The future of journalism according to Tom Rosenstiel

Tom Rosenstiel is the founder and director of The Project for Excellence in Journalism.

The news media has evolved into being user-controlled. The user controls when, where, and how they consume news. It’s up to the news media to accommodate this rather than the user accommodate the media.

The internet is now a huge part of delivering news. Television news, print publications, and radio broadcasts can be consumed over the internet. Again, we need to adapt.

A misconception is that now that there are more choices on how to consume news young people are consuming less. That is not true due to mobile devices. In a survey, 32% said they get more news on mobile devices and most mobile users are younger.

Television news and newspapers are a “lean back” experience, meaning you lean back and the information is pretty much told to you. With online and mobile it’s a “lean forward” experience as it’s more of an active consumption. With online and mobile you choose what information you consume and when.

New platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, etc. are not threats to traditional news sources but tools. These tools allow news sources to target specific audiences, or reach more people in general.

Man selling his house for virtual money

Alberta man selling his $400,000 house for virtual money rather than cashJill Mahoney
The Globe & Mail
March 21, 2013

This story is timely because it’s been happening this month. This story is in our proximity because it’s in Canada. This story involves a prominent former hockey player Jayson More. The oddity is that this man is selling his house for virtual money. The importance is learning about the BitCoin.

A young entrepreneur by the name of Taylor More. The 22 year old is the son of former NHL defenceman Jayson More. The young Mr. More wanted to try something new, he wanted to sell his family’s vacation home for BitCoins. Bitcoins are an online virtual currency that is not handled by banks and unaffected by exchange rates. Right now one bitcoin is worth $70 Canadian. The More family is hoping to get atleast part of the asking price in bitcoins but they said they aren’t going to turn someone down if they come with $400,000.

The headline grabbed my attention pretty effectively. I was thinking “are these people crazy?”. Once I read the article and understood what a bitcoin was I thought it was a really cool idea. Except there are downsides to the bitcoin, maybe they aren’t downsides for all. It is very hard to track transactions. The article says that gambling websites take bitcoins, as well as a black market website.

The downsides are kind of scary. I think more people should be educated on the bitcoin. If I were to write a story on this it would be a feature, showing the facts of what the bitcoin is, who created it, and the pros and cons.

Canadian UN representative storms out of meeting because of Iran’s “Israeli genocide” comments

Canada storms out of UN meeting after Iran’s “Israeli genocide” remark
Mike Blanchfield
National Post
March 7, 2013

This story is timely because because the UN meeting was Wednesday. This story is in proximity because it involved a Canadian official. The United Nations representatives are prominent people. This story is important because it’s detailing an atrocity. This breaks from routine because the representatives were so appalled they left the meeting.

The story outlines the United Nations nuclear agency meeting held yesterday. During the meeting the Iranian representative started to rant about Israel including threats of nuclear attack. After these comments, representatives from Canada, United States, New Zealand, and Australia left the meeting in protest.While this meeting was being held, in Ottawa Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird was urging Russia, China, Germany, France, United Kingdom, and the U.S. to convince Iran to let in international officials to inspect their nuclear facilities. Baird said that if Iran refused it would face tougher sanctions regarding nuclear programs. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Baird have said that Iran’s nuclear program is one of the greatest threats to global security.

This story is very well written. It answered all the questions I had yet still provoked thought. The quotes were very good. The reporter got quotes from many different people to balance the story.

Reading about the subject concerns me. With both North Korea and Iran now threatening nuclear strikes it worries me. The UN is being too nice. They need to put their foot down before nuclear warfare is unleashed.

A story I would pitch as a followup story would be on the UN’s handling of the situation. Is the UN doing their duty to keep the peace? What should they be doing differently? How do people feel about Iran’s threats against Israel?
This story should be done now because the tension is building and needs to be documented. This is new and important to people because we haven’t been under threat of nuclear war since the Cold War, this is on a lot of people’s minds. I would do this for TV to get the emotions and reactions of interview subjects.

