The Said and the Saying in Journalism

Judith Malveaux COMM 614 judithamalveaux@aol.com

I struggled with this chapter, mostly because it discussed issues that I am expected to facilitate a discussion on in class. In reading about the authors discussion of the said and the saying, I believe I discovered a link to my previous career which helped me to better understand the topics. According to Communication Ethics Literacy, As new sayings emerge, they are tested and moved to the said, serving as public guiding positions when the said no longer assists a given organization, hope rests in the ongoing creativity present in sayings that emerge and later become another set of public saids of an organization. With this in mind, I pondered my previous profession as a newspaper reporter. What historically has been the said of journalism, specifically newspapers, as it relates to reporting the news? How does timeliness and accuracy fit into the said? The said of journalism and reporting has long been a commitment to objectivity, timeliness and, above all else, accuracy. In the book, Toxic Sludge is Good for You! Lies, Damn Lies and the Public Relations Industry, authors John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton discussed the journalism industry, saying If popular culture is any guide at all to the imagination of the American people, there is something sacred about the news. Journalists, along with private detectives and police, seem to occupy a special place as the ministers of truth and wisdom in our society...working odd hours, bothering people, persistent, smart beneath that rumpled exterior, piecing together clues, finding contradictions, relentless and inquisitive, refusing to let go of an investigation until the truth is exposed and the villains receive their just punishment. (179) This is a somewhat glamorized view of journalists and the work they do, but it has been the said that guided journalists throughout the twentieth century. The Society of Professional Journalists outlined in its mission statement that the group is dedicated to the perpetuation of a free press as the cornerstone of our national and out liberty. This statement implies journalists in the free press are vital to the preservation of the nation and its liberty. Times and technology have changed the public view of journalism. In a 1994 issue of Quill, Philip Meyer predicted that the what, why and how of journalism is changing. He wrote, Technological change in place right now is putting traditional journalistic values under pressure. Something new is coming, and we can already see its effects in our newsrooms The news product that the public is demanding is more labor intensive. In an age of information overload, the consumer needs media that can filter information as well as convey itWhen the

old rules are found to be no longer useful and new ones have not yet been found, there may be a time when it seems that anything goes. (31) Meyer was correct in his assertion. In a 2009 article in Nieman Reports, Craig Silverman reported that Many journalists say media's duties, ethics are sliding in order to conform to the company's bottom line. (35)" These "slides" include running easy-to-report crime stories versus more in-depth pieces that require more time and resources, replacing people with digital "workstations" and replacing knowledgeable sources as references with spot coverage. The journalists in the article were annoyed and disgusted by the changes, but, according to research on twenty-first century newspapers in the journal Journalism Studies, todays readers are not as concerned about objectivity and celebrate differences (478). In fact, the research says that readers want news tailored to who they are and with what they identify. Given these realities, its fair to conclude that the said of journalism is no viable. Newspapers must consider tailoring their messages to specific audiences or finding another saying that can rests within their public stories or policies that manifest the good of free speech. With the proliferation of free, readily available content that is tailored to specific groups and constantly updated, newspapers that do not do this risk not just irrelevance but extinction.

References

American Society of Newspaper Editors. (1975). ASNE statement of principles. Retrieved from http://www.asne.org/kiosk/archive/principl.htm Arnett, R.C., Bell, L.M., & Fritz, J.M. (2009). Communication ethics literacy. Los Angeles, Sage Publications, Inc. Meyer, P. (1994). Moral confusion. Quill, 82(9), 31. Rampton, Sheldon. & Stauber, John. (1995). Toxic sludge is good for you! Lies, damn lies and the public relations industry. Monroe, Maine: Common Courage Press. Reddin van Tuyll, D. (2010). The past is prologue. Journalism Studies, 11(4), 477-486. doi:10.1080/14616701003638343 Silverman, C. (2009). Reliable news: Errors aren't part of the equation. Nieman Reports, 63(1), 34-36. Society of Professional Journalists. (1996). SPJ mission. Retrieved from http://www.spj.org/mission.asp Stoll, M., & McManus, J. (2005). Downward spiral. Quill, 93(3), 10-11.