International Communication Gazette

The International Communication Gazette is a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to journalism.  According to their website, the editorial policy follows key issues such as, “to role of communication in world politics and world trade,” relationships between communication and development, theories of “communication policy formation” and planning, and “the development of normative theories in communication studies in conditions of cultural pluralism.”

This journal focuses on international issues primarily.  Whenever possible, it publishes work by writers with an “international reputation and contributions that are of interest to international audiences.”  In order to achieve this, the Gazette will “draw on high-quality work from the international community of communication researchers,” avoid bias, “invite contributions that have an interdisciplinary and comparative scope and demonstrate a sensitivity to cultural pluralism,” encourage new approaches to “theoretical and methodological developments in the communications field,” and “subject submissions to independent peer review.”

Some of the writers of this journal are Bernadette Kester, Naomi Sakr, Joris Juyendijk, Marcel Broersma, and Annelore Deprez.  In addition, the editor in chief is Cees J Hamelink from the University of Amsterdam.  The managing editor is Ester de Waal also from the University from Amsterdam.  Also, there are six associate editors and 28 members on the editorial advisory board.

Although my major is Journalism, I have always loved about immersing myself in various countries.  As I began to take classes in the major, I learned how important the media is for international reporting.  Although locality is key to some news organizations, foreign coverage should not be entirely forgotten.  Also, media and ethics is an interesting issue that we hear about nearly everyday.  To learn about both of these interests, I was immediately drawn to the International Communication Gazette.

Should Journalists draw the line?

Too Many Angles on Suffering?

Patrick Witty utilizes images in his essay in order to support his argument. His argument is that sometimes journalists can be overwhelming in a time of tragedy. Is there a limit to how many journalists should be present at any given time?

Following his introduction, Witty incorporates an image into his argument. The picture depicts several photographers taking a picture of an armed soldier. The image reflects Witty’s words, the image looks very crowded as photographers take pictures of the same subject. The photograph is fairly vivid and uses an array of colors. It doesn’t appear to be altered very much, and this might be to provoke some sort of reality from this picture.

Further down the page, there is an image of a woman who was recovered after being buried under ruble. This image is stimulating and invokes pathos – there are several photographers in this image, and if the picture were allowed to expand endlessly, I am sure there would be several more photographers who are not pictured. The image isn’t altered very much, maybe more saturated for darker colors. However, little alteration may have been incorporated in order to portray the reality of this issue. Clearly, this image uses accumulation and it gives the viewer an stronger impact of the concern.

The typeface of the essay itself is very crisp and makes the words easy to read. The website incorporates contrast: dark gray background with light gray text. Witty uses images where appropriate in order to make his point. The images aren’t simply placed randomly, the images follow his words in order to make a visual support for his argument. As a result, his placement of images create a sense of organization and uses logos.

Blogging and a Journalist’s Success

How a blog can put you on the road to success

This blog attempts to persuade journalists to create and maintain their own blog.  The writer states that having a blog increases your success rate as a journalist.  The rhetorical exigence is that journalists should have a blog in order to better their abilities.  The writer says that if you don’t have a blog – you’re going to miss out on the perks.

Bradshaw presents several examples and notions that support his argument.  He states that having a regularly maintained blog demonstrates commitment to prospective employers.  It also shows that you have adequate knowledge in what you choose to write in, and that you are willing to research topics and provide invaluable information.  Finally, having a blog will help develop a “journalistic style.”  Bloggers will be able to discover their niche and will be learning through their writing, in a do-and-learn type setting.

The writer uses ethos by using credible information and commentary from The Guardian’s head of editorial development, Neil McIntosh.  The Guardian is a credible and recognized news organization located in London.  The blogger also demonstrates ethos as he himself is a journalist.  He has experience in this field and this makes him credible.

The writer does not use much pathos here.  However, he speaks in a calm manner and doesn’t present himself as aggressive.  Instead, his writing comes through as a relationship to his readers, as if he’s trying to give them expert advice on an individual level.  Logos plays an aspect here as the blog is structured in an easy to read manner.

Citizen Journalism

“Citizen journalism and investigative reporting: from journalism schools to retirement communities”

This blog describes the issues surrounding citizen journalism. The term citizen journalism essentially means that citizens are the ones providing the news. The writer explains that sometimes citizen journalism is abused. This results in negative consequences for actual journalists who have gotten a degree at an accredited university. She depicts a situation concerning a citizen journalist who had collected their information in a distasteful manner that would go against the grain of media ethics. Along with deceit, this citizen journalist failed in writing in a fair and unbiased news article. Also, the writer criticized other news organizations, as they tend to over use a citizen’s work without researching the news on their own. Finally, she says that citizen journalism could possibly leave journalists jobless.

The rhetorical situation is clear – citizen journalism can be damaging if used incorrectly. Rather than simply relying on citizens to do the work for a journalist, the writer presents some very concise solutions to the issue. First, the writer recommends that journalists work with citizens and ask questions about what they would like to see. Journalists can then do research correctly and are still doing their job for the public interest. Using the Internet and current technology is another solution, as it is the easiest to get citizen’s to contribute.

The writer backs up their argument by providing successful examples. Since this writer is a professional journalist, this makes ethos credible. The author’s tone is calm, rational, and persuading. By providing alternatives to a problem, they are subtly persuasive rather than taking on a commanding tone. Finally, the structure of this argument is strong, as the writing is fluent for the reader and makes easy transitions.

Retreating from the World

Retreating from the World: The cutback in foreign coverage, and the steep price

“Retreating from the World” is a news article written by Rem Rieder.  The author describes the importance of foreign news and its’ relation to America.  He describes specific examples of “accountability journalism” such as the misconduct of U.S. Marines, which had gone unnoticed until a journalist began to investigate.

According to Rieder, “journalism’s watchdog role has long been crucial.”  Despite this, this delegation doesn’t stop at America’s border, it transcends into foreign news coverage.  Unfortunately, foreign news is something that is becoming increasingly distant in American culture.

Rieder describes the situation: several leading newspaper organizations such as the Boston Globe, and the Baltimore Sun have significantly decreased the amount of their foreign correspondents.  This change can most likely be attributed to the fact that newspaper agencies agree that reporting on local news is key to survive tough economic times.

Many newspaper organizations have left international coverage up to the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and the Wall Street Journal.  Rieder explains that the task of covering foreign news is not easy, and more reporters are needed for this conquest.  He concludes that if America’s news agencies continue this downward trend then its’ readers will suffer a “heavy price.”

To Rieder, he is pressing his audience (Journalists, editors, producers) to take more initiative in foreign coverage.  He states that it is a journalist’s responsibility to seek truth and accountability beyond America’s waters.  He uses the word, “abdicate”, which means to “fail to fulfill or undertake a responsibility or duty”.  He paints a picture for his readers: what would it be like if we didn’t have knowledge to our neighbors?