{"id":107,"date":"2015-03-25T21:41:35","date_gmt":"2015-03-25T21:41:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/chapter\/4-4-how-newspapers-control-the-publics-access-to-information-and-impact-american-pop-culture\/"},"modified":"2022-01-07T19:30:51","modified_gmt":"2022-01-07T19:30:51","slug":"4-4-how-newspapers-control-the-publics-access-to-information-and-impact-american-pop-culture","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accintrotomedia\/chapter\/4-4-how-newspapers-control-the-publics-access-to-information-and-impact-american-pop-culture\/","title":{"raw":"4.4 How Newspapers Control the Public\u2019s Access to Information and Impact American Pop Culture","rendered":"4.4 How Newspapers Control the Public\u2019s Access to Information and Impact American Pop Culture"},"content":{"raw":"
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Learning Objectives<\/h3>\n
  1. Describe two ways that newspapers control stories.<\/li>\n
  2. Define watchdog journalism.<\/li>\n
  3. Describe how television has impacted journalistic styles.<\/li>\n <\/ol><\/div>\n

    Since 1896, The New York Times<\/em> has printed the phrase \u201cAll the News That\u2019s Fit to Print\u201d as its masthead motto. The phrase itself seems innocent enough, and it has been published for such a long time now that many probably skim over it without giving it a second thought. Yet, the phrase represents an interesting phenomenon in the newspaper industry: control. Papers have long been criticized for the way stories are presented, yet newspapers continue to print\u2014and readers continue to buy them.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cAll the News That\u2019s Fit to Print\u201d<\/h2>\n

    In 1997, The New York Times<\/em> publicly claimed that it was \u201can independent newspaper, entirely fearless, free of ulterior influence and unselfishly devoted to the public welfare (Herman, 1998).\u201d Despite this public proclamation of objectivity, the paper\u2019s publishers have been criticized for choosing which articles to print based on personal financial gain. In reaction to that statement, scholar Edward S. Herman wrote that the issue is that The New York Times<\/em> \u201cdefin[es] public welfare in a manner acceptable to their elite audience and advertisers (Herman, 1998).\u201d The New York Times<\/em> has continually been accused of determining what stories are told. For example, during the 1993 debate over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), The New York Times<\/em> clearly supported the agreement. In doing so, the newspaper exercised editorial control over its publication and the information that went out to readers.<\/p>\n

    However, The New York Times<\/em> is not the only newspaper to face accusations of controlling which stories are told. In his review of Read All About It: The Corporate Takeover of America\u2019s Newspapers<\/em>, Steve Hoenisch, editor of Criticism.com<\/em><\/a>, offers these harsh words about what drives the stories printed in today\u2019s newspapers:<\/p>\n \n I\u2019ve always thought of daily newspapers as the guardians of our\u2014meaning the public\u2019s\u2014right to know. The guardians of truth, justice, and public welfare and all that. But who am I fooling? America\u2019s daily newspapers don\u2019t belong to us. Nor, for that matter, do they even seek to serve us any longer. They have more important concerns now: appeasing advertisers and enriching stockholders (Hoenisch).\n <\/span>\n

    More and more, as readership declines, newspapers must answer to advertisers and shareholders as they choose which stories to report on.<\/p>\n

    However, editorial control does not end there. Journalists determine not only what stories are told but also how those stories are presented. This issue is perhaps even more delicate than that of selection. Most newspaper readers still expect news to be reported objectively and demand that journalists present their stories in this manner. However, careful public scrutiny can burden journalists, while accusations of controlling information affect their affiliated newspapers. However, this scrutiny takes on importance as the public turns to journalists and newspapers to learn about the world.<\/p>\n

    Journalists are also expected to hold themselves to high standards of truth and originality. Fabrication and plagiarism are prohibited. If a journalist is caught using these tactics, then his or her career is likely to end for betraying the public\u2019s trust and for damaging the publication\u2019s reputation. For example, The New York Times<\/em> reporter Jayson Blair lost his job in 2003 when his plagiary and fabrication were discovered, and The New Republic<\/em> journalist Stephen Glass was fired in 1998 for inventing stories, quotes, and sources.<\/p>\n

    Despite the critiques of the newspaper industry and its control over information, the majority of newspapers and journalists take their roles seriously. Editors work with journalists to verify sources and to double-check facts so readers are provided accurate information. In this way, the control that journalists and newspapers exert serves to benefit their readers, who can then be assured that articles printed are correct.<\/p>\n

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    \nThe New York Times<\/em> Revisits Old Stories<\/h4>\n

