Will a real journalist please stand up?

Over the course of three days, I monitored a news source for one hour daily for my class assignment.  The focus of my monitoring was on the differing political pieces and analyzing the roles the media fulfilled based on Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Paul Walkman’s book “The Press Effect”. 

I’ve read 17 articles concerning the presidential candidates.  I feel a journalist’s most important role is to seek information the public cannot; due to insufficient resources, time, or knowledge.  The “press as custodian of fact” roll is the most important position a journalist can take on.  If the journalist plays this roll, illustrated by Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Paul Waldman, the journalist should; inform the public of factual inaccuracies, correct misused key terms and understandings, provide a sense of history and biography behind articles- demonstrating the candidates promises versus past actions, and exploring potential impacts of polices. 

Seven of the 17 articles could have even been questionably considered a style titled “press as custodian of fact” role. Apart from the lack of articles taking this approach, two days in a row the front page of The New York Times elected to display articles on Sarah Palin getting her ex brother-in-law fired.  As a consumer, while I do feel that the character traits displayed are useful to gain knowledge on, I do not care enough to have the article make the front page two days in a row- that is absolutely ridiculous!  The journalist’s time would have been much better spent trying to interpreting how the proposals for our country’s, say economy, from both candidates could potentially impact the world.  Rather than a potential Vice President’s firing of an ex-family member.  A lot of the articles printed basically reported tattle-telling on who said what.  One entire article, “In Friendly Region, Biden Cites McCain as Erratic”, was about Bidens criticisms of what McCain was saying or doing.  I know candidates in opposition will critique each other’s actions.  These articles where both something between what Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Paul Waldman would label “press as a story teller” (where the journalist picks a fact to fit a story), and “press as psychologist” (where the press portrays a person in a certain light to influence public opinion).

While even the articles I gave credit for being “press as custodian of fact” were cutting close- a few articles did a great job of communicating the “press as a custodian of fact” roll.  Such articles as: “McCain Offers Proposal on 401(K) Withdrawals”, and “History Suggests McCain Faces an Uphill Battle” where two great example of articles saturated with facts and relevant information.  In the former, apparent research and communication with the readers about the candidate’s policies was present.

The New York Times  in my opinion, should put more pressure on the journalists they hire to print stories that fulfill a “press as custodian of fact” roll. The United States is a superpower and every journalist should not take informing the citizens of this country lightly.  The press fought for the continuation of free speech to have the ability to check the government by doing the research that not every American can do. Will a real journalist please stand up?  

 

Jessi