News and Journalism
WEEK 1
LECTURE
The News and the News Consumer
Intro & Chapter 1 & Chapter 9 & Costera Maijer and Groot Kormelink
Information about contemporary (çağdaş) affairs of public interest and importance.
contemporary affairs: something new has happened
public interest: something of interest to- N people
importance: relevant from a socio-political / economic perspective.
News is the "product of journalist activity" (Schudson, ch 1)
Journalists / media outlets often produce information that is not relevant from a socio- political /
economic perspective.
cooking, leisure, humor, sports, celebrities...
keep news organization afloat and audience engaged
(Costera Maijer & Groot Kormelink (2015): people have a broad understanding of what is news:
i.e. a political commentary of a friend on Twitter.
Who decides what makes into the news?
Journalism: "Business practice of regularly producing and disseminating information about
contemporary affairs of public interest and importance"
"Journalists not only report reality, they also create it" (Schudson, Intro) : (Week 4)
selecting and highlighting pieces of reality
framing, shading and shaping facts and events
Constraints to the news-making power of journalists
things must actually happen
other groups also fight for pushing and framing issues
journalistic practices (more in Week 3)
internal checks & balances: editors, publishers
planned events: press conferences, campaigns, elections
audience / market appeal
external events: disasters & shocking events
What effect do the news and journalists have on people and the political system? (more in Week 5)
, Do the news affect people's attitudes and behavior? And the issues politicians discuss and the
policies they promote?
Contested field:
From minimum to big effects
How it happens: from direct to a multiple-step process
Under what conditions?
Reinforcing , polarizing, moderating, on particular issues, depending on the source and
context, etc.
A "normative" conception of journalism
what role "should" the media / journalists play
The "democratic" role of journalism
Towards a more complex media system
more Fragment:
+media outlets
+types of media outlets (offline, online, social media feeds,)
"parajournalists" (Schudson, Intro): public relation specialists, media pundits, influencers
News Consumption
How do people consume the news and why?
Schudson (Ch 9)
Why do people consume news?
Routine: emotional attachent
Escape from reality
To have things to talk in social settings
"Para-social" interactions (with quasi "fictional" characters)
For the pleasure of reading
Entertainment (sports, humor)
People consume the news in a variety of ways:
offline (newspaper, TV)
online (blogs, news sites, social media)
people moving away from traditional sources
growing disparity in how people consume news
The decline of traditional news/ journalism
"Cultural decline" v. new opportunities
How do people consume the news and why? (Costera Meijer and Groot Kormelink (2015))
Comparing how Dutch population consumed the news between 2004/05 v. 2011/14
, News consumption logic:
from "fixed" to "chosen" places /times
from "generalized" to "customized" news
from "passive" to "active" consumption (reality or myth?)
16 practices of news use: reading, watching, viewing, listening, checking, snacking,
monitoring, scanning, searching, clicking, linking, sharing, recommending, commenting,
voting
10 takeaways:
1. Technology has lowered news consumption costs. People don't necessarily consume less news, they
do so differently.
2. Digitalization of journalism has increased the ways in which people can attentively consume the news.
3. The news has NOT become a more social experience.
4. A less clear divide between consuming news and other practices (such as working, cooking, getting
together with friends, etc.)
5. A broader understanding of what is considered news (i.e. opinions on Twitter, what's going on with
your friends on Instagram, etc.)
6. Differences on news consumption are less defined by age, but by social context (i.e. "checking" news
at work and "reading" them on the weekend).
7. Traditional "overview" v. "depth" consumption patterns are less useful today.
8. Technological design play an even stronger role in the way people consume the news today.
9. The news more often used to be publicly connected.
10. "Clicks" may not be the right way to measuring what/ how people consume.
ARTİCLE READİNG (SUMMARY)
Costera Maijer & Groot Kormelink
Scrolling, triangulation tagging, and abstaining
News use in 2004 and 2020
INTRO:
While news use was changing in a rapid pace there were three drastic shifts identified:
1. from news consumed in fixed places and at fixed times to mobile news consumed at moments
selected by the user;
2. from generalized news to customized news, tailored to the user's individual desire and needs;
3. from news consumed passively by users to news to which they actively contribute.
The digitalization of journalism was said to enabled news evolve from a genre of information into a social
experiment. At first, studies really relied on surveys, which respondent their own news consumption.
