive and find exactly what you want.

*
Network TV Newsroom Investment: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the 2006 Annual Report.


*
Network TV Ownership: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the 2006 Annual Report.


*
Network TV Public Attitudes: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006
From the 2006 Annual Report
*
Newspaper Audience - 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Newspaper Content, A Day in the Life: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Newspaper Economics: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Newspaper Newsroom Investment: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Newspaper Ownership - 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
Newspaper Public Attitudes - 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006
From the annual State of the News Media report.
*
Online Audience - 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the 2006 Annual Report

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Analysis: Our Studies


This section, Studies, contains PEJ's major empirical research
studies, including our annual reports on the state of journalism
divided into searchable subchapters. They are listed below in
chronological order. Or you can use the menus on the left to filter
our entire archive and find exactly what you want.

*
Radio Public Attitudes: 2006 Annual Report
March 13, 2006

From the 2006 State of the Media report.


*
EXTRA! EXTRA!
December 12, 2005

A new PEJ study takes an in-depth look at tabloids and


compares them to traditional broadsheet newspapers.
*
Box Scores and Bylines: A Snapshot of the Newspaper Sports
Page
August 22, 2005

A new PEJ study finds sports newspaper fronts markedly


different from other section fronts.
*
The Gender Gap: Women Are Still Missing as Sources for
Journalists
May 23, 2005
A new PEJ study of the news media finds men are cited as
sources much more often than women on a wide range of topics
*
2005 Annual Report - Alternative Media Economics
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Alternative Media Outlook
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Cable TV Audience
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Cable TV Content Analysis
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Cable TV Economics
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Cable TV Newsroom Investment
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.

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Analysis: Our Studies
This section, Studies, contains PEJ's major empirical research
studies, including our annual reports on the state of journalism
divided into searchable subchapters. They are listed below in
chronological order. Or you can use the menus on the left to filter
our entire archive and find exactly what you want.

*
2005 Annual Report - Cable TV Ownership
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Cable TV Public Attitudes
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Ethnic Media Audience
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Ethnic Media Content Analysis
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Ethnic Media Newsroom Investment
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Ethnic Media Ownership
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Local TV Audience
March 15, 2005
From the annual State of the News Media report.
*
2005 Annual Report - Local TV Content Analysis
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Local TV Economics
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Local TV Newsroom Investment
March 15, 2005
From the annual State of the News Media report.

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Analysis: Our Studies


This section, Studies, contains PEJ's major empirical research
studies, including our annual reports on the state of journalism
divided into searchable subchapters. They are listed below in
chronological order. Or you can use the menus on the left to filter
our entire archive and find exactly what you want.

*
2005 Annual Report - Local TV Ownership
March 15, 2005
From the annual State of the News Media report.
*
2005 Annual Report - Local TV Public Attitudes
March 15, 2005
From the annual State of the News Media report.
*
2005 Annual Report - Magazine Audience
March 15, 2005
From the annual State of the News Media report.
*
2005 Annual Report - Magazine Content Analysis
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Magazine Economics
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Magazine News Investment
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Magazine Ownership
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Magazine Public Attitudes
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Network TV Audience
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.


*
2005 Annual Report - Network TV Content Analysis
March 15, 2005

From the annual State of the News Media report.

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Principles of Journalism

In 1997, an organization then administered by PEJ, the


Committee of Concerned Journalists, began a national
conversation among citizens and news people to identify and
clarify the principles that underlie journalism. After four years of
research, including 20 public forums around the country, a
reading of journalism history, a national survey of journalists, and
more, the group released a Statement of Shared Purpose that
identified nine principles. These became the basis for The
Elements of Journalism, the book by PEJ Director Tom Rosenstiel
and CCJ Chairman and PEJ Senior Counselor Bill Kovach. Here are
those principles, as outlined in the original Statement of Shared
Purpose.

A Statement of Purpose

After extended examination by journalists themselves of the


character of journalism at the end of the twentieth century, we
offer this common understanding of what defines our work. The
central purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with accurate
and reliable information they need to function in a free society.

This encompasses myriad roles--helping define community,


creating common language and common knowledge, identifying
a community's goals, heros and villains, and pushing people
beyond complacency. This purpose also involves other
requirements, such as being entertaining, serving as watchdog
and offering voice to the voiceless.

Over time journalists have developed nine core principles to meet


the task. They comprise what might be described as the theory of
journalism:
1. Journalism's first obligation is to the truth

Democracy depends on citizens having reliable, accurate facts


put in a meaningful context. Journalism does not pursue truth in
an absolute or philosophical sense, but it can--and must--pursue
it in a practical sense. This "journalistic truth" is a process that
begins with the professional discipline of assembling and
verifying facts. Then journalists try to convey a fair and reliable
account of their meaning, valid for now, subject to further
investigation. Journalists should be as transparent as possible
about sources and methods so audiences can make their own
assessment of the information. Even in a world of expanding
voices, accuracy is the foundation upon which everything else is
built--context, interpretation, comment, criticism, analysis and
debate. The truth, over time, emerges from this forum. As
citizens encounter an ever greater flow of data, they have more
need--not less--for identifiable sources dedicated to verifying that
information and putting it in context.

