2010 July — AEJMC Hot Topics

President had limited framing power in stem cell debate

July 15, 2010 By AEJMC Leave a Comment

Former President George W. Bush had little influence over the media and public opinion in regard to stem cell research, according to a recent study published in Newspaper Research Journal.

Researchers Shahira Fahmy, Wayne Wanta and Jeannine E. Relly found that despite repeated presidential criticism of stem cell research, most of the 200 newspaper articles they examined were positive. The study examines coverage from 2004 to 2006, before Bush’s veto of a bill that would have ended federal restrictions on stem cell research funding. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Research Tagged With: George W. Bush, Jeannine E. Relly, Newspaper Research Journal, Oklahoma State University, Shahira Fahmy, Stem Cell Research, University of Arizona, Wayne Wanta

Meeting coverage changes with newsroom cutbacks

July 15, 2010 By AEJMC Leave a Comment

Reporters are using Internet tools, such as blogs and social media sites, to aid in coverage of public meeting as staff cuts in newsrooms across the nation mean fewer meetings are covered, a recent study published in Newspaper Research Journal reports.

In-depth interviews of 19 reporters from newspapers across the Southeast facing newsroom cutbacks found that reporters often use social media and blogging tools to report extra information, often procedural and content-related, while the final article in print focused on meeting outcomes. The researchers also found reporters use the Internet to avoid attending public meetings by doing things such as e-reading meeting minutes. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Research Tagged With: Future of..., John C. Besley, M. Chris Roberts, Newspaper, Newspaper Research Journal, Newsroom, University of Alabama, University of South Carolina

Scott Rosenberg: When It Comes to Corrections, Most News Sites Fail

July 14, 2010 By AEJMC Leave a Comment

MediaShift | [...] Three quarters of the 28 news outlets we reviewed provide no corrections-reporting link of any kind on their home or article pages. Even media organizations that show signs of working to handle corrections carefully fall down in various ways — and lots of others don’t look like they’re even trying.

Many bury information about how to report errors behind confusing trails of links. Some provide multiple, poorly labeled avenues for feedback without telling readers which ones to use for error reports. Others provide no access to recently corrected articles beyond a search on “corrections,” which often turns up multiple stories about prisons. [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Media Organizations, MediaBugs, MediaShift, News Corrections, News Media, Online Communities, Scott Rosenberg

New York Times: F.C.C. Indecency Policy Rejected on Appeal

July 14, 2010 By AEJMC Leave a Comment

A federal appeals court struck down a Federal Communications Commission policy on indecency Tuesday, saying that regulations barring the use of “fleeting expletives” on radio and television violated the First Amendment because they were vague and could inhibit free speech.

The decision, which many constitutional scholars expect to be appealed to the Supreme Court, stems from a challenge by Fox, CBS and other broadcasters to the F.C.C.’s decision in 2004 to begin enforcing a stricter standard of what kind of language is allowed on free, over-the-air television… READ IT

Filed Under: News Tagged With: FCC

AEJMC Members Attend World Journalism Education Congress in South Africa

July 14, 2010 By AEJMC Leave a Comment

University of Oklahoma professor Charles Self presenting the World Journalism Education Census to the delegates in attendance.

GRAHAMSTOWN, South Africa — Joining educators from around the world to discuss the current and future challenges facing journalism education, more than 30 Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication members attended the World Journalism Education Congress in South Africa.

“There’s so much traction around the world now for journalism education that there really is a lot for journalism educators to learn,” said Joe Foote, convener of the World Journalism Education Congress and dean of the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma. “We need to have integration in research, teaching and professional activities that invigorate our curriculum and learn from the way others are doing it.”

The World Journalism Education Congress brings together journalism educators from around the world to advance journalism education in their own countries and around the globe. More than 400 journalism and mass communication educators from more than 50 countries attended the congress, which ran from July 4-7. Rhodes University’s School of Journalism and Media Studies, located in Grahamstown, South Africa, hosted the congress. [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: AEJMC, ASJMC, Charles Self, Joe Foote, Wayne Wanta, World Journalism Education Congress

Sports & Social Media CHAT July 22, 12:30pm EDT

July 13, 2010 By AEJMC Leave a Comment

Blogs with commentary and rumors, Facebook posts with notes from athletes, Twitter updates with scores and even coach-specific YouTube channels represent some of the ways social media has changed sports and the way sports journalists do their jobs in recent years.

What do all the changes mean? And what’s next for the field?

Those questions and related issues will be addressed July 22 by professional journalists and scholars during an AEJMC LIVE online chat and panel discussion coordinated by AEJMC and the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State. [Read more...]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: AEJMC, Brad Schultz, Malcolm Moran, Marie Hardin, Megan Hueter, Social Media, Sports Communication, Viv Bernstein

CNET: End of gay teen website sparks privacy concerns

July 13, 2010 By AEJMC Leave a Comment

CNET| A now-defunct Web site that catered to gay youth is now ensnared in a federal bankruptcy proceeding that the founder says could result in as many as 1 million profiles being sold to creditors, putting its former subscribers’ privacy at risk.

XY, which billed itself as a young gay men’s magazine and could be found at XY.com, ceased publishing in 2007. Its founder filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this year, which could put names, addresses, e-mail addresses, unpublished personal stories, and other information about gay minors into creditors’ hands.

The Federal Trade Commission recently expressed its concerns, saying in a letter to creditors and attorneys involved in the case that “any sale, transfer, or use” of XY’s personal information “raises serious privacy issues and could violate” federal law… READ IT

Filed Under: News Tagged With: CNET, GLBT, Magazine, Privacy, Web, XY