However, people overestimate their own news use. Based on tracking data and internet use people tend to
, overestimate the time they spend online. Secondly, what people use most frequently can be read as what
they value the most and whats most important while on the other hand what people use less is what they
value less. These overestimations can make people not to trust statistics (example on the article about an
author going to make a talk) because of this feeling of "frequent news use" might also be the result of these
people finding news important and overrating their use. Introducing the frequency fallacy may have helped in
the communication.
As metrics (clicks, time spent) have become a dominant measure of news use, is the "duration fallacy" or
the misconception that the amount of time people spend on news can be read as a sign of what they find
most important. Spending more time with news doesn't show the importance or value.
The repertoire for the analysis and description of news usage is mostly limited to reading, watching checking,
listening, clicking, or sharing news.
Reading
Reading is about depth: it is done individually, with great attention, and (when users have enough time) in
longer sessions. It's less about knowing the news and more about understanding taking your time while
consuming it. In 2004's research people mainly used the word "reading" while 15 years later reading is still an
attentive news consumption way and became less tied to one platform. Digitalization of journalism let people
read news on their computers, smartphones, laptops.
Watching
In 2004-2005 news was described as the default TV news user mode. In those years watching the news was
a part of daily life. Especially the 8 o'clock news but now more people can watch the news online from their
portable devices. Watching, like reading, also provides a moment of pleasure: people deeply enjoy these
practices.
Viewing
Viewing refers to its subordination to other activities. In these situations news often functions as a wallpaper
for a main activity, like preparing breakfast or dinner, checking your emails. TV news function less as an
information provider than as the soundtrack of a morning routine. When there is an interesting news you
might lean- forward to WATCHİNG but the default mode might be VİEWİNG.
Glancing (göze çarpmak)
Glancing means subconsciously taking a brief or hurried look at news headlines. It is a "low-intensity news
consumption practice" that is the by effect of another activity.
EX: seeing a head-line on a screen in the bus, outlet on Yahoo
You don't pay attention to the head-lines unless something catches your eyes.
Listening
In 2014 there were more active examples of listening, such as via podcasts. Listening becomes an "easily
customized experience": not only can be decide when, where, and how to listen, but you can also - much
WEEK 1
LECTURE
The News and the News Consumer
Intro & Chapter 1 & Chapter 9 & Costera Maijer and Groot Kormelink
Information about contemporary (çağdaş) affairs of public interest and importance.
contemporary affairs: something new has happened
public interest: something of interest to- N people
importance: relevant from a socio-political / economic perspective.
News is the "product of journalist activity" (Schudson, ch 1)
Journalists / media outlets often produce information that is not relevant from a socio- political /
economic perspective.
cooking, leisure, humor, sports, celebrities...
keep news organization afloat and audience engaged
(Costera Maijer & Groot Kormelink (2015): people have a broad understanding of what is news:
i.e. a political commentary of a friend on Twitter.
Who decides what makes into the news?
Journalism: "Business practice of regularly producing and disseminating information about
contemporary affairs of public interest and importance"
"Journalists not only report reality, they also create it" (Schudson, Intro) : (Week 4)
selecting and highlighting pieces of reality
framing, shading and shaping facts and events
Constraints to the news-making power of journalists
things must actually happen
other groups also fight for pushing and framing issues
journalistic practices (more in Week 3)
internal checks & balances: editors, publishers
planned events: press conferences, campaigns, elections
audience / market appeal
external events: disasters & shocking events
What effect do the news and journalists have on people and the political system? (more in Week 5)
, Do the news affect people's attitudes and behavior? And the issues politicians discuss and the
policies they promote?
Contested field:
From minimum to big effects
How it happens: from direct to a multiple-step process
Under what conditions?
Reinforcing , polarizing, moderating, on particular issues, depending on the source and
context, etc.
A "normative" conception of journalism
what role "should" the media / journalists play
The "democratic" role of journalism
Towards a more complex media system
more Fragment:
+media outlets
+types of media outlets (offline, online, social media feeds,)
"parajournalists" (Schudson, Intro): public relation specialists, media pundits, influencers
News Consumption
How do people consume the news and why?
Schudson (Ch 9)
Why do people consume news?
