Jessica
JRN 201 – Section #14582
Mar. 31, 2016
Honors Blog Post XII
Jessica
JRN 201 – Section #14582
Mar. 31, 2016
Honors Blog Post XII
"Informing the News" Interview Response
In the interview with Diane Rehm, Thomas E. Patterson discusses what he believes are the biggest problems with today's media.
I found that the underlying argument that he had is simply that most journalists today are not truly equipped to accurately cover news.
He acknowledges that they are taught the basic skills of conducting and following news, but says that these skills often fall short on topics that require more extensive research and knowledge.
Patterson laments that because a lot of reporters are not knowledgeable on the topics they are covering, they are not truly getting the whole story out. Instead, they are left "vulnerable" to their sources as they often quote them without digging into the interviewee's true meaning or angle.
Patterson cautions that this kind of journalism is leading to massive misinformation, which in turn hurts the Democracy, stating that a country can't have a Democracy if the people are not informed.
To combat the growing gap in fact and fiction in the newsroom, Patterson suggests that news media outlets select and train reporters based on their area of expertise outside of their journalism skills. While he says those skills are important, they will not be implemented correctly if the journalist knows little to nothing about the subject matter he is covering.
In doing so, this ensures that the information printed or displayed is written by someone who is knowledgeable and can truly get to the heart of a story and not just regurgitate what their source said. This will also help combat biases and reactionary pieces the more true information reaches the public.
In the interview with Diane Rehm, Thomas E. Patterson discusses what he believes are the biggest problems with today's media.
I found that the underlying argument that he had is simply that most journalists today are not truly equipped to accurately cover news.
He acknowledges that they are taught the basic skills of conducting and following news, but says that these skills often fall short on topics that require more extensive research and knowledge.
Patterson laments that because a lot of reporters are not knowledgeable on the topics they are covering, they are not truly getting the whole story out. Instead, they are left "vulnerable" to their sources as they often quote them without digging into the interviewee's true meaning or angle.
Patterson cautions that this kind of journalism is leading to massive misinformation, which in turn hurts the Democracy, stating that a country can't have a Democracy if the people are not informed.
To combat the growing gap in fact and fiction in the newsroom, Patterson suggests that news media outlets select and train reporters based on their area of expertise outside of their journalism skills. While he says those skills are important, they will not be implemented correctly if the journalist knows little to nothing about the subject matter he is covering.
In doing so, this ensures that the information printed or displayed is written by someone who is knowledgeable and can truly get to the heart of a story and not just regurgitate what their source said. This will also help combat biases and reactionary pieces the more true information reaches the public.
