1

MEMORANDUM
To: From: Date: Sub e!t: Professor Joseph Griffin Jeanelle Andersen 1 February 2014 "esear!h Proposal #The $thi!s of Pro%idin& 'e(s)

PURPOSE
* hope to be an editor someday+ * (ould li,e to understand the politi!s of editin& ne(s- so * (ill be informed and prepared to fa!e the moral issues that a!!ompany a profession in the media+ .ost intri&uin& to me are these /uestions: 0hat ethi!s are in%ol%ed in pro%idin& ne(s1 23astian4 5ase6+ 0hat le%el of !orruption e7ists (ithin ne(s media- spe!ifi!ally in the 8nited States- and (hy1 2Sass4 Solomon6+ 9o( mu!h of the national and international ne(s (e re!ei%e in the 8+S+ is manipulated- distorted- or propa&andi:ed1 23rea,in&6+ 0here- in the pro!ess of &atherin& and distributin& information- are those /uestionable ethi!al standards most !ommonly found that (ea,en the inte&rity of the information that !onne!ts !iti:ens to their !ountry and man,ind to the (orld1 9o( does this affe!t reporters and ournalists1 2S!alf6+ 0hat are the most reliable sour!es of national and international ne(s1 20alsh6+

BACKGROUND
* ha%e %ery little ba!,&round (ith this topi!+ The potential for unreliable ne(s (as brou&ht to my attention- first- in hi&h s!hool and then in Jerusalem- (here * studied abroad+ *n my senior year of hi&h s!hool- * had a history tea!her- .r+ 3o(den 25entral ;alley 9i&h S!hool6- (ho &reatly desired that (e ,eep up (ith lo!al and (orld ne(s+ 9e insisted that (e try to find #reliable) sour!es- su!h as the 8+'+ (ebsite+ 9e disli,ed many !ommon sour!es of ne(s- (hether online- tele%ision- or (ritten+ *n Jerusalem- a &uest spea,er !ame to be (ith us one e%enin&+ 9e (as an Ameri!an ournalist (ho had similar feelin&s as my old history tea!her+ 9e (anted us to ,no( that- (hen it !omes to Ameri!an ne(s media- (e should ta,e e%erythin& (e see- hear- or read (ith a &rain of salt+

SIGNIFICANCE
As !iti:ens- * belie%e that (e deser%e to ,no( the truth about !urrent and actually important issues+ *f (e !an be more informed about ne(s media and the possible !orruption therein- perhaps (e !an a%oid bein& manipulated and tar&eted as pa(ns in the s!heme of some intan&ible- or perhaps %ery tan&ible- unethi!al puppet master (ith a selfish end&ame+ * (ish to dis!o%er to (hat ne(s sour!es one !an loo, to find honestunadulterated information about !andid- rele%ant e%ents+

* (ould li,e to learn (hat ethi!al !hoi!es * may ha%e to ma,e as an editor+ * belie%e in the stren&th of my moral ud&ment- and * hope to unearth dis!repan!ies bet(een ne(s manipulation that is selfish and immoral %ersus- perhaps- (ithheld or distorted information that may be ethi!ally responsible- or to find if su!h de!eitful heroism !an e%en e7ist+ * belie%e this resear!h !ould be used to aid many !iti:ens in obtainin& reliable ne(s+ Perhaps e7posure of their artifi!e (ould moti%ate ne(s media to produ!e more a!!urate information 2S!alf6+ * thin, an effe!ti%e (ay to share this resear!h- dependin& on the findin&s- and inform the &eneral publi! of my findin&s (ould be to publish them on an offi!ial- s!holarly<type (eb sour!e and then send out lin,s throu&hout so!ial media- (hi!h is an ama:in& !ir!ulator 20alsh6+ This- perhaps mild- irony is !ertainly a better option than tryin& to publish su!h an arti!le throu&h a !ompany about (hi!h * may ha%e !laimed !annot be trusted+

DESCRIPTION
.y (or,in& thesis is: There is a hi&h ethi!al standard that must be upheld (hen pro%idin& ne(s- and many ne(s (riters and editors disre&ard these ethi!s for manipulation of a publi! audien!e that trusts and relies upon their inte&rity+ This pro e!t (ill apply resear!h from both primary and se!ondary sour!es+ * (ill &et in tou!h (ith one or more of the follo(in&: an editor- a ournalist- or a blo&&er+ * belie%e these (ill be %aluable resour!es to help me &et a %ariety of opinions and e7perien!es re&ardin& the topi!+ .y se!ondary sour!es (ill be lar&ely !omprised of online resour!es: a!ademi! databases as (ell as !ommon sear!h en&ines and popular ne(s sour!es- from (hi!h the ma ority of the publi! retrie%es ne(s+

OUTLINE
Research Primary Sources Newspaper Owner Journalist Stephen Scalf Blogger Matt Walsh Editor or Reporter Secondary Sources Online Resources

Academic Search Engines

Popular News Sources

METHODOLOGY
.ost of my online resear!h (ill be done throu&h the a!ademi! sear!h en&ines JST=" and $3S5= on the 3>8<* library (ebsite+ * (ill also use ne(s (ebsites to resear!h the same story and ho( it (as !o%ered by different !ountries as (ell as different !ompanies (ithin the 8nited States in order to !ompare the depth of !o%era&e and o%erall messa&e+ * (ill email .att 0alsh 2blo&&er6 and Stephen S!alf 2ne(spaper o(ner? ournalist6 and as, them spe!ifi! /uestions as (ell as a!!ept any additional information they may ha%e on the matter+ * (ill find a reporter and?or editor to inter%ie( %ia email as (ell+

