Month: February 2017

Discussions:

Your blog posts on media organizations

What is the media climate right now in America and abroad?

Should journalists protest in Trump’s America?

Fact-checking under President Trump

Assignment: Pick a country (or stateless nation) as your beat for the semester and write a “beat memo.” In this document you will compile background information (languages spoken, religions practiced, history, most-read and most-viewed local news outlets, current events, immigrant community in New York) as well as contact info for relevant local and international sources whom you may call on for interviews and research throughout the semester. DUE DATE: Next Wednesday Feb. 15

Next class: We’ll discuss the major news stories/important issues unfolding around the world right now, including but not limited to climate change, public health, refugees and migration, economic development, labor issues and women’s rights, and the possible local angles you might find on these major topics here in New York.

CNN

  On June 1, 1980, The Cable News Network, known as CNN, made history as becoming the first 24-hour news service on Television. CNN was not always the affluent corporation it is today. After being told by his superiors in the broadcasting field that a 24-hour news service was not feasible, Ted Turner took four years developing what would soon be a powerhouse in American media. Turner was then up against the 3 networks that practically controlled all of America’s TV news, ABC, CBS, and NBC. During it’s first years of production, CNN was widely criticized for its poor funding and minimal networking resources. However, Turner was not going to give up on the potential he saw in the network. It was Turner’s main goal to steadily expand CNN’s connections and media resources. As a result, CNN was often first to the scene on all matters, domestic or international. They became known for their live coverage of current events and ability to get the story out before other networks. Gaining more momentum, CNN bought out the Satellite News Channel in 1983. This only strengthened their ability to report first on any and all issues around the world. Within less than 10 years of being on air, CNN was surpassing other news networks with its on-site, non-stop, full coverage reporting.
What is often seen as the most pivotal aspect of CNN’s climb to fame is its coverage on the Persian Gulf War in 1990. It was the broadcast that truly introduced America to both CNN and reporter Wolf Blitzer. CNN was the only network providing 24/7 live coverage of The Gulf War. During a time of stress, intrigue, and fear, the urgency of CNN’s coverage was needed by the people of America. It was the first time that a real war was being covered in actual time, viewers were watching the war progress in a clear way. Many networks covering the War refrained from putting reporters in the middle of the live action, but CNN refused to leave. CNN, faced by Wolf Blitzer, covered the entirety of The Gulf War in excruciating detail.

Now, thanks to Ted Turner, 24/7 news coverage is widespread, and CNN is a thriving network that many households depend on.

 

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cnn-launches

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/01/politics/wolf-blitzer-gulf-war-iraq-kuwait-cnn/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cable-News-Network

The Economist is one of the oldest international news organizations. It was established in 1843 in Britain. The Economist offers insight and opinion on international news, politics, business, finance, science and technology. They have sections from Europe to the Middle East Africa.

They release their print version every Fridays. As more readers are heading to digital. The Economist also offers a variety of web-only content, including blogs, debates and audio/video programs.

Their covers for their print versions remind me a lot of Time Magazine Covers. Just recently their covers have been about the Donald Trump Presidency. In the January 28^th issue, their cover has Donald Trump throwing a Molotov cocktail.

http://www.economist.com/printedition/covers/2017-02-02/ap-e-eu-la-me-na-uk

“In 1846, five New York City newspapers funded a pony express route through Alabama to bring news of the Mexican War north faster than the U.S. Post Office could deliver it. And The Associated Press was born”.

-Associated Press

Associated Press are known to be one of the first private sector organization in the United States operating on a national scale. Over the past century and a half, they have been the first to inform the world of many historic moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Associated Press now operates in 263 locations in over 100 countries covering a wide variety of topics from breaking news to investigative reporting. AP’s values integrity, action and independence and has an encyclopedia sized code of ethics. True to their motto AP international journalist stalked refrigerated trucks to expose the abusive practices of the fishing industry in Southeast Asia locating men held in cages.

https://www.ap.org/explore/seafood-from-slaves/index.html

One of my former Journalism professors called The Daily Beast a “cheat sheet”, because it provides highlights for all the top news of the day and also links to the full stories on other sites. And while this is true, the Daily Beast is a type of “cheat sheet”, the news outlet does focus on more than just domestic stories. Presented in a clean series of tabs with the largest tab cycling between the current, most buzzing stories, the Daily Beast’s website is user-friendly and direct. The Daily Beast first started publishing back in October of 2008 and has since accumulated much popularity and many readers. John Avion, editor-in-chief of the news outlet stated that audience engagement since 2012 has doubled and viewership now reaches more than 20 million readers every month. According to the “about us” section of their website, the Daily Beast “delivers award-winning original reporting and sharp opinions from big personalities in the arenas of politics , pop-culture, and more.”

Perhaps one of the most useful features on its site is the “World News” tab at main page’s header. This section is updated quite often, as there are currently 6 stories available for reading on February 6th that deal with news from outside of the US, as well as stories about the US’ involvement with other countries. Similar to news organizations such as BBC and CNN, the Daily Beast has been accused of being left-leaning, especially with regards to its recent coverage of President Trump.

A recent international story done by the Daily Beast was the story “Japan Has a Word for ‘Working to Death’”, in which the state of Japan’s working environments and labor conditions were called into question after a woman committed suicide  from overwork. What’s disturbing about this is just as the title explains; the event of suicide from overworking is so common that there is a word for it (karoshi).

