Journalism and American Democracy

As my time with the iPad is quickly coming to an end, I realize how attached I have grown to a technology that I never thought I needed. Getting the opportunity to use the iPad was such a great experience, because it was like a technology test drive, where I got to try out the iPad and all its capabilities for the semester. Prior to this class, my mom would often call or text me, asking me if I had heard about a particular news story or event. More often than not, my response would be something along the lines of “No, I don’t really watch the news. I live in the Notre Dame bubble.” During the course of this semester, though, I found that I was much more connected to the world outside of Notre Dame, as a result of the class discussions we had, as well as the convenience of the iPad.

Although I do not necessarily see myself continuing with the use of Twitter after this semester, it was interesting to see what it was all about after having been encouraged by my friends to join for ages. I still do not love Twitter, because I feel it is used by many people in a manner that is less than productive, it was interesting to learn about what a major asset it is becoming for journalists. While it was initially challenging for me to find a story to tweet everyday, I eventually found myself checking Twitter and finding stories to tweet without deliberately having to search for one. Admittedly, prior to this semester, the “news source” I most commonly read was probably people.com. Through the use of Twitter, I have been able to read headlines and stories more quickly and easily from a greater variety of sources.  This is the same reason I also love the Flipboard app, because I was able to follow all the news sources I was interested in, as well as my social media networks, in one easy place. In fact, I think I like Flipboard more than Twitter, because I particularly like how visual it is, with the bold headlines and photos being more engaging.

It is going to be a sad day on Thursday when I have to return my iPad (I always have called it “my” iPad in denial of the that I would not be able to keep it…), but I really enjoyed having it for the semester in order to more completely immerse myself in the relationship between journalism and democracy. As a non-journalism student, this class was a great introduction of sorts. The use of the iPad allowed us to really immerse ourselves in the new technologies associated with the journalism profession. So not only were we learning about journalism and its conventions, but also acting as mini journalists as we also employed these technologies. So after a wonderful semester together, on Thursday I will fondly say “goodbiPad.”

In her piece “The Minority Press: Pleading Our Own Cause,” Pamela Newkirk quotes the inaugural editorial of the Freedom Journal from almost two centuries ago: “… From the press and the pulpit we have suffered much by being incorrectly represented.  Our vices and our degradation are ever arrayed against us, but our virtues are passed by unnoticed” (81).  Thus, this journal, among other African American newspapers, aimed to provide a platform through which black people could “plead our own cause,” as was not possible through mainstream media. The Minneapolis-based news outlet Insight News is a modern version of the minority press, with the following mission, as described by Founder and CEO Al McFarlane: “Editorial Mission: Information, Instruction, Inspiration in a user-friendly, culturally relevant communications vehicle. Business Mission: Providing preferred access to Black consumers for businesses, agencies, and organizations.” Insight News, which was founded in 1974 as a color-cover magazine, began printing as a community newspaper in 1976.

This picture illustrates the format of the Insight News site with today’s headlines.  Although minority news outlets are not necessarily as radical or politicized as in the past, publications such as this one demonstrate that “the continuing desire for an alternative minority press reveals both the unmet promise of media diversity trumpeted in the 1960s and the ever present yearning by distinct groups to assert their unfiltered voices in the marketplace of ideas” (Newkirk, 89).  The Minneapolis College Preparatory School advertisement featured above indicates that the source is not intended just to provide news to minority readers, but also direct advertisements to black consumers and spotlight African American businesses and organizations, as indicated in McFarlane’s mission.  The headline for the reelection of President Obama is particularly interesting in that more mainstream media sources, such as the Minneapolis Star Tribune, featured such headlines as “Re-elected, Obama heads back to a divided government.”  Insight News, however, another Minneapolis-based publication, features the title “Justspeak: Presidential slam dunk – Obama wins electoral landslide re-election.”  While the Star Tribune takes a much more neutral stance on the President’s re-election, instead focusing on the challenges he will face with a divided government, the title of the Insight News has an overtly celebratory tone, which many would view as more acceptable coming from an African American media source, especially being that Obama garnered 93% of the African American vote.  In the subtitle, the word “Black” is also bolded, illustrating the emphasis on his shared heritage with the readers of the publication.  While mainstream media outlets are often criticized for the lack of diversity they include, such niche publications as Insight News are able to address issues of specific interest to readers of their cultural, racial, or ethnic group.

http://www.insightnews.com/

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/11/types-people-who-voted-obama/58794/

