Worksheets

JOURN 300/FALL 2017

Chapters 3,4,5, 8,9,10, 14, 19, 20 worksheets with questions to review for quizzes, midterm and final

CHAPTER  3 Interviewing

1. What is the most preferable interview and why - in-person, phone, email?

2. What is a primary source? Secondary source?

3. How should you prepare for an interview?

4. What should you learn about a subject before you interview him/her?

5. What is the aim of a profile, according to the text (42)?

6.What can you do to make it easier to ask an uncomfortable question?

7. Fill in the blank: The accurate of your story is only as good as your ______.

8. What are 3 useful questions to ask in an interview?

9. Should you stop asking questions at the end of an interview?

CHAPTER  4 Quotations and Attributions

1. Is every direct quote a good addition to your story? Explain.

2. Should you relate basic facts (where a person was born, for instance)  in direct quotes or paraphrase them?

3. Should you repeat information in quotes, using similar wording that you have already included in the story and in the lead-in to the quote?

4. How do you judge whether something is quotable? (63)

5. Why does the text say that "Now and then even a commencement address can yield a great quote or two"? Wouldn't you EXPECT there to many great quotes in a commencement address?

6. What is a colloquialism? Can it be a good addition to a story?

7. Do you need to include words like "huh," "um," and "you know" in a direct quote?

8. Should you verify that everything that someone has said that you directly quote is accurate?

9. What is pre-publication review?

10. Should you ever alter words in a direct quote?

11. If you are quoting from an interview done by someone else, must you acknowledge this?

12. When is attribution NOT needed? (81)

13. Why do reporters and editors prefer the word "said" to other words like it?

14. What are some reasons you should never use anonymous sources?

15. What does off the record mean? Not for attribution? Background? Deep background?

CHAPTER 5: Gathering and Verifying Information
1. Can social media be a good source of information for a story? Give an example.
2. Is one source sufficient to make a good news story?
3. What are the benefits of having several sources?
4. Is it necessary in the name of balance to get an equal number of scientists in a story saying, for instance, that humans are NOT hastening global warming if more than 90 percent of scientists say that humans ARE hastening it?

CHAPTER 8 The Inverted Pyramid

1. What is meant by the term "inverted pyramid"?

2. Explain what the problem is with the following leads:

• "So, how hot was it yesterday?"

• "Amherst residents might be looking forward to warmer weather."

• "Amherst residents warmly greeted spring yesterday."

3. What are some reasons that quote leads are not recommended?

CHAPTER 9 Writing to be Read

1. Give an example of a concrete detail vs an abstraction. (175)

2. Give an example of "showing" vs. "telling."

3. Give an example of jargon.

4. Give an example of a cliche and how you could convey the same meaning using a non-cliche.

5. What is a simile? Give an example.

6. What is a metaphor? Give an example.

7. Give an example of jargon (186).

8. What was possibly wrong with describing Nancy Pelosi as a grandmother when she became the first female speaker of the United States House of Representatives? (187)

9. What is AP Style for "pro-choice" and "pro-life." Explain why.

10. Write a scene with dialogue in it.

11. Give an example of a question you might ask a source that would elicit an anecdote that you could use in your story.

CHAPTER 10 Alternatives to the Inverted Pyramid

1. Should all stories be organized according to chronological order? What kind of a story would be good to organize chronologically?

2. What's the difference between a hard news story and a news narrative or feature?

3. What is meant by the "focus structure"? (207)

4. Give some examples of "service journalism." (213)

CHAPTER 14:  Speeches, News Conferences and Meetings

1. Explain how a speech is different from a news conference or a meeting.

2. How should you prepare before attending a speech that you will be reporting on?

3. How can you prepare for a meeting story?

4. If something unusual occurs at a speech event, it's best to just leave it out and focus on the theme of the speech. True or False

5. If the reporter is unsure of the main theme of a speech, what is one way to try to find out what it was?

6. Could an interesting story be written about a dull speech?

7. Is there any reason why you interview someone who wasn't at a meeting for a story about it?

8. Should you include direct quotations from a speech or meeting and, if so, who should you quote?

CHAPTER 19: Media Law
1. Is "truth" a defense against a claim of libel?
2. What is "actual malice"? Is it a factor in determining what is libel?
3. What is the difference between libel and slander?

