Propoganda, Advocacy and Yellow Journalism

1954 Words4 Pages

The Martians are coming. American jobs taken by Illegal Immigrants. USDA needs to enforce stricter regulations on cattle feed. Each headline could be found in today's news.

When putting together a story, the interpretation of facts depends on how the facts are presented or the assumptions made by the journalist. It would be inaccurate to suggest or imply that the press and the media are always responsible and truthful. After all, stories with sensational headlines or titles that greatly stir our emotions tend to get the most notice. We must learn to recognize the methods by which news is camouflaged so we can discern fact from fiction

Every time we turn on a radio or television, open a book, magazine or newspaper someone is trying to convince, persuade, and educate us to some version of what is right or truthful. Intended to capture our attention, information is not always presented in the most ethical manner. Yellow journalism, propaganda and advocacy journalism are methods used to deliver news without having to follow the fundamental ethics of journalism. As outlined by the Society of Professional Journalists, journalist should seek to identify sources, verify accuracy of facts and question a source's motives (2005).

Yellow journalism is a type of journalism where sensationalism triumphs over factual reporting. This may take the form of colorful adjectives, exaggeration, a careless lack of fact checking for the sake of a quick "breaking news" story, or even deliberate falsification of entire incidents (Cohen 2000). Sensationalism, distortion, checkbook journalism and profiteering are common monikers for yellow journalism.Two publishers, Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, became well known for this brand of ...

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