Although in many places, the presidential election was the focus of the day, it seems that that particular election was hardly at the forefront of the minds of many Minnesotans. In fact, the news of Barack Obama’s reelection did not even crack the 10 “Most Viewed” stories on the Pioneer Press website, and only appeared five stories down on Star Tribune’s “Most read” list, below “Downtown Mpls. restaurants under scrutiny over disabled accommodations.” Arguably, it is understandable that the presidential election was not the main focus in Minnesota, as it is not a swing state, having granted its electoral votes to the Democratic candidate in every election since Richard Nixon’s 1972 win. It is also important to note that in Minnesota, there were two amendments of great magnitude on the ballot – a voter ID amendment and a marriage amendment.  Judging by the list of most read stories on the two major newspapers’ sites and the buzz I viewed on various social media outlets, the defeat of these two amendments was bigger news for many people in Minnesota than the reelection of Obama. The reelection of Michele Bachmann, an extremely controversial conservative U.S. Representative who has gained nationwide notoriety, by a mere 4,207 votes, was closely watched across the state – and likely the nation. Kare 11, the local NBC affiliate in the Twin Cities, was live tweeting the vote count, as it was extremely tight throughout the evening. This station, along with other broadcasts and newspapers, tended to tweet results so as to keep the voters informed, but also encouraged the viewing and reading of traditional news sources, as evident in Kare 11’s last tweet of the night: “Bachmann defeats Graves in tight 6th District race. Tune in to KARE 11 Sunrise starting at 4:30am for the latest.

Since I could not follow the election coverage on a local station as I would have if I had been at home, I settled for following Kare 11’s twitter feed and the CNN website, as I watched the CNN broadcast. It was convenient that the CNN site offered state-by-state coverage, but it was also interesting to see how they prioritized the results. Obviously, since CNN is a nationwide network, the Minnesota presidential results were featured at the top. They would also display “Key Races,” essentially meaning close races or those that might hold wide interest, such as the Bachmann v. Graves race. They also prioritized amendment initiatives, as the results of the marriage amendment were being prominently displayed, but it was very challenging to find out any information regarding the voter ID amendment. Truly, across various media sources, the marriage amendment appears to have taken precedence over all other contests, including the presidential race. In the days and weeks leading up to the election, there was a proliferation of “VOTE NO” statuses, profile pictures, cover photos, and stories being posted on Facebook, with little noticeable buzz regarding Barack Obama or Mitt Romney.  As one Pioneer Press article is entitled “Minnesota Republicans lose big, face tough two years ahead,” it seems the focus in Minnesota was less on Obama’s win, and more on the uncertain future of the Republican party as a whole as it faced major setbacks in Minnesota and elsewhere in the 2012 election.

Although the Star Tribune and the Pioneer Press both cover news for the Twin Cities in Minnesota, the papers have different policies when it comes to newspaper endorsements in presidential elections. Particularly in a race that is as close as this one is purported to be, it is understandable that a newspaper would choose not to endorse either candidate, for fear of alienation of its readership.  In an article he wrote regarding the phenomenon of endorsements, David Brauer quotes the editor of the Pioneer Press, Mike Burbach, as stating, “We just wanted to do it this way, this year. At this moment, it’s more comfortable for me.” Although the paper still publishes editorials regarding the election, as well as interviews with the candidates, Burbach states, upon receiving little feedback from the paper’s readership: “I guess that tells me people are going to make up their own minds, whether you do endorsements or not, and they have ever-more sources of information.”

While the Pioneer Press has not endorsed a candidate in this presidential election nor the previous, the Star Tribune has followed a different pattern.  The paper, with nearly 100,000 more readers than the Pioneer Press, has endorsed Obama for the second election in a row.  The Editorial Board made the endorsement despite “disappointment over the lost opportunities of his first four years.”  The Board cites concerns about Romney’s tendency to adapt his image depending on the circumstance, as they write, “But who can be certain which Romney will appear next? How can any American be sure where he stands on gay rights, immigration, climate change, reproductive rights and investment in education?” While it may seem like a risky move for the Star Tribune to endorse a candidate for presidency when its rival newspaper has elected not to dole out an endorsement, this is hardly the case.  As the state with the longest voting streak in the nation, in this case, for Democratic presidential candidates, it is treated as a given among Minnesota citizens that it is and always will be a blue state. When a friend of mine turned eighteen years old shortly before the 2008 presidential election, her dad said to her, “As a conservative living in Minnesota, get used to just throwing your vote away.”  Surely this is an extreme view of inefficacy, however the voting record of Minnesota speaks for itself.  While it is interesting that one paper chose to give an endorsement while the other did not, an endorsement of Obama is hardly surprising. An endorsement of Romney in Minnesota? That would be an article worth reading.