CHAPTER 20: Ethics
1. Are reporters rated high for being honest and having integrity in public polls?
2. How has the Internet helped hold journalism to high standards?
3. Is it considered ethical to pay someone for a story? (435)
4. Is it ok to alter (for example, Photoshop somebody in or out of) a news photo? (435)
5. Is it ethical to report a story for the primary purpose of beating the competition?
6. Is it ethical to publish a photo of dying or dead children and their grieving parents?
7. What are some of the questions you should consider when deciding to publish a very sensitive photo that could be upsetting to the people pictured?
8. According to the text, in what order should you prioritize loyalty to A. your readers, B. your values, C. your sources and D. your news organization? (441)
9. Is a reporter ever justified in presenting him/herself as someone the reporter is not? (For instance, could you get a job at a meat packing plant with the idea of using a hidden camera to document cruelty to animals?) Give reasons why and why not.
10. Is it a conflict of interest, according to the text, to write about someone with whom you are friends?
11. Where did the term "payola" come from, and what does it mean?
12. Is it ever ethical to quote from someone's private email that's been hacked? Explain.
13. Should the names of juvenile offenders be published?
14. When might it be appropriate in a story to identify the sexual orientation of a public figure who is not already "out"?
15. Is it ever ethical for a news organization to withhold information from the public?
16. What is journalism's "capital offense," according to the text?
17. Is it ethical to use whole or almost whole sentences without quote marks around them from another published source as long as you identify the source?

The following are worksheets based on the classic text by Melvin Mencher that we have used in previous years. See if you can answer some or all of these questions!

CHAPTER 2: COMPONENTS OF THE STORY:


1) What's most important: A) accuracy B) getting both sides on the record C) a lively writing style?

2) Which is the better description and why: A) She was unusually tall. B) She was an inch over 6 feet tall.

3) Give of examples of A) a firsthand account B) secondhand account C) thirdhand account

4) Should the reporter make it clear in the story whether an account is firsthand, second or third? Is there a scenario in which you would not need to attribute information?

5) Explain A) on the record B) on background C) on deep background D) off the record

6) Which sentence would you pick to follow this one: The temperature reached an all-time high yesterday at noon. A) The air conditioning failed at UMass. B) The mercury hit 102 degrees, breaking the April 10, 1968 record of 98 degrees. C) Dogs howled and cats slunk under bushes looking for shade.

7) True or False: Objective journalism is the reporting of the visible and verifiable.
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CHAPTER 3: WHAT IS NEWS?

1) Who said this in 1883: "Always fight for progress and reform, never tolerate injustice or corruption, always fight demagogues of all parties, never belong to any party, always oppose privileged classes and public plunderers, never lack sympathy with the poor, always remain devoted to the public welfare, never be satisfied with merely printing news, always be drastically independent, never be afraid to attack wrong, whether by predatory plutocracy or predatory poverty."

2) Describe a news story that fits each of the following criteria for what is news: A) Information about a break from the normal flow of events, an interruption in the expected, deviation from the norm B) Information people can use to help them make sound decisions about their lives.

3) Give a example of a news story that exemplifies each the following criteria (for a total of 9 stories):

A) Timely

B) Impact

C)Prominence

D) Emotional proximity

E) Geographical proximity

F) Conflict

G) The Unusual

H) Currency

I) Necessity


4) What are some other factors that play into the selection of news published?
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CHAPTER 5/LEADS

1) It's good to start a story with a quote. True or False

2) It's good to start with a question. True or False

3) The lead does not have to be grammatical. True or False

4) Explain why the following are good or bad leads: A) A snowplow hit a cow on South Pleasant Street, Thursday, splattering its guts all over the road. B) When the mayor announced there would be deep cuts in next year's budget, she let the cat out of the bag.

5) Is it a good idea to start thinking about your lead at the same time you are reporting a story?

6) Which of the following two leads is best and why? A) A Harvard sociologist studying teen-age pregnancy gave a speech last night to more than 200 students and faculty members in Hall Auditorium. B) Teen-age pregnancy is costing the country billions of dollars a year, a Harvard sociologist told students and faculty Monday.

7) Will any anecdote or incident related to the story suffice as a delayed lead?

8) You go to a city council meeting that lasts two hours. Board members spent the first 15 minutes discussing whether they should meet on Tuesdays instead of Thursdays, an hour listening to reports from the DPW and Council on Aging directors, approved four taxi-driving licenses and voted to close City Hall on Fridays. What would you report in the lead?

9) Should you make sure to include the who, where, why, what and how of an event in the lead even if it makes the lead, hard to read and clunky?

