Reflection on first lecture

Traditional elements of journalism were “inform explain and interpret.” The problem with these elements is that through the process of communicating between different classes of people, it tends to lead to becoming a part of the hierarchy. To effectively report, a journalist needs to manage their bias and conflict of interests. We must exist outside of power structures to give a neutral account of everything we witness.

The transition into a modern journalist is far more proactive with the public. “Educate, engage and empower.” The difference between the traditional elements and these are that it’s about the power of knowledge. Using information to bring people together rather than dividing them.

For myself, I am not skeptical about the power of knowledge. More so now than ever in this world of online connectivity, intangible information is often all people have to rely upon.

Given the acknowledged power of this information, my skepticism comes from its intentional manipulation. Issues getting blown out of any sense of proportion or reality. Using perception to shape reality. It is frightening the thought of competing for the public ear if I must adhere to the sometimes limiting or mundane proportions of truth. I would hardly advocate fire with fire, because then we would no longer be journalists.

How can journalists in Canada compete with propaganda machines? You have to put a lot of faith in the public’s desire for solid information.  Sometimes I fear people only see the surface value of an issue – how it relates most to them. From that self-serving attitude they extrapolate their assumptions to fit first impressions solidified in their minds. From my experience, it’s a lot more difficult to change a first impression than it is to instil one.

I realize it is a rather jaded opinion, and perhaps merely my own first impression. Regardless, if I am to hold any salt in this profession I’ll have to shuck this understated but somewhat elitist perspective of people. Give them a chance and they just might surprise.

Tracking the News – Keystone XL Pipeline

1. November 18, 2014
2. Globe and Mail – Efforts to Force Keystone Passage in U.S. Senate Fading
3. Timeliness – The vote on Keystone XL pipeline, a major project that will affect the North American energy sector will be voted on tonight. With senate running in favour of Republicans, who are on board with the construction project, even a without a majority vote today, it could pass come January.Importance – This pipeline has significant pros and cons, each side with contradicting arguments. Republicans argue unlocking Alberta’s oil reserves will open up jobs and flood their market with local oil supplies. On the other hand, the immediate environmental risk of this project has many concerned, along with the likely risk of oil spills in the future. Furthermore, some  in the U.S. Senate argue that a great deal of oil will be exported out of the U.S. through the Gulf of Mexico.

Pseudo Interrogation

Takeaway, Interviews
Nikolai Karpinski
November 18, 2014

While discussing interviews I noticed a surprising contrast to certain tendencies I have noticed while working in kitchen. When my instructor finished his lecture with “the worst thing you can do is panic in the middle of an interview,” I was reminded of line cooking and what happens during a rush when one thing after another starts going wrong. Interviewing, especially people who are famous or affluent, is a daunting task. It is important to retain your cool and confidence in situations like these.

Drawing a comparison between entertainment interviews and journalistic interviews gave me a new sense of respect and also apprehension toward the profession I am working toward. I think the thing that separates journalism from entertainment is that they draw what people want to talk about, while we extract what people would rather not be known. Pseudo interrogation seems like a more appropriate term than interviewing.

Loyalist Student Observations at the Student Study Lab (SAL)

A quiet, but not silent calm greets those who enter the circular computer lab. Macs and PCs face off across from each other in a motionless showdown. Hurried keystrokes fill the room, drowning out private conversations. The room is far from fill but there is a palpable sense of purpose for the few remaining.

Live tweeting at the SAL.

Maintaining Independance

Takeaway Assignment #4

Nikolai Karpinski

October 7, 2014

As journalists we are always consuming the news, even before our workday has begun. Reading comprehension is a useful skill to develop to consume a variety of reports in an efficient way. In order to fulfill our duties, we must have at least a rudimentary comprehension of truth as it is in the moment.

Following WW1, a renowned writer and journalist at the time Walter Lippmann, became worried about the propaganda in news glossing over the horrors of the war. Although the telegraph post system was up and capable of delivering information within minutes even from Europe, he became concerned that information was not always factual. In Lippmann’s book, “Liberty in the News” he writes, “The present crisis of Western Democracy lies within journalism.”

The problem, as Lippmann saw it, was the censorship and control of the news, the intermingling of journalism and communication. While Lippmann remained cynical that this information would always be controlled in some way. A man named John Dewey disagreed, claiming that the job of journalism was to “facilitate communication between the people and the elites”

Loyalist Mayoral Candidate Interview Announcer

Next week my peers and I will be interviewing the public, asking questions for the mayoral debate hosted at Loyalist on October 7th.

Digging Deeper

Takeaway #4
Nikolai Karpinski
September 30, 2014

The goal of an effective journalist is to generate your own story ideas. “Story ideas and pitches are the best way to impress an employer.” There are guidelines to follow when generating these ideas. First, you must consider the time you have to investigate your idea. What resources do you have at hand, how long will it take to gather the sources you need for your story idea? The next guideline is to work with several ideas. Always having a potential story at hand is incredibly useful in an employment situation. Use the power of observation to generate unique ideas. Always search for the oddity, “that which protrudes from the norm.” Finally comes the framework, the details of your story. QSA (questions, sources and audience) are all fundamental parts of how your story will be written.

Translating these ideas into a pitch, turning your thought into a question, is the next step of the process. The goal of a story pitch is to narrow a broad idea into a fairly specific question, “[once] I made it a question, all other questions I need to start asking began to come out.” When developing your pitch, always follow the fundamental points of a good story – importance, proximity, oddity, timeliness, prominence and audience.

Gatekeepers

Takeaway #3
Nikolai Karpinski
September 23, 2014

What is news? News is information about what is happening around us, locally and globally. It is the agreed upon format for sharing updated reports on events for those who aren’t there.   In the digital age, it is nigh impossible to avoid all forms of news. Social media gives people accessible ways to share their stories. News can be a powerful tool of propaganda, but can also serve the public by informing them. Some might argue that being informed is an important principle of citizenship.

Fundamentals

Takeaway Assignment
Nikolai Karpinski
September 16, 2014

While social media is a crucial part of this program and the profession of Journalism, our notepads and note taking abilities are equally important. Not only does this protect journalists legally, it ensures the fundamentals of accuracy and legitimacy. It is important to have a notepad present during any interview and to refer to this raw information while producing a story. If notes cannot be taken on the scene of an interview or event, they must be written afterward, with the time interval noted and explained.

Gotcha journalism grew from the mid 70’s following Watergate. The notion that journalism was capturing the sensationalist and outrageous became prevalent. This is a far cry from the duties of a journalist.

Dream Interview

Dream Interview : Roy Benevidez
By : Nikolai Karpinski

Master Sergeant Roy Benevidez was a member of the US Special Forces and awarded a medal of honor for bravery in Vietnam. What fascinates me most about this man was the sheer grit of his story, and the struggles he endured. In his early career, Sergeant Benevidez stepped on a land mine while serving as an advisor in Vietnam, 1965. Told he would never walk again, Benevidez denied this diagnosis and began a rigorous, self-prescribed training regime in the hopes that he would once again walk. His unorthodox physical therapy during this period involved crawling on the hospital floor at night, against his doctor’s orders, propping himself against the nearby wall and forcing himself to stand, using the strength of his arms. Gradually his legs convalesced, Benevidez would walk out of the hospital a year later, June 1966 determined to once again serve his country in the controversial Vietnam War.