The following are links to the Minnpost article regarding the Pioneer Press’s non-endorsement, as well as the endorsement of Obama by the Star Tribune:

http://www.minnpost.com/braublog/2012/10/why-st-paul-pioneer-press-dropped-political-endorsements

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/176032451.html?refer=y

For extra information, this link displays general election endorsements by the top 100 newspapers based on daily circulation for both 2008 and 2012:

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/data/2012_newspaper_endorsements.php

Many people may think that the debates no longer matter, especially with the proliferation of various other media sources that voters may refer to at any time, rather than tuning into the debates and listening to the, at times, painful discourse. However, I would argue that the debates are now more relevant than ever, as new forms of social media draw attention to them in unique ways. According to Beth Fouhy, a journalist for the Associated Press,last night’s debate drew 11.1 million comments on Twitter, making it the fourth most tweeted telecast of any kind. I do not know if the debates necessarily have huge power in swaying voters, but it is clear that they still have the power to garner the attention of large audiences. If any type of broadcast can incite that much buzz in a day and age when there are arguably more demands on our time and attention than ever before, I think that clearly indicates significance.

There are undeniably going to be voters who will vote along party lines regardless of what either candidate says in the debates or in any other media outlet. However, as more and more Americans are identifying as “independent” or “moderate,” a platform which requires both candidates to meet on an equal level is crucial. While maybe not deciding the votes of these middle-of-the-roaders, the event allows one to tune into issues regarding the election without the yammering of various political pundits – inevitably, that comes afterwards. Although Graber writes about the obvious issues in measuring media influence on viewers and readers,I would love to see even just self-assessments of the impact of the debates in the opinions of the viewers. Regardless, I think that viewers from all party affiliations continue to value this long-established tradition that allows for the presidential candidates to directly address us,the voters.

My first major point of concern as the debate began was curiosity regarding whether the Republican candidate always wears a red tie and the Democratic candidate always wears a blue tie. Clearly I was not the only viewer to ever question this, as there were a myriad of articles about tie color choice in the Republican primaries. However, this speculation could merely be indicative of the lack of newsworthy material in the political aspect of the primary debates. Regardless, in case you, too, wondered about tie colors, here are some references: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/11/gop-debate-red-ties_n_1142039.html or http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/11/gop-debate-theres-more-to-a-candidates-tie-than-meets-the-eye/.

My unabashed contribution to the consumption of soft news aside, before the debate opened, Jim Lehrer stated the fact that average citizens submitted questions for the debate via the Internet. This indicates how very important what we do in this class is, because new forms of technology and communication are increasingly becoming integrated with traditional forms, such as the long-established presidential debate.  The fact that he was the ultimate decision maker in what questions would be presented mirrored the relationship of the public with the media.  While the public has an influential role in driving the kind of stories that are widely presented in the media, journalists and editors have the ultimate power to determine what goes to print or broadcast, informing viewers and readers across the nation.

As the debate opened, Obama acknowledged his wife and his anniversary; I questioned how this would be received.  Obama was really in a no-win position, as if he acknowledged it, it could easily be seen as corny or a ploy to pull at the heart strings of the viewers. However, if he had chosen not to acknowledge it, he could have been regarded as cold.  Ultimately, I think he handled it well, as did Romney who took the opportunity to congratulate Obama, while also infusing a little humor into what would otherwise be a serious evening of policy discussion.

The debate itself was expected, talking points and memorized facts galore. I was surprised by what seemed to me to be a lack of energy and eloquence in Obama, who normally dominates in these arenas.  Overall, Romney appeared to have more concrete plans for his potential presidency, supported with strong facts, which I think was crucial for him being that he has been criticized for just glossing over issues and being a “flip-flopper.”  However, I am looking forward to the fact checks that will surely come today to see whether the facts from both sides of the aisle hold water.  Do I think either candidate blew the other out of the water? No, but I do think that Romney was at least able to ignite some fire in his campaign. The one thing I can be sure of is that I never thought I would hear the words “I love Big Bird,” in a presidential debate. So thank you for that, Romney.

Kathleen Parker’s articles do very similar work to that being done by this blog and our twitter feed, as she creates connections between many of the concepts we read about with various current events. In her article “Introducing President MSNBC” in particular, Parker’s critical and likable voice brings practical meaning to some of the class texts.

Parker, like Marvin and Meyer, in their article “What Kind of Journalism Does the Public Need?” calls for a greater sense of transparency in journalism, as she writes, “Surrendering pretentions to objectivity, news organizations (including Fox) can declare their political objectives and make the best case.”  While she is critical of news organizations, she is an equal opportunity critic, pointing out issues within news organizations across party lines.