Routine: emotional attachent
Escape from reality
To have things to talk in social settings
"Para-social" interactions (with quasi "fictional" characters)
For the pleasure of reading
Entertainment (sports, humor)
People consume the news in a variety of ways:
offline (newspaper, TV)
online (blogs, news sites, social media)
people moving away from traditional sources
growing disparity in how people consume news
The decline of traditional news/ journalism
"Cultural decline" v. new opportunities
How do people consume the news and why? (Costera Meijer and Groot Kormelink (2015))
Comparing how Dutch population consumed the news between 2004/05 v. 2011/14
, News consumption logic:
from "fixed" to "chosen" places /times
from "generalized" to "customized" news
from "passive" to "active" consumption (reality or myth?)
16 practices of news use: reading, watching, viewing, listening, checking, snacking,
monitoring, scanning, searching, clicking, linking, sharing, recommending, commenting,
voting
10 takeaways:
1. Technology has lowered news consumption costs. People don't necessarily consume less news, they
do so differently.
2. Digitalization of journalism has increased the ways in which people can attentively consume the news.
3. The news has NOT become a more social experience.
4. A less clear divide between consuming news and other practices (such as working, cooking, getting
together with friends, etc.)
5. A broader understanding of what is considered news (i.e. opinions on Twitter, what's going on with
your friends on Instagram, etc.)
6. Differences on news consumption are less defined by age, but by social context (i.e. "checking" news
at work and "reading" them on the weekend).
7. Traditional "overview" v. "depth" consumption patterns are less useful today.
8. Technological design play an even stronger role in the way people consume the news today.
9. The news more often used to be publicly connected.
10. "Clicks" may not be the right way to measuring what/ how people consume.
ARTİCLE READİNG (SUMMARY)
Costera Maijer & Groot Kormelink
Scrolling, triangulation tagging, and abstaining
News use in 2004 and 2020
INTRO:
While news use was changing in a rapid pace there were three drastic shifts identified:
1. from news consumed in fixed places and at fixed times to mobile news consumed at moments
selected by the user;
2. from generalized news to customized news, tailored to the user's individual desire and needs;
3. from news consumed passively by users to news to which they actively contribute.
The digitalization of journalism was said to enabled news evolve from a genre of information into a social
experiment. At first, studies really relied on surveys, which respondent their own news consumption.
However, people overestimate their own news use. Based on tracking data and internet use people tend to
, overestimate the time they spend online. Secondly, what people use most frequently can be read as what
they value the most and whats most important while on the other hand what people use less is what they
value less. These overestimations can make people not to trust statistics (example on the article about an
author going to make a talk) because of this feeling of "frequent news use" might also be the result of these
people finding news important and overrating their use. Introducing the frequency fallacy may have helped in
the communication.
As metrics (clicks, time spent) have become a dominant measure of news use, is the "duration fallacy" or
the misconception that the amount of time people spend on news can be read as a sign of what they find
most important. Spending more time with news doesn't show the importance or value.
The repertoire for the analysis and description of news usage is mostly limited to reading, watching checking,
listening, clicking, or sharing news.
Reading
Reading is about depth: it is done individually, with great attention, and (when users have enough time) in
longer sessions. It's less about knowing the news and more about understanding taking your time while
consuming it. In 2004's research people mainly used the word "reading" while 15 years later reading is still an
attentive news consumption way and became less tied to one platform. Digitalization of journalism let people
read news on their computers, smartphones, laptops.
Watching
In 2004-2005 news was described as the default TV news user mode. In those years watching the news was
a part of daily life. Especially the 8 o'clock news but now more people can watch the news online from their
portable devices. Watching, like reading, also provides a moment of pleasure: people deeply enjoy these
practices.
Viewing
Viewing refers to its subordination to other activities. In these situations news often functions as a wallpaper
for a main activity, like preparing breakfast or dinner, checking your emails. TV news function less as an
information provider than as the soundtrack of a morning routine. When there is an interesting news you
might lean- forward to WATCHİNG but the default mode might be VİEWİNG.
Glancing (göze çarpmak)
Glancing means subconsciously taking a brief or hurried look at news headlines. It is a "low-intensity news
consumption practice" that is the by effect of another activity.
EX: seeing a head-line on a screen in the bus, outlet on Yahoo
You don't pay attention to the head-lines unless something catches your eyes.
Listening
In 2014 there were more active examples of listening, such as via podcasts. Listening becomes an "easily
customized experience": not only can be decide when, where, and how to listen, but you can also - much