10) Is the following a good lead? Ayla Brown, a Boston College student, will appear on "American Idol" this season.

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Chapter 7

1) "Comprehension precedes clarity." What does this mean in relation to reporting and writing a news story?

2) Which of the following two sentences SHOWS vs TELLS more? Explain.

• A) The cat gingerly extended her paw to the porch, retracting it as if shocked, after touching the newly fallen snow. She did the same thing the first time it snowed last year and the year before that.

• B) The cat never seems to remember what snow feels like from winter to the next.

3) Is "remarkable" a "reporter's word," according to the book? Why or why not?

4) What's the problem, if any, with words like progress, freedom, liberal, conservative, patriotism and big business? 

5) What's the problem with describing an oil storage tank facility as an "oil farm" or a tax as a "revenue enhancement"?

6) Is it better to use "said" many times in a story or try to mix it up with words like "affirmed," "stateed," and "exclaimed"?
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Chapters 11 on Layered Reporting/Digging for Information and 14 on Sources

1) A reporter writes an advance story for a concert taking place on Saturday, using a press release from the  concert promoter. Is this Layer I, II or III reporting?

2) A reporter goes to an Amherst Zoning Board of Appeals meeting and hears that the Amherst Brewing Company has been granted a permit to move into a vacant building on University Drive. She calls one of the neighbors living next to the building to get a reaction to the news, which she incorporates into her story about the ZBA's decision. Is this Layer I, II or III, and why?

3) After reviewing a half-dozen ZBA decisions, the reporter realizes that the ZBA has been granting more permits recently than it usually does. Coincidentally, one of the board members was not recently re-appointed by the town manager, who was quoted as saying that the board member doesn't get along well with other people on the board. Wondering whether the increase in permits and the non-appointment of the board member are related, the reporter interviews a number of people on the board, neighbors and the town manager. The reporter writes a story saying the board is now granting many more permits BECAUSE the former board member was not reappointed. Level I, II,  III and why?

4) What is a "pseudo-event" and a famous example of one?

5) What are some ways in which officials "manage" the news? (page 237)

7) What are the two basic types of sources?

8) Are high-ranking officials and company managers better sources than their secretaries or lower-level employees?

9) What is a "pseudo source"? Give an example of one, either from a real or theoretical example.

10) Is a reporter who is best friends with the secretary of defense a better or worse choice to write a story about the war in Afghanistan than a reporter who doesn't know any governmental officials personally?

11) Would the secretary of defense be a good choice of a source for a story about the housing crisis?

12) How can a reporter tell if a source is reliable?

13) What are some specific ways in which a reporter can tell if a webpage is reliable?

14) Is it good to mix human and written sources in a news story? Give an example of how you could mix the two in a feature story.

15) Do direct quotations need to be in the speaker's words all the time? Explain.
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Chapter 15 Interviewing Principles and Practices (and writing a profile)

1) It is better to prepare for an interview. If so, why? Or is better to approach an interview with a mind like a blank slate?

2) Could you write a story about a fire if you didn't see it? If so, how? Would it be preferable to go to the scene during or after the fire?

3) Read the excerpt on page 298. Which paragraph is the NUTGRAPH -- that is the paragraph that sums up what the story is about, puts it in context and answers for the reader the question -- "Why am I reading this story?"

4) What are the two "P's"of a good interview, according to the book (299)?

5) Who can the reporter legitimately "demand" information from?

6)What is meant by A) an open question, B) closed question and C) "courageous" question?

7) If an interviewee expresses a view the reporter disagrees with, what should the reporter do?

8) Should the reporter abide by requests for non-attribution, "background only" or off-the-record requests (304)?

9) What does the book say about momentum, background and quotes in a profile?

10) What are some of the book's tips for becoming a good listener?

11) In a direct quote do you ever change the words someone said? If so, in what cases?

12) Is it acceptable to conduct an interview by email?

13) Should you use anonymous sources?
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CHAPTER 16/SPEECHES, MEETINGS and NEWS CONFERENCES

1) If something unusual occurs at a speech event, it's best to just leave it out and focus on the theme of the speech. True or False

2) If the reporter is unsure of the main theme of a speech, what is one way to try to find out what it was?

3) Could an interesting story be written about a dull speech?

4) Does the reporter have a right to be present an an official, public meeting and report on anything he or she sees or hears? Is the same true of a private meeting?

5) What does off- and on-the-record mean?

6) Is it a good idea to get a meeting agenda ahead of time?

7) Is there any reason why you interview someone who wasn't at a meeting for a story about it?

