In 1977, John C. Merrill, a mass communication scholar, found that many scholars believed that the sixties movement of new journalism is in some way related to existentialism. To find this out, a study identified six main themes of the philosophy of existentialism (as espoused by Jean-Paul Sartre) and looked for the presence of these themes in the…

With the notion of cultural framing as a theoretical backdrop, a study examined the role of culture in the work of foreign correspondents. The aim was to explore cultural aspects of international news reporting that may suggest avenues for more systematic inquiry into the role of culture in the work of the foreign correspondent. Of 75 examined…

The liberal bias of the "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" has been well-documented, but memoranda between editor-publisher Joseph Pulitzer II and two of his key editors, Julius Klyman and Irving Dilliard, reveal a tug-of-war over the newspaper's liberal treatment of communism from 1940 to 1955. Klyman, editor of the "Pictures"…

Claiming that literary newswriting is not a contradiction in terms, that is, an oxymoron, this essay examines some of the criteria against which literary newswriting can be measured, defines what constitutes literary newswriting in contemporary newspapers, and explains how it contributes to modern newswriting. The paper argues that (1) modern…

A study explored whether religion--both that of the reporter and that of the audience--has an impact on news judgment. The news service used was the Lutheran World Information (LWI). Religion writers and editors for the 42 daily newspapers that receive the Lutheran World Information weekly news packets were surveyed by telephone. Completed…

Through a case study of Minnesota daily newspaper editorials, this paper examines the extent to which one state's newspapers championed the freedoms of speech and press during the national crisis of World War I. The historical relationship of the press and First Amendment defense is briefly reviewed. Guided by the question "How did the…

To determine how to articulate a concrete definition of the substance of the journalist's occupation, this paper offers a propositional framework of news value based on Kurt Lewin's gatekeeper model. First, the paper follows the established suggestion that news decisions are best studied from a gatekeeping perspective or that "news is…

Intended for newspaper writers and editors, this collection of articles includes the following titles and authors: "VDTs, TV Haven't Shocked Editors" by Jay Rogers; "Opinions Vary on Electronics' Effect" by Bob Nordyke; "A Few Kind Words for the Censors" by Hugh A. Mulligan; "Those Awards Have Their Limitations" by Larry Fortner; "Obituaries Are…

The study of United States journalism history has been dominated by an interpretation founded on the idea of progress. This interpretation is based on the assumption that the essential characteristics of the press are thorough, fast, accurate news reporting; enlightened, effective presentation of opinion; entertainment; and press independence and…

A study was conducted at two major midwestern newspapers to ascertain the effects of video display terminal (VDT) use on the work and perceptions of copy editors. The methodology consisted of observation of one full day of copy desk work at a VDT by a single local news desk copy editor and one full day of work at VDTs by a regular weekday shift of…

A recent study profiles the American journalist as young, male, white, educated, and coming from a solid middle- or upper-middle-class background. Women and minority groups are grossly underrepresented in the field of journalism. Other studies present parallels between the topics that are selected as newsworthy and the characteristics of those who…

The objective reporting of news is discussed in this paper as a moral obligation for professional journalists. Russian journalists' disparagement of objectivity is described briefly, and three basic assumptions to which journalists in the United States should subscribe are listed: (1) there is such a thing as objective reality, (2) that reality…

Reporting is a craft, an art, and a principal means of building and maintaining the kind of society a democratic people wants. This book describes--with examples--the nature, uses, and potential of the craft of reporting and emphasizes newspaper practice as dominant among systems of news dissemination. This edition differs from the second edition…

Reports on a classroom activity that emphasizes to journalism students the importance of good observational skills and of getting accurate information firsthand. (RL)

Provides information on setting up a classroom telephone system whereby journalism students learn the necessary job skill of news story dictation taken over the phone. (RL)