 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/02/03/japan-has-a-word-for-working-to-death.html

Vocativ was founded Mati Kochavi and the business was established in 2013. Their headquarters are located in New York City. Vocativ recruited notable writers, editors, and producers from companies like; Reuters, CNN, Daily Beast, NBC News, and NPR. The media company covers topics from the news, science, technology, culture, life, and sports. The business is geared more towards a younger audience and New Yorkers.

Their slogan is “News From the Deep Web.” The company have a very strong structure in publishing their articles, first writers have to discuss their stories with the chief operating officer and chief content officer, and then pitch their content to the executive committee. They have a great reputation as they have won awards from the Telly Awards and Webby Awards.

Vocativ have the tendency to share very deep stories that reminds me of a documentary meshed with a great article. For example, a story of baby hatches in China. A place where Chinese parents abandons their children so that their child can have a better life. This article was written by a group of writers, Tierney Bonini, Yonatan Amrany, Bethany O’Grady, and Ed Norris in 2014. The title was “The Houses Where China’s Babies Are Abandoned.”

http://www.vocativ.com/world/china/baby-hatches-china/

 

Foreign Policy was founded in 1970 by Harvard professor Samuel P. Huntington and his friend Demian Manshel during an America torn apart by the Vietnam War.
The publication focuses on global politics, economy, finance, energy and national security.
According to the about section, Huntington intended for his publication to be, “serious but not scholarly, lively but not glib.” In 1978 the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace gained full ownership of Foreign Policy. In 2000 the format of the paper transitioned from a slim quarterly academic journal to a bi – monthly glossy magazine.

International editions were launched in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. Foreign Policy has won the National Magazine Award for General Excellence in 2003, 2007, and 2009.

In 2013 Foreign Policy expanded to digital with a full website redesign that made editorial and other tools more accessible for its readers.

Some notable contributors to the publication in the past have been Sentaor Ted Cruz on the Obama administration and their support for Iran. http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/11/25/a-dangerous-wrongheaded-deal/
And Former Sec. of State John Kerry, on the signing of the Start agreement which would decrease American and Russian deployed nuclear forces to their lowest levels
Time to Face Facts

Public Radio International (PRI) is a non-profit media company. Founded in 1983, originally known as American Public Radio, but in 1994 they changed to Public Radio International “to mark its new position as a source for international broadcast news information.” Their mission is to connect with as many people as they can world-wide. They want people to hear stories/news from every corner of the globe. Their focus is on the topic the world is interested in, such as, art, culture, media, business, finances, science, conflict, justice, development, education and global politics.

According to their website, programs produced by PRI are featured on almost 900 radio stations across the U.S. And throughout their various media platform, they reach millions of people around the world.

Examples of international reporting:  http://www.wnyc.org/shows/world

PRI has received awards consecutively every year since 1997. Source here:  https://www.pri.org/stories/2013-09-20/awards-pris-world

 

I’ve been brainstorming on a few stories that I would like to cover but I’m not only doing the Indonesian Community. For Indonesia, I would like to create a documentary style video about the LGBT Community in Indonesia vs. USA. Ideally, I want to find an Indonesian Immigrant that migrated to New York City and the person’s life have changed for the better. If I can visit Indonesia during Spring Break, I want to interview the locals. Starting from the LGBT Community, Muslim Community, other religions, based on age demographic, and find a local organization in Jakarta. I want to approach an Indonesian vs. New York City based psychologist to compare both Indonesian and American perspective on the LGBT Community. I’ve heard of a gay conversion therapy in Indonesia, I want to show how damaging it could really be. When people speak in Indonesian, there will be a text translation in English.

The second story that I’m interested in covering is about a Muay Thai boxer that migrated to the US. He was a world champion and he opened a gym in Manhattan, NY. I want to showcase his story in a documentary style video and a short article. Possibly, showcase other successful immigrants that brings more jobs in New York City and New Jersey.

The third would be about a suburban state, it will be a documentary style video that will be more about traveling. I have always been interested in interviewing people who lives in RVs, Mini Vans, small portable homes, and yachts. Another story that I’m interested in would be people that are a collector of vintage cast iron skillets or antiques. For example, I really want to interview someone that owns a BMW Isetta car from the 1950s. I like the idea of how something old can be passed to the next generation. I’m still branching out my ideas but I don’t want to be limited in just one community.

Vice News is seeking to become a major player in reporting international news. Its goal seems to be to bring global news to a young audience, simultaneously being “cool” while bringing important and serious material to light. Initially, Vice was strictly an internet news outlet. Recently, the organization has branched out to cable television with its own channel featuring a slew of lifestyle and cultural programming in addition to a 30-minute newscast on HBO. Co founder Shane Smith once stated he wanted Vice to be “ESPN, MTV, and CNN all rolled into one.”
The goal of Vice is to continue reaching their core audience of millennials but to incorporate more serious, “hard” news stories. Their most notable work is their documentary about ISIS, where they had a journalist ride along with the organization for the summer. This gained major attention from bigger news organizations, and even caused speculation as to whether Vice could be prosecuted for their “connection” with ISIS, even for the sake of journalism.