8) Should you include direct quotations from a speech or meeting and, if so, who should you quote?

9) Research online the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law at http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/39-23b.htm and briefly explain it.

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Chapter 18 Accidents and Disasters

1) If vehicle A hit vehicle B according the accident report by police, driver A is clearly at fault and the news story should say so. True or False and why?

2) Eyewitness accounts of an airplane accident by people on the ground are notoriously unreliable, according to the book. True or False

3) When do reporters use the word "disaster"?

4) An elderly man crashed a $50,000 Porsche into a $500,000 statue in the center of town, destroying it, and he was killed. What is the most important detail that you should lead the story with?
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Chapter 19 Obituaries

5) Should the reporter approach some stories/obituaries with the intention of writing routinely?

6) Which of the following information is required in all obituaries? A) name, age, occupation and address of deceased B) Date and place of death C) Cause of death D) Date of birth and birthplace E) Survivors in the immediate family F) Friends G) Pets H) Memberships, military service I) Awards and achievements J) Height and weight K) funeral arrangements L) Where to send donations in the deceased's honor.

7)Where does the reporter gather material for the obituary?

8) True of False: Obituaries are one of the most if not the most widely read -- and with greater attention to detail -- sections of the newspaper.

9) How does the manner in which the subject died influence how the obituary is written (371)?

10) Does an obituary have a theme?

11) Should embarrassing material be omitted from an obituary?
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Chapter 21 Courts

12) True or False: There are two judicial systems: state and federal


13) True or False: Key differences between a criminal and civil trial is that the accused must be found be guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and the verdict must be unanimous in a CRIMINAL l trial but in a CIVIL trial, which involves damages and contracts, the likelihood of the defendant's liability is at issue and only 9 of 12 jurors must agree on the verdict.

14) What's an arraignment?

15) What's an indictment?

16) The lawyers for the prosecution and defense can reject potential jurors based on their sex or race. True or False?

COURT terms to know:
District Court
Superior Court
Civil
Criminal
State Court system
Federal Court
Indictment
Arraignment
Grand Jury
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Chapter 24/Local Government and Education

1) What is an ordinance? (478)

2) What is a resolution? (478)

3) What is a bylaw? (Answer: a law enacted by a town, for instance Amherst's noise bylaw.)

4) Who crafts and who enacts/signs laws in a town? in a state? In the country?

5) What is a quorum?

6) What is the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law (see below) designed to do?

7) Name six reasons a governmental body may give in order to hold a meeting outside of public view (known as an executive session.)
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Chapter 25/Reporters and the Law

1) What is libel?

2) What is slander?

3) True or False: During a period of particularly intense racial tensions in the United States, The New York Times ran an advertisement in 1969 that an all-white jury found to be libelous toward L.B. Sullivan, a Montgomery, Ala. city commissioner responsible for the police department. Sullivan was awarded $500,000 in damages.
But the Supreme Court heard an appeal of the case, The New York Times vs. Sullivan, in 1964 and in its decision took away states' power to award damages in a libel action brought by public officials against critics of their official conduct.
The Supreme Court wrote that a public official must prove the statement was made with "actual malice," whether it was false or not.

4) Did Supreme Court Justice Brennan write that the right to criticize the government is "the central meaning of the First Amendment" guaranteeing freedom of Speech? True or False


5) Explain who qualifies as a "public figure" and why. A) a police officer B) a newspaper columnist C) Brad Pitt 4) The editor of the Collegian

6) What are privileged proceedings? Is a court hearing a privileged proceeding? Is a political rally a privileged proceeding?

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Massachusetts Open Meeting Law

Governmental bodies must post a notice to say there will be a meeting 48 hours in advance of it to give the public a chance to attend. A quorum (majority or the number of members present needed to vote) may not get together and discuss SUBSTANTIVE issues outside of the public's view. There are 10 exceptions under which a board may hold a closed-door session although it must later make the results of decisions reached available to the public. Below is the Massachusetts General Law with a few annotations by me.

TITLE VII. CITIES, TOWNS AND DISTRICTS

CHAPTER 39. MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT
TOWN MEETINGS
Chapter 39: Section 23B. Open meetings of governmental bodies

Section 23B. All meetings of a governmental body shall be open to the public and any person shall be permitted to attend any meeting except as otherwise provided by this section.

No quorum QUORUM IS THE NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF A BOARD NEEDED TO VOTE of a governmental body shall meet in private for the purpose of deciding on or deliberating toward a decision on any matter except as provided by this section.