Ontario thinking about junk food restrictions

Ontario mulling junk food restrictions to cut childhood obesity
ADRIAN MORROW
TORONTO — The Globe and Mail
Published Monday, Mar. 04 2013, 9:31 PM EST
Last updated Monday, Mar. 04 2013, 9:37 PM EST

This meets the requirements of a feature because it is timely but less urgent, has all the reporting requirements, the writing is more literary, and there’s detail and drama. It’s timely but less urgent because the legislation is going through political processes now but there’s no definitive date it will be introduced. It has statistics, quotes from experts, and anecdotes. The writing is looser, more fluff.
This is a trend story. Healthy eating and concern for childhood obesity has been a trend for a few years. It’s also a trend that is rising. The lead is straight to the point. Essentially, the climax of the story is at the beginning. The writer just drops the bomb and has your attention. The quotes of from experts such as politicians, activism group leaders, and advertising specialists. It seems the writer used these quotes to add a bit of emotion and show how each side is feeling. The first quote from Health Minister Deb Matthews feels passionate to me.

“Not everyone will be comfortable with all of the steps we take, but we need to have an all-of-society conversation about this,” she said.

The details of the proposed legislation to ban advertising of junk food to children give weight to the story. They make it real.
On the flip side the use of statistics is meant to balance out the argument. It says there’s a voluntary agreement for food and beverage companies to not direct advertising of junk food at children. In 2011, it was found that 92% of food and beverage advertisers with ads directed towards children were a part of this agreement and adhered to it.
The paragraph structure was longer, more detailed. The writer was a little more leisurely.
The ending is logical and more thought provoking, kind of a “to be continued”.

A light sentence for a horrible crime

Dog Killers Sentenced
Meghan Balogh
Napanee Guide
January 29, 2013

This story is timely because the sentencing was this past Tuesday. This story is in proximity because it happened in Napanee. This story involved a judge who is a prominent figure. It’s important because the atrocity committed. The oddity is the judge gave a lighter sentence because he felt the men were stupid.

This story is covering the sentencing of the two Napanee, Ontario men convicted of drowning a dog. Travis Haaksman and Carl Wood, both 19, did not have a criminal record before now. In April 2012 the two men took Haaksman’s family dog to a quarry, tied it’s leash to a cinder block, and threw it into the water. Justice Geoff Griffin gave Haaksman three months of jail time and Wood only two months. They will also have 2 years probation. The terms of their probation are to attend counseling, pursue schooling or employment, and report to a probation officer. The judge gave them such a light sentence because they were “of below-average intelligence”.

I am disgusted. I don’t care if these men were first-offenders and stupid, they deserved a lengthier sentence. Haaksman claims that his mom told him to “get rid of the dog”. I have no idea how that could translate into “hey buddy, let’s go drown the family dog”. All I can think of when I imagine that scene is a trailer park full of the uneducated being supported by society. I would have been satisfied with 6 months each. I am, however, glad that part of the sentence was to pursue education or employment. That needs to be sentenced more often.

Some questions are raised from the article that I’d like to follow up on. What kind of municipal, provincial and national laws are there related to animal cruelty? Do the laws need to be tweaked? Is animal cruelty common in this area? Should these men have gotten a heavier sentence?

A story I would pitch as a follow up would be to ask the opinions of the public. I would do more research on the laws and study other similar cases to see the sentences. This would be important and surprising to the audience because almost everyone has a soft spot for animals. There has been a lot of outrage and protests over this particular case. Potential contacts would be the Quinte Humane Society and the Belleville Police. I would do some streeters to see what the average citizen thinks about the sentencing in this case and animal cruelty laws in general. I would do this for radio to hear the emotion in the responses.

A hitman as defence against abuse

Supreme court to rule on woman who hired hit man against abusive husband
Kirk Makin
Justice Reporter – The Globe and Mail
Thursday January 17, 2013

This story is timely because it is an ongoing case. This story is prominent because  it’s in the supreme court. The importance is this could be a case that changes laws. The proximity is this affects all of Canada. The oddity is this has the potential to be a ground-breaking case.

This article is about a Nova Scotia schoolteacher named Nicole Ryan who sought a hit man to kill her abusive husband. The Supreme Court of Canada is debating whether to acquit her because of self defense because she is a battered woman.

