Most News, Isn't
Discovering the Elements of Journalism
Journalism exists to inform the public about how power is being used. If you browse your favorite algorithmic feed you'll find a lot which is not that.
Instead, what we see is entertainment, or worse, fear-mongering. Celebrity news is at least transparently not news. Mass shootings however pale in comparison to the damage done by ill-behaving world leaders and multinational corporations. Bird flu and flesh-eating pathogens have the potential to be bad, but for the general population they merely serve to distract from the important issues.
The good thing is it’s not too late to refocus our attention and the attention of others toward substance. That’s why I wanted to share the book Elements of Journalism (Kovach & Rosenstiel, 2021). This book shares in its fourth edition a dozen or so principles or elements of what makes for good journalism. Order it now. While you're waiting for it to arrive, enjoy these nuggets.
Tell the truth — The first element is to tell the truth, presenting the whole and unbiased truth at this moment, while acknowledging that new facts will emerge over time. The truth is the sum of everything we know, but we don't know everything, and that uncertainty is also part telling the truth.
Be loyal — Second, journalists should be loyal to the citizens who depend on them, never favoring their employer or advertisers over the truth. This is a big one because after decades of decline a new breed of journalism is rising from the ashes, and needs our support as it experiments with with new models, and clings tightly to important ideals.
Verify — Third is the need to verify facts and other information provided to reporters by their sources. This is an element that we all need to keep in mind as our personal distribution networks form the fabric of a re-imagined infosphere. What makes journalists different from random accounts is standing by the truth they've verified.
You ordered it, right? If you worry that the book might miss important elements for today's world - for example how journalists should handle false and misleading graphical or video content - then you know what to do. A bonus element of journalism is to provide a platform for discussion.
When I think about deep fakes and generative AI, I expect third parties will arise to serve as notaries, nailing down what information was shared by whom and ensuring that it cannot be secretly altered. Aesthetically, I like the idea that your personal network could be of service and in this vein have done some work on web of trust. The technical hurdles to use decentralized digital signaturesare still too much for most people. That being said, if you're feeling adventurous I can share some leads.