No executive session EXECUTIVE SESSION IS A CLOSED DOOR MEETING shall be held until the governmental body has first convened in an open session for which notice has been given, a majority of the members have voted to go into executive session and the vote of each member is recorded on a roll call vote and entered into the minutes, the presiding officer has cited the purpose for an executive session, and the presiding officer has stated before the executive session if the governmental body will reconvene after the executive session.

Nothing except the limitation contained in this section shall be construed to prevent the governmental body from holding an executive session after an open meeting has been convened and a recorded vote has been taken to hold an executive session. Executive sessions may be held only for the following purposes:

(1) To discuss the reputation, character, physical condition or mental health rather than the professional competence of an individual, provided that the individual involved in such executive session has been notified in writing by the governmental body, at least forty-eight hours prior to the proposed executive session. Notification may be waived upon agreement of the parties. A governmental body shall hold an open meeting if the individual involved requests that the meeting be open. If an executive session is held, such individual shall have the following rights:
(a) to be present at such executive session during discussions or considerations which involve that individual.
(b) to have counsel or a representative of his own choosing present and attending for the purpose of advising said individual and not for the purpose of active participation in said executive session.

(c) to speak in his own behalf.

(2) To consider the discipline or dismissal of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member, or individual, provided that the individual involved in such executive session pursuant to this clause has been notified in writing by the governmental body at least forty-eight hours prior to the proposed executive session. Notification may be waived upon agreement of the parties. A governmental body shall hold an open meeting if the individual involved requests that the meeting be open. If an executive session is held, such individual shall have the following rights:
(a) to be present at such executive session during discussions or considerations which involve that individual.
(b) to have counsel or a representative of his own choosing present and attending for the purpose of advising said individual and not for the purpose of active participation.
(c) to speak in his own behalf.
(3) To discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining or litigating position of the governmental body, to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with nonunion personnel, to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with nonunion personnel.

(4) To discuss the deployment of security personnel or devices.

(5) To investigate charges of criminal misconduct or to discuss the filing of criminal complaints.
(6) To consider the purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property, if such discussions may have a detrimental effect on the negotiating position of the governmental body and a person, firm or corporation.

(7) To comply with the provisions of any general or special law or federal grant-in-aid requirements.

(8) To consider and interview applicants for employment by a preliminary screening committee or a subcommittee appointed by a governmental body if an open meeting will have a detrimental effect in obtaining qualified applicants; provided, however, that this clause shall not apply to any meeting, including meetings of a preliminary screening committee or a subcommittee appointed by a governmental body, to consider and interview applicants who have passed a prior preliminary screening.
(9) To meet or confer with a mediator, as defined in section twenty-three C of chapter two hundred and thirty-three, with respect to any litigation or decision on any public business within its jurisdiction involving another party, group or body, provided that: (a) any decision to participate in mediation shall be made in open meeting session and the parties, issues involved and purpose of the mediation shall be disclosed; and (b)no action shall be taken by any governmental body with respect to those issues which are the subject of the mediation without deliberation and approval for such action at an open meeting after such notice as may be required in this section.
This section shall not apply to any chance meeting, or a social meeting at which matters relating to official business are discussed so long as no final agreement is reached. No chance meeting or social meeting shall be used in circumvention of the spirit or requirements of this section to discuss or act upon a matter over which the governmental body has supervision, control, jurisdiction or advisory power.
Except in an emergency, a notice of every meeting of any governmental body shall be filed with the clerk of the city or town in which the body acts, and the notice or a copy thereof shall, at least forty-eight hours, including Saturdays but not Sundays and legal holidays, prior to such meeting, be publicly posted in the office of such clerk or on the principal official bulletin board of such city or town. The secretary of a regional school district committee shall be considered to be its clerk and he shall file the notice of meetings of the committee with the clerk of each city or town within such district and each such clerk shall post the notice in his office or on the principal official bulletin board of the city or town and such secretary shall post such notice in his office or on the principal official bulletin board of the district. If the meeting shall be of a regional or district governmental body, the officer calling the meeting shall file the notice thereof with the clerk of each city and town within such region or district, and each such clerk shall post the notice in his office or on the principal official bulletin board of the city or town. The notice shall be printed in easily readable type and shall contain the date, time and place of such meeting. Such filing and posting shall be the responsibility of the officer calling such meeting.

