Aims and Aspirations
My dream is to be a news reporter. But news reporting changes every day. For example, being a news reporter today is not the same as being a news reporter during World War 2. Many aspects related to news reporting have changed in a number of ways, including the tools and channels for reporting (such as the use of social media), news content, what the audience want and information sources, among others. Therefore, as an aspiring news reporter, I should know these things (including how news reporting is today and how it is likely to change in the future) and be prepared.
This course aims to prepare me for the real world of news reporting, and I have come to hear, read and understand various perspectives on news reporting. People that I have come to meet in this course (especially through their works and other people’s works) have had a big impact on me.
Manne (2012) looks at the Murdoch scandal, which is one of the biggest media scandals of the world. He cites the many unethical means that Murdoch’s media houses used to get stories from sources. These include using private detectives, bribing public officials (even the police), using surveillance and hacking into the mobile phones and computers of public figures. Manne (2012) refers to this as ‘criminal’.
This story had a big impact on me. In one way, it showed some of the ways that can be used to get stories today, such as the use of technology gadgets and knowledge. But in the end, Manne (2012) showed how media houses and journalists can use these in a way that is not right. But most importantly, this article poses a question: how far should journalists go to expose the truth? It is important to assume that we can know the truth.
Now I know the responsibility of the news reporter. Reported information is meant for many purposes: entertaining, informing (such as health programs), warn (such as when tsunami approaches), among others. But perhaps one of the most important purposes of the media is to act as watchdogs for the citizens. This way, media houses and journalists have the responsibility of holding public figures accountable.
However, it is important to know that all people have the right to their privacy. Therefore, when media houses and journalists do what Fleet Street newspapers (belonging to the Murdoch empire) did (listed above), they are doing what they are supposed to protect people from. Besides, the public figures that Fleet Street journalists targeted are human too. Surely, as a news reporter, I must remember that it will be my job to act ethically.
But another big question here concerns what the media houses and journalists should focus on most: making money or reporting news that can help the audience one way or another. Here, too, Benson (2012) touches on Murdoch’s News Corporation. Murdoch’s media houses have been said to focus on making money and gaining other forms of power. Benson (2012) says Murdoch’s media focus more on the sensational to attract a wider audience and make more money. The stories are more about crime, violence, scandals, disasters and accidents. These stories do attract a wider audience.
After reading this, I was more confused because I thought the media should report on these issues. Now I learned that two people reporting news can report differently even if they are reporting the same story. The difference is how the story is presented. This is an important issue. It means that I must know how the presentation of news can influence how the audience want to hear it or present it.
Finally, another issue that I found interesting was that on social media and social movement as discussed by Constanza-Chock (2012). In our class, I have come to learn that the media can also play the important role of mobilizing people to take action. I have seen this in my country during elections, when the radio and TV carry motivate people to vote. Also, they urge people to maintain peace during elections. However, today, when we say the media, we mean many things. Constanza-Chock (2012) focuses on the social media. Mostly, she examines how social media has been used by the Occupy movement to “create, circulate, curate, and amplify movement media across all available platforms” (375). This trend has been visible in other areas, such as during the Arab Spring.
As a news reporter, the social network movement shows me that mass media is no longer the only source of information for many people today. The social media, for example, has become a major source of information. Now I wonder if the news reporter is becoming less important. I do not know if that possible. But surely the news reporter is not as important as many years ago. That means that the news reporter should be able to report differently from social media to get an audience, including accuracy considering that social media is mostly sensational. But also, news reporters can also use the social media a platform- many reports already do (MAS 316 Media Futures: Echo Recordings).
Bibliography
Benson, R 2012 “A round table on the international dimensions of News Corp in the light of
the UK phone hacking scandal”. Global Media and Communication, vol.8, no.3: pp:3-25
Constanza-Chock, S 2012, “Mic check! Media cultures and the Occupy Movement,
social movement studies”. Journal of Social, Cultural and Political Protest, vol.11 no.3-4: pp.375-385
Manne, R 2012, Murdoch & company: Rupert is finally reaping what he sowed. The
Monthly, June
MAS 316 Media Futures: Echo
Recordings. http://ilearn.mq.edu.au/blocks/echo360_echocenter/echocenter_frame.php?id=17312 (Retrieved 16 October 2014)
