News Literacy Articles Analysis - Research Paper Example

? number Word Count 549 Now That’s News! With the burgeoning amount of “news media” circulating around the Internet today in so many venues, it is often difficult to decipher what is news and what is not. Even though certain articles appear to take the form of news releases from what appear to be objective media outlets, reader beware ? as it is easy for many to confuse news articles that actually belong to a totally different “neighborhood” of information that is not news at all, such as propaganda, advertisements, publicity, entertainment, or raw information, such as YouTube (McGinnis & Schneider 2010). Obviously, these distinct categories all set out with a different purpose, and if one is not careful, he or she will be caught in the Net of deception and fall prey to manipulative tactics that vie to gain one’s allegiance or financial support. In order to demonstrate this modern-day dilemma, three apparent news articles will be examined to see if they pass the test as being news ? or drift into another neighborhood. The three stories ? one about an up-and-coming hypnotist weight-loss doctor, another about a new canned chicken product fighting food poisoning, and the last about a dog strangely contracting a horse disease – all have the initial presentations of legitimate news stories, but once one digs deeper and measures them with the tools of a savvy journalist, only one comes out passing for authentic news. Because news today covers such a wide range of topics, it is often easy for some articles to blur the lines as to what information neighborhood one is actually in, but fortunately, the discerning reader can always fall back on a GPS system, if you will, to find out where one really is. Let us begin with an article titled “You’re getting sleepy… and thinner…” out of Toowoomba’s Style Magazine. First off, the title does not give the first impression that this is an objective news piece, but then the author quickly tries to dispel any anticipation of the reader that this is an advertising or publicity piece by stating, “as a journalist, my middle name is ‘sceptic,’” before attempting to convince the reader that she is no pushover for the newest weight-loss fad (Miller 2011). After diligently trying to disarm readers from believing that she is trying to promote the hypnotist, Tony Kyprios, she spends the entire article lauding the advancement and success of the lap-band surgery procedure, while commending the innovator’s heart to help others. This presentation immediately shoots up red flags for the cautious reader, and the story content, which only divulges the positive side of the procedure, makes one even more wary of the author’s intent. The slant, or story angle, definitely pushes the reader into embracing the hypnotist as an ambitious and benevolent out-of-the-box thinker whose medical practice is worthy of the readers’ support. After all is said and done, one remains skeptical as to whether this piece was set out to merely inform the audience, as a genuine news story should. One reason is that it lacks verification, as there are no reported studies proving the procedure’s success ? only unverified percentages of supposed success rates from abroad. With regards to independence, one cannot draw any apparent ties between the magazine and the practitioner, but a skeptic may argue that Kyprios either had a friendly contact at the magazine, or gave it some incentive to publicize his efforts. In lieu of accountability, the journalist has the credentials of a credible member of the media, but because of the one-sided reporting on the hypnotist and procedure – not mentioning any drawbacks, apprehensions, or failures – the reporting has all the signs of being biased. When walking past the six different information neighborhoods, one would clearly bypass putting this story in the “news” locale, but rather the “publicity” zone, as its intent is to enhance an image, rather than to inform; its client is a personality rather than the public; its method is putting a positive spin on the subject rather than verifying the presented information; and the clear outcome was to bring greater public approval to Kyprios, rather than just to inform society about a new practice. Yet, even though the practitioner of this article is a journalist for a newspaper, she wrote this article for its fashion magazine, which acts as an agent to promote a particular trend. This article clearly has all the trappings of a publicity piece – not a news story. After reading the second story’s title, “Canned chicken to combat food poisoning,” it initially appears to be more of an objective article than the first, but this view quickly changes. Even though this article appears in the New Zealand Herald as an article, the reader quickly discovers that this is not a news article at all, but an advertisement in disguise. This story is presented in a way through its headline and introduction as if it is geared toward promoting and informing about public health, but that facade is swiftly shed after it becomes apparent that all of the content is geared toward persuading readers to buy the canned chicken out of fear of contracting food poisoning (Canned Chicken to Combat 2008). The story angle clearly lines up the cards to drive readers to the supermarket to buy a product – not to inform them about ways to avoid contracting food poisoning. Using the verification barometer, one identifies the author’s mention of the New Zealand Food Safety Authority, but only a sweeping statement from the government agency is mentioned, which does not even specifically mention chicken as the root of the nation’s relatively high rate of food poisoning (compared to other nations). The article also comes under suspicion when one uses the independence gauge, as the only quote is provided, which is from the marketing manager of the chicken company. The accountability factor is simply not there, as no author