When I read the headline I wondered how one goes about finding a hit man. Reading the story I instantly empathized with this woman. I have been in a similar situation, you get desperate, you frantically look for a way out. A lot of the time, the police and legal system in general just do not work. A lot of the time the justice system victim-shames and discourages women from coming forward about their abuse.

I’m a little on the fence about this case. It’s showing that she planned the murder, but also that the justice system failed her. I know women are acquitted if they murder their abusive spouses because of self defense, but hiring a hit man is taking it to a whole other level. But then again it would be difficult for a woman like Ms. Ryan, who is described in the article as 98 pounds and diminutive, to murder her 6 foot 3 ex-military husband.

Kim Pate, executive director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies had this to say about this case.

“It would simply be unacceptable that men in barroom brawls are entitled in law to plead self-defence and obtain acquittals – even in cases where they were the initial aggressors – and then deny abused women any defence,”

I support this particular case to acquit Ms. Ryan of her charges because she felt there was no other option. But this also may open the floodgates to cases where women hired hit men to take out their spouses. They could claim their spouse was abusive but maybe they weren’t?

Iran supports the “warrior path” of Canada’s First Nations

Idle No More is a righteous struggle against ‘land-hungry colons’: Iranian State TV
Tristan Hopper
National Post
January 8, 2013

This story is timely because it happened earlier this week. The proximity is involving Canadian protests. Involves prominent Canadian correspondent Eric Walberg for Iran’s Press TV, the English language broadcaster. The importance of this story is the support for the Idle No More protests. The oddity is Iran continuing to show distaste for the Canadian government.

 

Misogyny and Movie Reviews

Niagara Falls film critic battles with publisher over movies with “strong women”
Laura Kane
The Toronto Star
Friday November 23, 2012

This story is timely because it happened today. The proximity is this happened within the community of journalists. This involved Frank Parlato, a prominent editor of a Niagara Falls newspaper. This is important because the subject potentially goes against journalists’ principles and practices. This story breaks from routine because it’s put this editor in controversy.

When a freelance film critic, Michael Calleri, noticed that his reviews weren’t getting published in a Niagara Falls, New York newspaper he contacted the editor to ask why. Frank Parlato, editor of the Niagara Falls Reporter, responded saying he didn’t want to publish reviews of movies with strong female leads.

I am not interested in supporting the reversing of traditional gender roles.

That quote was taken from The Star.
When I read the caption on the photo of the two men I was shocked. It’s not often that an editor is accused of being a misogynistic pig. Reading through the article I learned that this is not the first time Parlato has been the centre of controversy. This last summer a sports column in the paper criticized the NHL for promoting homosexuality. Parlato stood by that article. From reading this article and a couple others that I found, Frank Parlato sounds like a hateful man.

I thought of this news from a journalistic standpoint as well. Is it not our job to be fair, balanced, and report all sides no matter our personal biases? I guess what I’m getting at is I do not agree with how Parlato runs his newspaper. He claims he does not want to publish reviews of movies portraying women as alpha, men as beta. He also says that he does not want reviews of movies with men as alpha either. So… you’re going to publish nothing? It’s obvious to me the almost all movies have a strong lead character, sometimes male, sometimes female. There is no such thing as equality in movies. If there are two lead characters one is always less intelligent, less skilled, or some other short coming.

Secondly, that claim is contradictory to everything else he has said and done. He has proven himself to be demeaning of women and homosexuals with his editorials and selective publishing. I don’t understand why Parlato can’t publish a variety of movie reviews with strong leads of both genders.

Like I said before, what Parlato is doing with this newspaper goes against the principles and practices that all journalists are to live by. It has raised many questions for me. Is this man dedicated to delivering unbiased and fact-based news to the public? Do his opinions influence citizens who read his paper?

Stick to the rules, Parlato, don’t use your own personal opinions to run a newspaper or you end up looking like a jerk.

Link to the original article: Niagara Falls film critic battles with publisher over movies with “strong women”

Rallying for Change in Ireland

Conor Humphries
Dublin, Ireland
Published November 14, 2012 in The Globe and Mail

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny. Image from the Globe and Mail.

