THE BASICS OF
JOURNALISM
Ileana Oroza
January, 2010
OUR DISCUSSION TODAY
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Independence
Verification
 Fact
checking
 Multiple sourcing
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Responsibility and integrity
THE ELEMENTS OF JOURNALISM
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Journalism's first obligation is to the truth.
Its first loyalty is to citizens.
Its essence is a discipline of verification.
Its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover.
It must serve as an independent monitor of power.
It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise.
It must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant.
It must keep the news comprehensive and proportional.
Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience.
Citizens, too, have rights and responsibilities when it comes to the news.
Tom Rosenstiel, Bill Kovach
3. The essence of journalism is a
discipline of verification
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Defines objectivity, not as an absence of point of
view, but as utilizing a “transparent approach to
evidence”
 Seeking
out multiple sources
 Asking all relevant sides for comment
 Disclosing, whenever possible, all relevant information
about the sources
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“The method is objective, not the journalist”
SEEKING OUT MULTIPLE SOURCES
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INFORMATION COMES FROM
 PERSONAL
KNOWLEDGE
 BACKGROUND
 CONTEXT
 OBSERVATION
 SOURCES
OF STORY
SOURCING
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THE QUALITY OF YOUR STORY DEPENDS ON THE
QUALITY OF YOUR SOURCES
A GOOD STORY NEEDS A VARIETY OF SOURCES
 FOR
INFORMATION
 FOR CONFIRMATION
 FOR AUTHENTICITY
 FOR AUTHORITY
 FOR TENSION
 FOR COLOR
YOU NEED A VARIETY OF SOURCES
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PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES
PEOPLE HAVE AGENDAS
TO WRITE A RICHER, MORE NUANCED, MORE
INTERESTING STORY, YOU NEED A LOT OF
INFORMATION AND CONTRASTING POINTS OF VIEW
TO SHARPEN YOUR THINKING AND FOCUS BY TALKING
TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT POINTS OF
VIEW
TO GUARD AGAINST HOAXES
SOURCES
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DOCUMENTS
 PHONE
BOOKS
 PRESS RELEASES
 GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS AND ARCHIVES
 CORRESPONDENCE (INCLUDING E-MAIL)
 VIDEOS
 INTERNET
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PEOPLE
PEOPLE AS SOURCES
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OFFICIAL
 GOVERNMENT
 PRIVATE
ORGANIZATIONS
 CHAMBERS
OF COMMERCE
 CORPORATIONS
 NGOs
 SOCIAL/CIVIC/RELIGIOUS
 CHURCHES
 SOCIAL
SERVICE AGENCIES
 POLITICAL PARTIES
ORGANIZATIONS
PEOPLE AS SOURCES
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UNOFFICIAL
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THOSE AFFECTED BY GOVERNMENT ACTION
VICTIMS OF AN ACCIDENT OR CATASTROPHE
“CLIENTS” OF ALL TYPES
YOU CAN FIND THESE SOURCES IN “THIRD PLACES”
THAT YOU SHOULD FREQUENT AS A JOURNALIST
PEOPLE AS SOURCES
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STRIVE FOR VARIETY
 POINT
OF VIEW
 AGE
 ETHNICITY
 SOCIAL
POSITION
WHO MAKES A GOOD SOURCE?
THINK STRATEGICALLY
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WHO WILL SUIT MY PURPOSE BEST?
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WHO WILL HELP READERS IDENTIFY WITH THE STORY?
WHO CAN GIVE ME THE INFORMATION I NEED?
WHO IS LIKELY TO HAVE
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A GOOD ANECDOTE?
AN UNUSUAL POINT OF VIEW?
AN INTERESTING OPINION?
WHO CAN I REASONABLY GET?
WHO IS A GOOD SOURCE?
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NOT ALL SOURCES ARE CREATED EQUAL.
CONSIDER:
 BACKGROUND
 RELATIONSHIP
TO THE STORY
 EYEWITNESS?
 DIRECT
CONTACT?
 PERSONAL TIES?
 CONTEXT
 DOES
HIS STORY MATCH WHAT WE KNOW?
WHO IS A GOOD SOURCE?
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NOT ALL SOURCES ARE CREATED EQUAL.