name is given for the article, which could have been sent (along with a check) to the newspaper from the actual company. When looking for a neighborhood in which to place this article, the “advertisement” community becomes the perfect fit, as its goal is clearly to sell canned chicken, and the client served is definitely Chop Chop!, not the general public. The method used is persuasion through words of fear, as opposed to any verification of the existence of an epidemic or independence from the featured company. The first story overtly shined the hypnotist in a favorable light, but this story goes beyond positive exposure to blatant advertising under the guise of a newspaper article. Finally, when reviewing The Australian article, “First case of Hendra virus confirmed in dog,” after the canned chicken story, one’s radar is poised to detect the selling of some antidote for the disease, but this is not the case. From the beginning, an objective report of the mysterious situation is relayed, as the presentation is merely to inform the public about an unusual occurrence. The content gives factual accounts of what took place and quotes a medical authority and a premier to give a wider scope of the incident, while the only angle to the story is to communicate that a rare occurrence took place and to be take precautions with one’s canines. It definitely passes the verification test with hands-on reporting at the scene and interviews conducted with medical and local authorities. No apparent connection between the reporter and those involved in the incident exists, and accountability of the author is established through her credentials as a journalist and her appeal the experts. This article lands in the right (news) neighborhood, as its goal is to inform ? not to manipulate the reader to buy or support something. Its client is clearly the public, who it reaches through the method of verification via local authorities. The practitioner is clearly a journalist, whose article achieved the outcome providing society with reliable information to take reasonable action to avoid a possible crisis. Another function this article serves is one of analysis ? promoting democracy by providing “coherent frameworks of interpretation to help citizens comprehend a complex world,” (Schudson 2008, p. 12). The story works to clue in the community about the dynamics of the disease with which they must deal, and provides an overall prime specimen of what a genuine news article communicates to the public. Discerning between news stories and stories masquerading as news is an essential skill. The media must distinguish between the two so that it is able to make sound judgments about the credibility of available information, while its audience must be able to decipher the difference in order to avoid being manipulated into buying something under false pretenses or coaxed into ascribing to a particular political persuasion (McGinnis & Schneider 2010). Furthermore if the lines are blurred between news, entertainment, and advertising, society at large will begin to distrust all sources of information, including news itself, (Callahan 2007), therefore weakening the media’s credibility. So, after taking a walk around the information neighborhoods and employing the proper journalism positioning tools to demarcate the grain from the chaff, so to speak, one becomes equipped to effectively utilize the sea of information deluging this world to his or her advantage ? without getting swamped by a deceitful tidal wave of propaganda and marketing masquerading as news. Appendix STORY 1 STORY 2 STORY 3 Headline/title “You’re getting sleepy… and thinner…” “Canned chicken to combat food poisoning” “First case of Hendra virus confirmed in dog” Publication /source Style Magazine The New Zealand Herald The Australian Summary Hypnotist Tony Kyprios wants to open hundreds of lap-band surgery clinics and, as the only local licensed practitioner of the procedure in the Toowoomba and Darling Downs region, he foresees the innovative and effective weight-loss program benefitting millions of people in the near future. After New Zealand has experienced abnormally high rates of food poisoning from conventionally sold chicken, canned cooked chicken is now hitting the grocery store shelves, offering consumers a safer alternative. A dog in Queensland mysteriously contracted the Hendra virus from a horse ? an unprecedented occurrence ? as the disease was previously believed to be contained within the horse species. Neighborhood Publicity Advertisement News Goal To enhance an image To sell To inform Client Celebrities, public officials, companies (in this case, an entrepreneur) Businesses The public Method Positive information and “spin” Persuasion through images and words Verification and independence Practitioner Public relations agencies (in this case, a biased fashion magazine editor) Advertising agencies, copy writers, ad directors Journalists Outcome Greater public approval Products purchased Reliable, actionable information, an informed society List of References Callahan, A 2007, A resource for media literacy; why journalism education matters more than ever, Northern Essex Community College, Massachusetts. Kovach, B & Rosenstiel, T 2007, The elements of journalism: what newspeople should know and he public should expect, Three Rivers Press, New York. McGinnis, M & Schneider H 2010, Watching TV news: how to be a smarter viewer, Poynter News University, viewed 20 August 2011, . Miller, M 2011, “You’re getting sleepy… and thinner…” Style Magazine, N.D. p. 11. Schudson, M 2008, Why democracies need an unlovable press, Polity Press, Cambridge. The Center for News Literacy 2009, Know your neighborhood, Stony Brook University, viewed 20 August 2011, . The New Zealand Herald, 2008, “Canned chicken to combat food poisoning,” 19 March, viewed 20 August 2011, . Walker, J 2011, “First case of Hendra virus found in dog,” The Australian, 26 July, viewed 20 August 2011, . Read More