    Despite the criticism of The New York Times<\/em>, the famous newspaper has been known to revisit their old stories to provide a new, more balanced view. One such example occurred in 2004 when, in response to criticism on their handling of the Iraq War, The New York Times<\/em> offered a statement of apology. The apology read:<\/p>\n

    \n We have found a number of instances of coverage that was not as rigorous as it should have been. In some cases, information that was controversial then, and seems questionable now, was insufficiently qualified or allowed to stand unchallenged. Looking back, we wish we had been more aggressive in re-examining the claims as new evidence emerged\u2014or failed to emerge (New York Times, 2004).\n \n

    Although the apology was risky\u2014it essentially admitted guilt in controlling a controversial story\u2014The New York Times<\/em> demonstrated a commitment to ethical journalism.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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    Watchdog Journalism<\/h2>\n

    One way that journalists control stories for the benefit of the public is by engaging in watchdog journalism<\/a><\/span>. This form of journalism provides the public with information about government officials or business owners while holding those officials to high standards of operation. Watchdog journalism is defined as:<\/p>\n \n (1) independent scrutiny by the press of the activities of government, business and other public institutions, with an aim toward (2) documenting, questioning, and investigating those activities, to (3) provide publics and officials with timely information on issues of public concern (Bennett & Serrin, 2005).\n <\/span>\n

    One of the most famous examples of watchdog journalism is the role that Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of The Washington Post<\/em> played in uncovering information about the Watergate break-in and scandal that ultimately resulted in President Richard Nixon\u2019s resignation. Newspapers and journalists often laud watchdog journalism, one of the most important functions of newspapers, yet it is difficult to practice because it requires rigorous investigation, which in turn demands more time. Many journalists often try to keep up with news as it breaks, so journalists are not afforded the time to research the information\u2014nor to hone the skills\u2014required to write a watchdog story. \u201cSurviving in the newsroom\u2014doing watchdog stories\u2014takes a great deal of personal and political skill. Reporters must have a sense of guerilla warfare tactics to do well in the newsroom (Bennett & Serrin, 2005).\u201d<\/p>\n

    To be successful, watchdog journalists must investigate stories, ask tough questions, and face the possibility of unpopularity to alert the public to corruption or mismanagement while elevating the public\u2019s expectations of the government. At the same time, readers can support newspapers that employ this style of journalism to encourage the press to engage in the challenging watchdog form of journalism. As scholars have observed, \u201cNot surprisingly, watchdog journalism functions best when reporters understand it and news organizations and their audiences support it (Bennett & Serrin, 2005).\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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    Impact of Television and the Internet on Print<\/h2>\n

    Newspapers have control over which stories are told and how those stories are presented. Just as the newspaper industry has changed dramatically over the years, journalistic writing styles have been transformed. Many times, such changes mirrored a trend shift in readership; since the 1950s, however, newspapers have had to compete with television journalism and, more recently, the Internet. Both television and the Internet have profoundly affected newspaper audiences and journalistic styles.<\/p>\n

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    Case Study: USA Today<\/em>\n<\/h2>\n

    USA Today<\/em>, founded in 1982 and known for its easy-to-read stories, is but one example of a paper that has altered its style to remain competitive with television and the Internet. In the past, newspapers placed their primary focus on the written word. Although some newspapers still maintain the use of written narration, many papers have shifted their techniques to attract a more television-savvy audience. In the case of USA Today<\/em>, the emphasis lies on the second track\u2014the visual story\u2014dominated by large images accompanied by short written stories. This emphasis mimics the television presentation format, allowing the paper to cater to readers with short attention spans.<\/p>\n

    A perhaps unexpected shift in journalistic writing styles that derives from television is the more frequent use of present tense, rather than past tense, in articles. This shift likely comes from television journalism\u2019s tendency to allow a story to develop as it is being told. This subtle but noticeable shift from past to present tense in narration sometimes brings a more dramatic element to news articles, which may attract readers who otherwise turn to television news programs for information.<\/p>\n

    Like many papers, USA Today<\/em> has redesigned its image and style to keep up with the sharp immediacy of the Internet and with the entertainment value of television. In fact, the paper\u2019s management was so serious about their desire to compete with television that from 1988 to 1990 they mounted a syndicated television series titled USA Today: The Television Show<\/em> (later retitled USA Today on TV)<\/em> (Internet Movie Database). Despite its short run, the show demonstrated the paper\u2019s focus on reaching out to a visual audience, a core value that it has maintained to this day. Today, USA Today<\/em> has established itself as a credible and reliable news source, despite its unorthodox approach to journalism.<\/p>\n

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    Key Takeaways<\/h3>\n