Chapter 2 Notes
Danielle Johnson
-Patterns exist in many forms.
-“Journalists are challenged to find the patterns in events or in perspectives and have a responsibility for spending part of their time searching for the reasons why things happen the way they do.”
-Seeing is the first important method of finding methods. However, seeing can sometimes be deceptive.
-It is important for a reporter to compare reactions of people at a certain event in order to find patterns.
-Reporters should always ask themselves these two questions: What are the key facts about this event? What are several meaningful perspectives about this event?
-Journalists are apart of a changing world. It is important to experience new ways to explore information.
-Journalists who only focus on established news leaders at the top are missing out on the events and people who occupy the rest of the social ladder.
-The great challenge to be faced with as a journalist is having to identify major perspectives of your audience while also providing the minor perspectives.
-“If journalists provide the official perspective only, they are mostly writers. If journalists diversify perspectives, look for patterns, deepen the search, journalists are reporters.”
-Journalists need to participate more in society if the media which employ them are to thrive, or even survive. Media is changing, the way humans interact, receive news…etc. is changing and rather than sticking to the known, journalists should take advantage of the changing world and make the most of each medium available.
-Journalists should be widely read and actively seek to learn new things everyday from many sources.
-journalists need to be active, not reactive, professionals.
-Professional journalists do not have to pass bar exams or a state exam to become a professional. But the profession does call for a high skill level of being able to gather and process information.
Western State Writers Spring 2009 