In this same article, Parker also discusses the phenomenon of television personalities morphing into celebrities.  I think that when Giuliana Depandi, formerly known merely as an infotainment news personality on the E! Channel is suddenly making news for having a baby via gestational surrogate with her husband, the first winner of the Apprentice, it is clear that the epidemic of television personalities as celebrities is upon us.  Parker discusses this transformation as “unavoidable,” being that “We naturally feel a bond with people in our kitchens and living rooms every day.” However, she warns, “TV journalists risk becoming the event themselves rather than the events they cover.”  This point is also one relevant to our readings, as Schudson writes about the manipulation in journalism, stating, “The temptations of the reporter-source relationship are real” (135).  While Parker does not offer a solution to this lack of balance, her presentation of the issue in a clear, engaging manner raises attention to the matter, further opening discussion about objectivity and opinion.

Compared to many of my classmates at Notre Dame, I am relatively resistant to technology and social media. While I do have a MacBook Pro, which I love dearly, and am an avid Facebook user, this is where my technological capabilities end. Prior to this class, I never even considered getting a Twitter, despite various attempts at cajoling by my friends. My lack of an iPhone makes me somewhat of an anomaly at Notre Dame. Since my computer can be a bit heavy to carry around all day, I am often in the position of being unplugged from the news and social media while I am away from my room. Ever since getting the iPad for our class, I have become much more aware of events going on throughout the day. When I leave my room, the iPad is now the first thing I put in my bag, as if it would be tragic if I did not have it for the day, when somehow I had previously managed without it for 20 years.
The iPad has allowed me to remain connected with news of all kinds in a manner that was previously not possible for me. I check Flipboard between classes to get a glimpse at any important stories that may have transpired in the last hour or so. While I absolutely appreciate the opportunity to be more efficacious in my relationship with the news, the iPad also provides boundless opportunities to procrastinate. I realized that I had reached a new low when I was checking Twitter and Facebook on my iPad while watching Netflix on my computer. Do I realize that is my own fault for allowing myself to be distracted? Yes. Do I take responsibility for it? No. It is definitely the iPad’s fault.
In all seriousness, though, having the iPad has caused me to interact with the news in new and different ways through the use of such apps as Flipboard and the Pioneer Press app, which I prefer to the full site because of it being more neatly laid out with fewer advertisements. However, possession of the iPad has also raised the question with me, how connected do I truly want to be? For the purpose of this class, having the news literally at my fingertips at all times is a fantastic thing. However, do I want to foster an addiction to my email, Twitter, Facebook, and various news apps beyond this class? Check back with me at the end of the semester.

Although I know the assignment was intended to be a comparison of wedding announcements from two different sources, this proved to be challenging for me, as neither the Minneapolis Star Tribune nor the St. Paul Pioneer Press post these announcements online, and I wanted to compare wedding announcements at my local and state level.  Instead, I found a related article from the Stillwater Gazette, my hometown newspaper, that I thought could prove to be an interesting study to tie together with an analysis of wedding announcements.

When I searched “wedding announcements” on the Stillwater Gazette website, I stumbled upon an article from July entitled, “Weddings on a stick: County Fair offers free weddings, vow renewals.” The Washington County Fair Board Director John Rheinberger boasts, “We are the only county in the United States to offer fair-sponsored free weddings and vow renewals every day of our fair to every qualified person without any pre-registration or contest involved, and in a very open setting on the fairgrounds so that all other fairgoers can witness the ceremonies.” The fact that Washington County is the only county in the nation to offer this “service” speaks to its small-town vibe, as only in such a town would people be interested in this event, with chances actually being good that one may know someone who is getting married or renewing vows.

The article quotes Judge Greg Galler, who performs the ceremonies: “I love the demographics of the fair. It is a good gathering spot and the ceremonies are something everyone can enjoy whether they participate or observe.” His characterization speaks to the public of those who live in Washington County, as within this area, the Washington County Fair is obviously a community-gathering place. He also characterizes the public as one that enjoys participating in such events, which obviously indicates some value placed on a sense of kinship and community. This story, albeit rather corny, indicates a great deal about the public of Washington County residents and Stillwater Gazette readers.

Furthermore, the actual engagement announcements in the Stillwater Gazette provide similar information about the public that is Stillwater residents. There are very few engagement announcements featured in the paper, which speaks to the fact that it is for a small town audience in which engagements are likely infrequent. In fact, there was a nearly two-month gap between the two most recent announcements featured on the site. The announcements are quite standard, with information including the names of the parents of the couple, where they attended high school, where they attended college, current place of residence, and occupation. All of the announcements I looked at included a white, heterosexual couple. The fact that no gay couples were featured is indicative of the “traditional” values of the small town, as well as of Minnesota, which does not yet permit gay marriage. The fact that these couples are all white and have attended college indicates a readership that is generally white, middle-class, and suburban families.

http://stillwatergazette.com/2012/07/20/weddings-on-a-stick-county-fair-offers-free-weddings-vow-renewals/

http://stillwatergazette.com/2012/09/14/myrvold-gleason/