[TEXT: DEMOCRACY, PROSPERITY, HUMAN RIGHTS, EDUCATION, SECURITY A PRODUCTION OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE]
Welcome to Community Journalism: Basic Principles for Effective Storytelling.
In this course, we will look at ways that citizens can become more responsible,
ethical and effective communicators of news and information in their communities
by understanding the basic principles of journalism.
We will look at how to craft stories that make a positive contribution.
And we will examine how to create synergy between the medium and your message.
This lesson will cover the principles of journalism.
The lesson was written by Bob Butler, executive director of Butler Media.
In this lesson, we will discuss how to responsibly gather information,
how to cultivate and manage reliable sources of information,
and how to act ethically in collecting and disseminating information.
Bob Butler has spent over 40 years reporting from around the globe.
He has taught broadcast journalism at the University of California, Berkeley,
and San Francisco State University and trained journalists in the United States,
Mozambique, Rwanda, Namibia, Senegal, Tanzania, Canada and Brazil.
He also served eight years on the board of the National Association of Black Journalists,
including two years as president.
Journalism is the activity of writing for newspapers, magazines, websites and broadcast stations.
The people who do this work are called, as you might expect, journalists.
They tend to be honest, curious, educated,
knowledgeable, assertive, persistent and courageous.
Where formal training has often been a prerequisite to become a journalist,
the internet has created the opportunity for community journalists:
those who sometimes lack the formal education but nevertheless feel a duty
to report news and information about and to their communities.
Journalists report on current events.
They provide information citizens need to make informed choices,
and they act as a watchdog on government officials to keep them honest,
a critical role in a functioning democracy.
Bob shares that he has seen many changes in how information is shared,
as well as where and how people get what is considered news.
But one of the biggest changes has been how newsgathering and news sharing
has grown beyond traditional, professional roles.
While friends and neighbors have always shared information,
the opportunities for nonprofessionals to “report” the news have grown.
Documenting events and getting people to pay attention to what you’re saying has become easier,
but in some instances it has led, unfortunately, to incorrect, irresponsible and unethical behavior.
The word “journalism” is derived from the French word journal,
which is said to have come from the Latin word diurna, or daily.
The first recorded act of journalism was the Acta Diurna,
what today we might call a newsletter.
Julius Caesar ordered it published daily in ancient Rome as far back as 59 B.C.E.
It listed acts carried out by various people, including speeches by public servants.
It was posted in public places such as the Forum.
Long before the Diurna, people in Asia and Africa used drums
to communicate and share information.
The first regular newspapers were published in Germany in early 1600.
Radio stations aired sporadic news reports in the 1920s
and began regular news broadcasts during World War II.
Television news started during the war, and daily television newscasts began in 1948.
Technology at the time limited who could see and hear the electronic media,
so newspapers remained the main source of information
for the majority of the public until the internet age.
A strong democracy encourages a free press and the sharing of information.
A free and independent press is essential to any free society,
as is the exchange of ideas and information,
whether by professionals, bloggers, social media influencers
or other storytellers of a community.
Most of the journalists working professionally on today’s media
likely studied journalism or communications before working in the industry.
All journalists, no matter their platform, have at least one trait in common:
the communication skills to accurately and truthfully convey what is happening through clear, concise writing.
They have the ability to conduct investigative reporting
and to search for sources such as documents or credible and knowledgeable people
that provide evidence of their reporting.
It is one thing to believe something happened or someone did something;
it is another thing to prove it.
Journalists are also courageous and bold.
This is crucial when covering elected, business or community leaders
who may be accused of wrongdoing or questionable practices.
They may try to intimidate you or refuse to answer your questions.
You should conduct your research, or investigation,
before you talk to people from whom you are seeking information.
That way you will know if the information they are giving you is accurate.
The goal of the work we do is to present information.
This is primarily by organizing information in what is known as the inverted pyramid.
The most newsworthy information — the lead — goes at the top.
This is the who, what, where, when, why and how.
Who did it? What did they do? When did they do it? Where?
How did they do it and how do their actions affect my reader or viewer?
This is followed by important details that provide context and general information
that help the reader fully understand the significance of what we are reporting to them.
One of the most important things we do as journalists is develop reliable sources.
These are people who have verifiable knowledge of circumstances or events.
Sometimes they are willing to share that information openly,
allowing you to use their name and state their connection to the information.
Other times, for fear of retaliation or loss of access, they cannot or will not share that knowledge publicly.
They may be willing to give you information and can often tell you how to verify it
with the understanding that their identity not be revealed.
It is vital that you honor that pledge.
Failure to do so ruins your credibility.
You cannot be a good journalist without credibility.
Determine before you speak with a source whether or not you can reveal their identity.
If you can’t, you must give your readers an understanding of why.
How do you develop sources?
It is sometimes as easy as meeting someone outside normal business hours.
Maybe he or she is a member of a social or religious group you are a part of,
or maybe a colleague connects you to a potential source.
Invite them for coffee or lunch.
If they agree, make sure to pay for your own food and beverage.
You should never accept gifts from people you are covering
lest they interpret this as acceptance of you now “owing them” favorable coverage
or something else in return.
It is critical that when gathering sources,
you interview as many people as possible whose perspective is important to the story.
It’s critical that you ensure no source is left out.
[TEXT: eth·ics Moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conducting of an activity]
One of the most important principles of journalism and accurate reporting
is to be ethical and have strong integrity.
Journalists don’t accept money to write a story.
Journalists keep their promises when it comes to protecting sources.
And journalists strive to keep personal feelings and biases from influencing their reporting.
The same applies whether working for a professional organization or writing a community newsletter.
The internet and modern social media platforms have created the opportunity
for those with no formal training to also serve as journalists,
and information gatherers and disseminators.
But it presents challenges.
The same rules of accuracy, clarity, integrity,
ethics and fairness apply to community journalists.
This is especially true when conducting your research.
You may find a lot of information on the internet.
Whether you are a credentialed, formally educated journalist
or someone telling the stories of your community,
you should be careful that the information you choose to share is accurate and, again, verifiable.
Some social media sites and websites only exist to spread misinformation.
We as journalists and storytellers do a disservice to our readers, listeners and viewers
when we spread misinformation.
[TEXT: cred·i·bil·i·ty The quality of being trusted and believed in; the quality of being convincing or believable.]
When you see something on the internet, you should use three independent sources to verify it,
just like when you’re writing a story.
Spreading or sharing something that turns out to be false hurts your credibility
and can be dangerous to the community and public discourse.
From the Acta Diurna in 59 B.C.E. to today,
the platforms have changed but the mission remains the same:
Provide accurate information to the people.
Whether you are writing for a newspaper, producing reports for radio or television
or writing your own personal blog,
you must be accurate, you must be truthful, and you must be ethical.
For more on this course and to access related resources, visit our website.
[TEXT: DEMOCRACY, PROSPERITY, HUMAN RIGHTS, EDUCATION, SECURITY A PRODUCTION OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE]