JOUR1111 Annotated Bibliography
White,
A. (2008). To Tell You The Truth The
Ethical Journalism Initiative. Belgium: International Federation of
Journalists.
The
author, Aidan White, currently a Director of the Coalition for Ethical
Journalism, is able to apply his decades of experience and knowledge to form
the insightful Ethical Journalism
Initiative. His past credentials as a journalist and General Secretary to
the International Federation of Journalists provide his guidebook to ethics in
journalism with plenty of reliability. The book’s foreword states that it aims
to provide “support for journalists who
are keeping an ethical flame alive in the profession” (White, 2008). White
introduces the initiative with the Declaration of Principles on the Conduct of
Journalists. He explains that one of the most controversial principles within
the American Journalism industry involves the discrimination in the media towards
minority interests. Furthermore, he demonstrates that the current challenge in
American Journalism is that often, the opinions of minority interests are
silenced for the concept of newsworthiness. White states, the ethics of
journalism requires balance in documenting “political arguments so that a
lively debate can take place” (White, 2008). The significant use of examples throughout
the text provides the author’s views and ideas with credibility. This topic is
closely linked with the significant announcement of President Barack Obama’s
support for gay marriage, which has dominated the press in recent weeks. As
White explains, a balance of information is lacking in the three different
mediums of journalism commenting on the announcement, which are cited below.
The similarities across the three articles can be equated to White’s publication
as the political aspect of the announcement is at the forefront of the story
rather than the interests of minority groups.
Gast,
P. (2012). Obama announces he supports
same-sex marriage. Retrieved from
American
cable station, CNN, was able to
broadcast to viewers ABC News’
exclusive interview with President Barack Obama. The announcement was presented
in the format of a video and an accompanying article. Phil Gast, the author,
applies his experience as a writer and editor for CNN, and delivers an extensive, political based article on Obama’s
support for same-sex marriage. Gast introduces the issue with an explicit
reference to the political stakes surrounding the announcement. This article
holds many news values such as impact, audience identification, ethics, recency
and elite nations. The author is careful not to reveal his personal opinion on
the issue and the language used throughout is strictly factual and presents a
balanced viewpoint. For these reasons, the credibility of the article
increases. Gast effectively refers to several highly reliable sources
throughout the article, such as President Barack Obama, political opposition
Mitt Romney, university professor John Green along with multiple sources from
both sides of the issue. A significant difference between the CNN article and text articles is that
the television segment serves its purpose and delivers the message clearly and
succinctly to viewers. Considering CNN’s
extensive broadcasting history, its target audience is the opinionated American
who expects all the vital statistics and implications of the issue. The cable
station delivers the message in a prompt and succinct manner to access the
majority of viewers. The CNN article
can be likened to the previous piece written by Aidan White as the political
aspect of the issue is discussed for the majority of the article, whereas the
implications for same-sex couples are virtually unmentioned.
Jan,
T., Viser, M., & Borcher, C. (2012). President
Obama announces support for gay marriage in reversal of prior stance.
Retrieved from
Tracy
Jan, Matt Viser and Callum Borchers, all political reporters for The Boston Globe, present an accurate
article of the announcement for the support of gay marriage by Barack Obama.
Despite the author’s credentials, the scope of the issue is dealt with fairly
effectively as the majority of the emphasis is placed on the implications of the
statement itself, with a minor section devoted to the political campaign. Due
to this, the article’s credibility is enhanced; this is then accompanied by
balanced and informative language, which is implemented throughout. As a
result, assumptions made on behalf of the journalists are minimal. Furthermore,
multiple reputable sources are cited throughout the piece; quotes from Obama,
Romney, and Obama’s campaign adviser David Axelrod are frequently mentioned. Whilst this particular piece is solely text
based, its purpose is served, as the information is very factual and
informative. The target audience for the website, boston.com, would be traditional Americans and due to the fact that
Massachusetts is one state which has legalized gay marriage,
part of the focus was placed on the political implications of the announcement.
Although less emphasis was placed on the implications of the announcement of
same-sex couples, one credible source was succinctly referred to, broadening
the pieces’ coverage of the issue. Thus, in cohesion with the CNN article and White’s initiative, the
effects of Obama’s announcement on the political campaign is dealt with, with
one reference explicitly citing the implication on minority interests. This
further reiterates the lack of exposure on minority groups in American
journalism.
Calmes,
J., & Baker, P. (2012, May 9). Obama Says Same-Sex Marriage Should Be
Legal. The New York Times. Retrieved
from
Jackie
Calmes and Peter Baker, regular contributors of The New York Times, bring years of experience to present a detailed
portrayal of the issue. The article was featured on the front page of the print
New York Times for May 9, 2012. The
authors examine President Obama’s announcement of support for same-sex marriage
with precise facts regarding the declaration itself, whilst also delivering
extensive information about the surrounding circumstances prior to the
announcement and after. As a result of this, Calmes and Baker’s credibility is
amplified, as the details given were relevant, descriptive and demonstrated
with factual language. Furthermore, the author’s positions on the issue were
undetectable and for this reason, no assumptions were made on behalf of the
journalists. Although Calmes and Baker’s referral to external sources is
limited to President Obama, the author’s citation to the Democrat of
Massachusetts, Barney Frank,
one of the first gay members of congress, is effective in demonstrating their
ability to locate reputable sources to comment on the issue. The New
York Times is the third most read newspaper in America, and thus the target
audience for this article would be all Americans interested in the rights of
minority groups (Shea, 2010). Thus, the newspaper delivered information, which
was highly relevant and non-partisan. In contrast to White’s initiative and
previous articles on this topic, Calmes and Baker’s article examines the
ramifications of Obama’s announcement in itself, rather than commenting on the
political campaign, which surrounds the issue.
Calmes,
J., & Baker, P. (2012, May 9). Obama Says Same-Sex Marriage Should Be Legal.
The New York Times. Retrieved from
Gast,
P. (2012). Obama announces he supports
same-sex marriage. Retrieved from
Jan,
T., Viser, M., & Borcher, C. (2012). President
Obama announces support for gay marriage in reversal of prior stance.
Retrieved from
Shea,
D. (2010). Top 25 Newspapers By
Circulation: Wall Street Journal Trounces USA Today. Retrieved from
White,
A. (2008). To Tell You The Truth The
Ethical Journalism Initiative. Belgium: International Federation of Journalists.
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