When journalism goes too far

By Austin Bates

It is journalism's duty to the American public to report on current, relevant, and meaningful events, in order to enlighten and keep the American public up-to-date about various news items. But is there a point when journalism can go too far, cross ethical lines, and face serious question and criticisms from the public about its tactics and methods? I believe there is, and at least a few others would agree.

I raise this question in the growing concerns of journalism's place in reporting on events like private funerals. Things like a funeral, unless it is advertised as a large, public event, should not be reported on live by reporters. While John Temple in his article argues that as long as the journalist reports in a unobtrusive manner, say from a secluded spot of the funeral, and does so respectfully, such actions should be fine.

However, I have to argue that even if the journalist is being as discreet as possible, someone is still bound to notice, especially if there are a number of people attending. From my personal viewpoint, if I saw someone reporting live from a funeral, I would be disgusted. And while Temple says the reporters who work with him never enter a funeral without prior permission, I can't imagine all journalists might follow that code.

Funerals are supposed to be solemn, respectful events, and if private, they are supposed to be private, secluded from the public's prying eye and questions and criticisms.

I do believe, however, that reporters should be able to attend a private funeral, if allowed, and take notes quietly, and then write a report on the event later. I see nothing wrong with this approach; the public would still get their story and information, and the funeral goers would get their peace and respect.

I can't help but also raise the question of whether technology has anything to do with the increasing attendance of journalists to otherwise private or off limit events, that they would never have covered before. With the advent of smaller, more advanced, and more connected devices, it makes it much easier for journalists to be places they might not be allowed to be at, or should be at. With better gadgets, journalists seem to increasingly going past boundaries they should not cross.

In any case, I believe journalism should be free to cover most of what it wants, how it wants; after all, this is the very premise of journalism and its duty to the American public. But some events and places should be off limits, such as private funerals. Besides, what ever happened to "rest in peace"?

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Sorry! You couldn't pay me enough

By: Liz Tjaden

Heavy rains and strong winds will not scare some brave journalists from getting the story. Hurricane Ike is sweeping across the southern coast of the United States and is also affecting other parts of the country. Many people have been evacuated from their homes and Ike has created massive flooding and damage.

Thank you CNN.com for throwing your reporters into the middle of the action so I, a girl from Iowa who is hundreds of miles away, can feel like I’m right there too!

CNN.com has a lot of videos posted on their Web site from reporters to the average Joe taking pictures with his camera phone. There is such a wide variety of videos from streets flooded out, homes destroyed by falling branches and from my personal favorite, what I like to call, the suckers.

These are the poor saps that are standing in the middle of the wind and rain determined to provide an eye catching and thrilling story.

I think, someone needs to tell the suckers how ridiculous they look being blown over.

The real question is, is this news? Now obviously, the hurricane and the damaged it has caused for people is real news. But modern technology can tell us the force of an impending hurricane. Do we need to jeopardize an underpaid reporter’s life to sensationalize an event like this? I found myself watching video clips on CNN.com of reporters standing in the rain and wind, no longer concerned about the effects of the hurricane but entertained by the reporters’ antics of training to remain upright in 100 mph gusts.

By now you may be asking yourself, “Liz, I thought you just blogged last week about how important it was for journalists to go after the story, even if that means harm.” Guilty as charged.

I did say that and I still stand by it. However, I believe there is a difference between jail and a few bruises versus being mauled in the face by a tree trunk or road sign. It is a thin line to cross but it comes down to everyone asking themselves when too much is simply too much. You couldn’t pay me enough to stand in a hurricane for a two minute video to be posted and watched by people who just want to see me fall on my ass by the strength of the wind. But I would research and dig and investigate any story I felt had a true impact on our lives even if that meant going to jail.

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All is not lost!

By: Katie Anthony

I'm not sure about all of you guys, but I definitely find it heartily discouraging that the media is so negative. For the longest time, I thought that I was the only one feeling that way. Little did I know-I was really wrong.


"Stop obsessing about the depressing industry news on Romenesko and open your eyes to all of the amazing stories out there." That quote is from an article written by Beth Macy of the American Journalism Review. It caught my eye since Romenesko is so noted in class about the news it provides. Macy seemed to be on a journey to find the optimism in journalism.


Soon, one person in agreement with me, became two. Macy met Sam Roberts who's story, I found to be extremely hopeful in the case of columnists.


Roberts talks about his experience with being a columnist, and describes it, so sullenly as this, "Of all the jobs I've had at newspapers, being a columnist was probably the least beneficial to my mental health. If you counted all the time I spent worrying about my next column, I made about a dollar an hour."


I found that to be extremely discouraging as an aspiring columnist myself, but nevertheless, I read on.


And two becomes three. Roberts soon encounters Regina Brett, who seems to share his opinion on being a columnist-or so it seems.


Brett, yes, is a very hardworking columnist, but not in the way that Roberts expected. She doesn't ask permission from her editor when it comes to what to write about it, she's extremely organized, and she starts every week with a minimum of six column ideas.



One day, Brett finds herself buying ice cream when she gets lost on her way to an interview (an interview that she was planning on basing her column for the week around), and she asks the teenage African American that served her ice cream, what his plans for school are. He, regretfully, informs her that he wanted to go to a private school to begin his medical career but that he couldn't afford it.

That was it. Brett was sold. This young man would be her column for the week.

Brett calls it that "familiar tug," that had her writing her column. One of her readers felt that tug too. Her reader convinced her husband (who, coincidentally, was a brain surgeon) to allow this young man to shadow him during a brain surgery. In the end, this young man's choice of private school, was paying for his tuition.

Why did I choose this as my blog posting? For, ironically enough, the same reason I chose my last blog entry. There was one quote (or, in this case, two) that stood out to me, and gave me hope that all is not lost when it comes to the journalistic world.

One of the quotes I'm referring to, is said by Roberts. "Being reporters, we're paid to basically get a graduate education in whatever we're interested in! We should be out there all the time, just jumping into the things that make us curious."

And the other one, said by Brett in regards to her opinion on the negativity of journalism today, sums up why I chose to write this particular blog. "We've got the best seat on the Titanic," she says. "And you know what? The band kept playing while the ship went down. That's our job in this — to be the band; to uplift people even as the ship's going down."

So, maybe you don't think that this article focuses on "the news about the news." But, I on the other hand, find the articles that inspire and motivate the young journalists to keep pushing through and excel, to, ultimately, be "the news about the news."

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Relentless Media Provide Hot Information

By: Kelsey Knutson

I've given up on the thought that the media will drop the "Palin Buzz." However, following her first official interview the media have finally stumbled on to something worth noting: her voting record. 

Finally, something that matters. 

The Fox News article talks of Palin's voting record in Alaska that doesn't necessarily add up to what she "says" she votes for. Either she is confused or McCain is confused because they definitely aren't on the same page. She says she supports something, and then McCain is caught on the record saying she doesn't. 

The media has finally stumbled on to something. 

ABC's Charles Gibson asked her about animal research money that had been requested to study mating habits of animals in Alaska, the kind of research that McCain doesn't think highly of, he asked her about her earmark spending after she claimed to be against it, and also mentioned the support of the "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska. Some things just aren't adding up.

I'm happy and impressed that the media has finally found something worth while to talk about in reference to Sarah Palin. We're finally hearing about the issues. 

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