CONSIDER:
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RELIABILITY
 LEVEL/DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE
 EXPERIENCE
 POSITION/PRESTIGE
 AUTHORITY
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EG: NOT ALL JOURNALISTS ARE EXPERTS IN POLITICS
ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE
DOES HE SPEAK CLEARLY?
 CAN SHE TRANSLATE TECHNICAL LANGUAGE?
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WHY IS THIS PERSON TELLING ME THIS?
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RELIABILITY
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CONFLICT OF INTEREST?
TRANSPARENCY
MOTIVES/BIASES
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FINANCIAL
IDEOLOGICAL
WHAT DOES HE GAIN BY TALKING?
WHAT DOES HE WANT TO HIDE?
CAN THE PERSON BENEFIT FROM MY WRITING THIS STORY?
WHY IS THIS PERSON TELLING ME THIS?
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A JOURNALIST WHO DOES NOT QUESTION THE
MOTIVES OF A SOURCE CAN FALL INTO A TRAP
A SOURCE CAN TELL YOU SOMETHING FOR HIS
OWN BENEFIT, OR FOR THE COMMON GOOD.
OFTEN, HIS MOTIVATION COMES FROM A
COMBINATION OF THE TWO.
Leonard Ray Teel
Ron Taylor
WHEN EVALUATING UNOFFICIAL SOURCES,
CONSIDER:
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FEAR OF PRESS
LACK OF EXPERIENCE
 THE
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RASHOMON EFFECT
VULNERABILITY/COST
 PUBLIC
SHAME
 LOSS OF JOB
4. Journalists must maintain an independence from
those they cover
Independence is “a cornerstone of reliability”
 Even columnists and editorialists must be fair,
accurate and honest
 Transparency is key
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SPJ CODE OF ETHICS
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JOURNALISTS SHOULD BE FREE OF OBLIGATION
TO ANY INTEREST OTHER THAN THE PUBLIC'S
RIGHT TO KNOW.
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AVOID CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, REAL OR PERCEIVED.
REMAIN FREE OF ASSOCIATIONS AND ACTIVITIES THAT MAY
COMPROMISE INTEGRITY OR DAMAGE CREDIBILITY
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FAMILY
FRIENDS
BUSINESS ACQUAINTANCES
REFUSE GIFTS, FAVORS, FEES, FREE TRAVEL AND SPECIAL
TREATMENT
SPJ CODE OF ETHICS
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JOURNALISTS SHOULD…
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SHUN SECONDARY EMPLOYMENT, INVOLVEMENT IN
POLITICS OR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS IF THEY
COMPROMISE JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY
DISCLOSE UNAVOIDABLE CONFLICTS.
DENY FAVORED TREATMENT TO ADVERTISERS AND SPECIAL
INTERESTS AND RESIST THEIR PRESSURE TO INFLUENCE NEWS
COVERAGE.
BE WARY OF SOURCES OFFERING INFORMATION FOR
FAVORS OR MONEY; AVOID BIDDING FOR NEWS.
ANONYMOUS SOURCES
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THE PROBLEM:
 THEY
WEAKEN A STORY
 THEY DAMAGE YOUR CREDIBILITY
 IS
HE LYING?
 IS SHE FLOATING A TRIAL BALLOON?
 THEY
MAKE THE READER SUSPICIOUS
 BIG TROUBLE IF THE STORY GOES TO COURT
GROUND RULES
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ON THE RECORD – Reporter can use all information
provided.
NOT FOR ATTRIBUTION (A.K.A. “ON BACKGROUND):
Reporter can use information but promises to protect the
source’s identity during reporting and in the published
story.
OFF THE RECORD: Information cannot be used in the story,
even if the source is not identified
GENERAL POLICY
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MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO GET THE SOURCE ON RECORD
DO NOT USE ANONYMOUS SOURCES TO MAKE
NEGATIVE COMMENTS OR CHARGES
USE ANONYMOUS SOURCES ONLY WHEN YOU ARE
CONVINCED THAT THE FACT IS OF OVERWHELMING
NEWS VALUE AND THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO GET IT
TELL THE READER WHY THE NEWSPAPER HAS DECIDED
TO GRANT ANONYMITY
ALWAYS GET EDITOR’S APPROVAL.
SOURCES
Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel: The Elements of
Journalism
 The Missouri Group: News Reporting and Writing
 Christopher Scanlan: Reporting and Writing
 SPJ Code of Ethics at
http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp
 PoynterOnline at http://www.poynter.org/
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