A governmental body shall maintain accurate records of its meetings, setting forth the date, time, place, members present or absent and action taken at each meeting, including executive sessions. The records of each meeting shall become a public record and be available to the public; provided, however, that the records of any executive session may remain secret as long as publication may defeat the lawful purposes of the executive session, but no longer. All votes taken in executive sessions shall be recorded roll call votes and shall become a part of the record of said executive sessions. No votes taken in open session shall be by secret ballot.

A meeting of a governmental body may be recorded by any person in attendance by means of a tape recorder or any other means of sonic reproduction or by means of videotape equipment fixed in one or more designated locations determined by the governmental body except when a meeting is held in executive session; provided, that in such recording there is no active interference with the conduct of the meeting.
Upon qualification for office following an appointment or election to a governmental body, as defined in this section, the member shall be furnished by the city or town clerk with a copy of this section. Each such member shall sign a written acknowledgement that he has been provided with such a copy.
The district attorney of the county in which the violation occurred shall enforce the provisions of this section.
Upon proof of failure by any governmental body or by any member or officer thereof to carry out any of the provisions for public notice or meetings, for holding open meetings, or for maintaining public records thereof, any justice of the supreme judicial court or the superior court sitting within and for the county in which such governmental body acts shall issue an appropriate order requiring such governmental body or member or officer thereof to carry out such provisions at future meetings. Such order may be sought by complaint of three or more registered voters, by the attorney general, or by the district attorney of the county in which the city or town is located. The order of notice on the complaint shall be returnable no later than ten days after the filing thereof and the complaint shall be heard and determined on the return day or on such day thereafter as the court shall fix, having regard to the speediest possible determination of the cause consistent with the rights of the parties; provided, however, that orders with respect to any of the matters referred to in this section may be issued at any time on or after the filing of the complaint without notice when such order is necessary to fulfill the purposes of this section. In the hearing of such complaints the burden shall be on the respondent to show by a preponderance of the evidence that the action complained of in such complaint was in accordance with and authorized by section eleven A 1/2 of chapter thirty A, by section nine G of chapter thirty-four or by this section. All processes may be issued from the clerk’s office in the county in which the action is brought and, except as aforesaid, shall be returnable as the court orders.
Such order may invalidate any action taken at any meeting at which any provision of this section has been violated, provided that such complaint is filed within twenty-one days of the date when such action is made public.
Any such order may also, when appropriate, require the records of any such meeting to be made public, unless it shall have been determined by such justice that the maintenance of secrecy with respect to such records is authorized. The remedy created hereby is not exclusive, but shall be in addition to every other available remedy. Such order may also include reinstatement without loss of compensation, seniority, tenure or other benefits for any employee discharged at a meeting or hearing held in violation of the provisions of this section.


Such order may also include a civil fine against the governmental body in an amount no greater than one thousand dollars for each meeting held in violation of this section.


The rights of an individual set forth in this section relative to his appearance before a meeting in an executive or open session, are in addition to the rights that an individual may have from any other source, including, but not limited to, rights under any laws or collective bargaining agreements, and the exercise or nonexercise of the individual rights under this section shall not be construed as a waiver of any rights of the individual.
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Chapter 26/Taste -- Defining the Appropriate

1) GIve an example (can be from the book, page 534) of how standards of what is considered good and bad taste have changed over the years.

2) What are some  guidelines in determining whether an obscenity or profanity should be included in a news account?

3) How did AIDS change what is considered appropriate to mention in a news story?

4) Does what is considered tasteful language vary depending upon the community or publication in which it is published?

5) Explain the justification and objections to publishing the photo of a family grieving over the body of a drowned child (page 545) with reference to the following guidelines for judging whether to publish a photo:

A) What does the picture really show?

B) What are readers likely to add to or read into their interpretation of the photo's content?

C) What are the circumstances under which the photograph was obtained?

D) How compelling is the news situation out of which the photo arose?

E) How compelling or significant is the photo in terms of what it teaches us about human experience?

F) Do the positive reasons for publishing the photo outweigh the negative reaction they will elicit from a portion of the readership?

Chapter 27/The Morality of Journalism

1) Is it acceptable to lie to sources to get a good story? 

2) Explain why you think it was ethical/unethical for the reporter Krajick to publish a story about a prisoner who asked him not to write about him (pages 549-551).

3) Is it ethical for a reporter to use a disguise when reporting a story?

4) Who said the "highest mission of the press is to render public service?"

5) What are some guidelines to consider in deciding whether to publish private details about a public person's life (page 557)?