2. Its first loyalty is to citizens

While news organizations answer to many constituencies,


including advertisers and shareholders, the journalists in those
organizations must maintain allegiance to citizens and the larger
public interest above any other if they are to provide the news
without fear or favor. This commitment to citizens first is the
basis of a news organization's credibility, the implied covenant
that tells the audience the coverage is not slanted for friends or
advertisers. Commitment to citizens also means journalism
should present a representative picture of all constituent groups
in society. Ignoring certain citizens has the effect of
disenfranchising them. The theory underlying the modern news
industry has been the belief that credibility builds a broad and
loyal audience, and that economic success follows in turn. In that
regard, the business people in a news organization also must
nurture--not exploit--their allegiance to the audience ahead of
other considerations.

3. Its essence is a discipline of verification

Journalists rely on a professional discipline for verifying


information. When the concept of objectivity originally evolved, it
did not imply that journalists are free of bias. It called, rather, for
a consistent method of testing information--a transparent
approach to evidence--precisely so that personal and cultural
biases would not undermine the accuracy of their work. The
method is objective, not the journalist. Seeking out multiple
witnesses, disclosing as much as possible about sources, or
asking various sides for comment, all signal such standards. This
discipline of verification is what separates journalism from other
modes of communication, such as propaganda, fiction or
entertainment. But the need for professional method is not
always fully recognized or refined. While journalism has
developed various techniques for determining facts, for instance,
it has done less to develop a system for testing the reliability of
journalistic interpretation.

4. Its practitioners must maintain an independence from those


they cover

Independence is an underlying requirement of journalism, a


cornerstone of its reliability. Independence of spirit and mind,
rather than neutrality, is the principle journalists must keep in
focus. While editorialists and commentators are not neutral, the
source of their credibility is still their accuracy, intellectual
fairness and ability to inform--not their devotion to a certain
group or outcome. In our independence, however, we must avoid
any tendency to stray into arrogance, elitism, isolation or
nihilism.

5. It must serve as an independent monitor of power

Journalism has an unusual capacity to serve as watchdog over


those whose power and position most affect citizens. The
Founders recognized this to be a rampart against despotism
when they ensured an independent press; courts have affirmed it;
citizens rely on it. As journalists, we have an obligation to protect
this watchdog freedom by not demeaning it in frivolous use or
exploiting it for commercial gain.

6. It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise

The news media are the common carriers of public discussion,


and this responsibility forms a basis for our special privileges.
This discussion serves society best when it is informed by facts
rather than prejudice and supposition. It also should strive to
fairly represent the varied viewpoints and interests in society,
and to place them in context rather than highlight only the
conflicting fringes of debate. Accuracy and truthfulness require
that as framers of the public discussion we not neglect the points
of common ground where problem solving occurs.

7. It must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant

Journalism is storytelling with a purpose. It should do more than


gather an audience or catalogue the important. For its own
survival, it must balance what readers know they want with what
they cannot anticipate but need. In short, it must strive to make
the significant interesting and relevant. The effectiveness of a
piece of journalism is measured both by how much a work
engages its audience and enlightens it. This means journalists
must continually ask what information has most value to citizens
and in what form. While journalism should reach beyond such
topics as government and public safety, a journalism
overwhelmed by trivia and false significance ultimately
engenders a trivial society.

8. It must keep the news comprehensive and proportional

Keeping news in proportion and not leaving important things out


are also cornerstones of truthfulness. Journalism is a form of
cartography: it creates a map for citizens to navigate society.
Inflating events for sensation, neglecting others, stereotyping or
being disproportionately negative all make a less reliable map.
The map also should include news of all our communities, not just
those with attractive demographics. This is best achieved by
newsrooms with a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives. The
map is only an analogy; proportion and comprehensiveness are
subjective, yet their elusiveness does not lessen their
significance.

9. Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal


conscience

Every journalist must have a personal sense of ethics and


responsibility--a moral compass. Each of us must be willing, if
fairness and accuracy require, to voice differences with our
colleagues, whether in the newsroom or the executive suite.
News organizations do well to nurture this independence by
encouraging individuals to speak their minds. This stimulates the
intellectual diversity necessary to understand and accurately
cover an increasingly diverse society. It is this diversity of minds
and voices, not just numbers, that matters.

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Powered by: PhasAdvice for Students Interested in a Career in
Journalism

Bill Kovach, Senior Counselor of the Project for Excellence in


Journalism

A curious mind and a broad liberal arts education are by far the
best qualifications for a career in journalism.

The best foundation begins with an undergraduate liberal arts


education that exposes you to a wide range of disciplines of study
and helps you supplement your native curiosity with a habit of
critical thinking. Whatever course of study you follow, be sure to
include a strong foundation in ethics. Then consider study at a
university that offers a graduate degree in journalism.

You can begin to develop your skill in the "craft" of journalism by


working on a college newspaper or radio station; a television
station that features a college report; or working as a college
correspondent for a local, regional or national news organization.
As for experience while still in school and immediately after
graduation, think about immersing yourself in a local experience.
Working in a community in which you must look the people in the
eye about whom you report before and AFTER you have reported
on them can provide very important lessons.
And, throughout all this, read. Read everything you can, including
classics in fiction that can help you begin to understand human
nature and the human condition. Develop a habit of critically
following the work of other journalists and find models for your
own work.

Good luck.
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