Chapter 14 Discussion Questions

1. Objectivity: journalists stick to observable facts and avoid injecting their opinions into news reports.
~Interview multiple sources to gain all sides of a story and differing viewpoints
~ Interview more sources than those who can provide only basic answers
~Work to promote topics of importance in the public eye

2. Thoroughness: give the audience as much information as possible so they can understand what is happening and make informed decisions based on that information.
~Find the best sources and evidence for every story
~Explain what is being reported so readers and viewers can understand what is happening.
~Get to know and understand your subjects so you can develop intelligent viewpoints

3. Accuracy: getting the facts straight in a story.
~Beging interviews by getting basic questions (name, age, title), and repeat that information back to the source to verify it is correct
~Do not rely on secondhand information
~Check information from interviewed sources against original sources

4. Fairness: Represent all sides of a story as fairly and accurately as possible
~Letting people respond when they think you have reported something incorrectly
~Do not "frame" stories
~Represent the other side of the story as extensively and accurately as possible.

5. Transparency: gain and maintain public trust by being as open as possible about what biases you bring to a story, how you got the information for your story and how you choose which stories to report on.
~Provide information on how you acquire sources and information
~Let your audience take part in choosing what kinds of stories should be reported on
~Offer a behind the scenes look into how your publication exsists

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Hello Blogging world.

My name is Lauren Christine Slavin. I am an 18 year-old freshman at the fine learning establishment that is Towson University. I currently reside in Richmond Hall in a room roughly the size of a cupboard.

I hail from the suburban wonderland that is Crofton, Maryland. I have a mother (Ruth), father (Gene), older brother (Kyle, age 21) and 25-pound tabby cat named Peaches.

I enjoy reading, writing, being with my friends and fantastic boyfriend Zach, and, more recently, knitting.

I am currently the assistant arts editor of Towson University's student run newspaper The Towerlight, and I'm majoring in Mass Communications under the Journalism and New Media track.