This story is timely because the protest happened yesterday. This is important because it’s bringing women’s and religious rights to the forefront in heavily Roman Catholic Ireland. The prominence aspect is Prime Minister of Ireland, Enda Kenny, has been heavily criticized for the laws against abortion in these protests. This happened on the other side of the world but it affects women’s rights movements everywhere. It’s odd that protests like these are needed in the 21st century.
Savita Halappanavar, and Indian immigrant, died at an Irish hospital after being refused an abortion. She was 17 weeks pregnant when she started getting bad back pains. She went to the hospital and the doctors said she would miscarry in a couple of hours. Halappanavar was in agony for two and a half days. She repeatedly asked for the pregnancy to be terminated, having already accepted that she had lost the baby. The doctors said that as long as there was a fetal heartbeat they legally couldn’t do anything but wait. And she died because of it.

This is another example of why religion and politics should be separated. I respect that Roman Catholics believe life should be cherished, but their beliefs shouldn’t be imposed on the whole population. This woman died because she had no governance over her well being even though the doctors knew she was going to lose the baby anyway.

The Irish government has been waffling on the issue since the 1980s. They didn’t want to offend Roman Catholic voters by getting rid of the law. In 2010 the European Court of Human Rights told Ireland that they need to decide their position on the matter of abortion.

Over 2,000 people held a candlelit vigil yesterday to tell the government to change the laws. They want it to state when a mother’s life is in danger due to the pregnancy doctors can terminate it.

This quote was dead on. I agree 100% with what this MP said.

“What happened to this woman was nothing short of medieval,” independent socialist MP Clare Daly told the crowd. “We can’t let political cowardice kill another woman.”

Women’s rights and human rights groups are all over this saying this is not acceptable and something needs to change. I’m wondering why the politicians are so worried about elections, this is human rights. How many more women have to die before politicians stop being self-serving and do what needs to be done?

View the original article here. Another article on the matter here.

U.S. Picture of Liberalism?

CTV News Nov 7
CTV News with Lisa Laflamme

“Planting the Seeds” – Washington and Colorado legalize marijuana.

Marijuana

Image from Wikipedia.

This story is timely because it happened on Wednesday November 7. The importance of this is this is evidence that the prohibition on marijuana might be ending. Proximity is this is happening in the next country, these laws may prompt Canada into rethinking marijuana laws. This story involves high level government officials who are prominent people. The unnecessary and expensive war on marijuana could be ending, that’s what is odd about this.

So two states have legalized marijuana as of Wednesday. This is a good start! Pot is definitely not worth spending a trillion dollars on. For 40 years the war on drugs has been filling our prisons with people who don’t need to be there. Not to mention that the trillion dollars spent putting potheads in prison was coming out of your tax dollars.

In Washington and Colorado the recreational use of marijuana is now legal, which means smoking it to get high. It’s legal in those states but it’s still illegal on a federal level. Many people believe that the federal government will intervene. It appears this law was passed as a protest which is challenging the feds to intervene and encouraging other states to rethink their drug laws as well. This is also making Canadian activists pressure our government even more. Although a statement from a Canadian government official said that this government will not be legalizing pot. That doesn’t change the push they’ll be feeling in the wake of this.

One quote from this newscast was particularly powerful.

“It’s a strange day when Canada looks to the United States as a picture of liberalism”.

It is quite strange considering the U.S. has always been Canada’s uptight, conservative neighbour. We legalized gay marriage over 7 years ago while the U.S has still barely made headway on the issue. The roles have been reversed.

Putting these laws into effect will make marijuana purchasable like alcohol. It can be sold in state-licensed stores. It will be taxed like alcohol bringing in a lot more money for the government. Under this law a person is allowed to have up to an ounce (28.5 grams) of pot for personal use as long as they are 21 years of age or older.

Hearing and reading about this has made me wonder if these states are going to re-examine cases of people being put in jail for possession. I wonder if they’ll let them out of jail and give them some sort of compensation. That seems like a just thing to do because they were put in jail for such a stupid reason. This law will stoke the fire of activism all over North America.

 

 

Colorado, Washington first states to legalize recreational pot

This article was also a good source of information and a lot more detailed if you want to learn more.