PROBLEMS
* anti!ipate that one of the bi&&est problems to be en!ountered in an endea%or su!h as this is to find primary sour!es or inter%ie(ees (ho are (illin& to tal, to me and (ho ha%e helpful- reliable- and hopefully only mildly biased information+ *f my efforts to find reliable primary sour!es are in %ain- there are many se!ondary sour!es online from (hi!h * !an &ather information+

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
3astian- Geor&e 5+- and @eland D+ 5ase+ A$ditin& the DayBs 'e(s+A $d+ "alph D+ 5asey+ Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 22C 21C4D6: 214< 1E+ JSTOR+ 0eb+ This publication discusses the important social role of the news media and its constituents and an expected ethical standard. A3rea,in& 'e(s- Analysis- Politi!s- 3lo&s- 'e(s Photos- ;ideo- Te!h "e%ie(s+A Time+ Time- n+d+ 0eb+ This is the home website for Time, a major ma a!ine and news company. Gelles- "i!hard J+- and "obert "+ Faul,ner+ ATime and Tele%ision 'e(s 0or,F+A The Sociolo ical "uarterly 1C+1 21CGH6: HC<102+ JSTOR+ 0eb+ This wor# discusses the role of $hard news% in tele&ision news. Iollmeyer- 5hristopher J+ A5orporate *nterests: 9o( the 'e(s .edia Portray the $!onomy+A Social Problems E1+D 220046: 4D2<E2+ JSTOR+ 0eb+ This author writes about the conni&ed portrayal of economic issues by the news media. "osenstiel- Tom+ APoliti!al Pollin& and the 'e( .edia 5ulture: A 5ase of .ore 3ein& @ess+A Public Opinion "uarterly JC+E 2200E6: JCH<G1E+ JSTOR+ 0eb+ This study illuminates the role of pollin in current news media. Sass- Jennifer- and Gina Solomon+ A*nappropriate *nfluen!e by *ndustry on $9P 'e(s Arti!le+A 'n&ironmental (ealth Perspecti&es 11D+2 2200E6: AHG<HH+ JSTOR+ 0eb+ This article calls out the corruption that too# place in the publication of a

4 scientific article. S!alf- S+ A*nter%ie( (ith Stephen S!alf+A $<mail inter%ie(+ Feb+ 2014+ Stephen Scalf is a journalist as well as the owner of the 5arlisle 5ourier, a local newspaper. S!haefer- "i!hard- and Tony .artine:+ ATrends in 'et(or, 'e(s $ditin& Strate&ies From 1CJC Throu&h 200E+A Journal of )roadcastin * 'lectronic +edia ED+D 2200C6: D4G<J4+ ')S,O+ 0eb+ This source pro&ides information about editin trends for broadcast news. AThe @oyal "efle!tion of Tai(anBs 5urrent Situation: =ur Poli!y in 'e(s 5olle!tin& and $ditin&+A Asian Affairs 2G+D 21CC16: 141<4E+ JSTOR+ 0eb+ This piece addresses the unsha#eable journalistic inte rity of its company. 0alsh- .+ A*nter%ie( (ith .att 0alsh+A $<mail inter%ie(+ Feb+ 2014+ +att -alsh is a popular blo er who co&ers a &ariety of topics.

TIMETABLE AND SCHEDULE

Date 01?2C?14 02?01?14 02?04?14 02?0H?14 02?11?14 02?1E?14 02?1H?14 02?22?14 02?2E?14 0D?01?14 0D?04?14 0D?0H?14 0D?11?14 0D?1E?14 0D?1H?14 0D?22?14 0D?2E?14 0D?2C?14 04?01?14 A!ti%ity Peer re%ie(+ Final "esear!h Proposal due+ =r&ani:e thou&hts and prepare more fo!used outline for resear!h+ 5hoose a fe( other !andidates to attempt email inter%ie(s (ith them to stren&then my resear!h from primary sour!es+ "ead<up online and !ome up (ith inter%ie(s /uestions to as, .att 0alsh- Stephen S!alf- and any other inter%ie(ees * !an find+ 0rite<up !olle!ti%e and indi%iduali:ed inter%ie( /uestions and email inter%ie(ees+ "esear!h and ta,e notes+ 0rite+ "esear!h and ta,e notes+ 0rite+ "esear!h and ta,e notes+ 0rite+ "esear!h and ta,e notes+ 0rite+ 3e&in to finali:e (or,+ 5ontent edit+ "eor&ani:e for perfe!t flo(+ 5ontinue to edit+ Tie to&ether any &aps (ith !ontinued resear!h and (ritin&+ Finali:e 5ontent editin&+ Finali:e Annotated 3iblio&raphy and te!hni!al editin&+ Submit final draft of "esear!h Paper+

REQUEST FOR APPROVAL

This pro e!t has the potential to help students (ho (ish to prepare themsel%es for (or, as a ne(s (riter or editor and may e%en offer aid to people (ishin& to find reliable ne(s+ *t is a pro e!t (ith the /uestion of ethi!al %alues at the heart of it+ * am re/uestin& appro%al to de%elop this into a useful sour!e of information for potential ournalistseditors- and the &eneral publi!+