Archive for Dan Chou's Story of the Week
Journalism Ethics in Food Critiquing
November 2nd, 2005 Dan Chou's Story of the Week
I almost didn’t give this article a second glance. But once I read it, I found it so applicable to many recent things we’ve been discussing in my journalism class too, in regards to ethics.
We trust our food critics to give us honest opinions about what different places offer to eat. It never occurred to me that these opinions could easily be affected by restaurants. Back in high school, whenever we went to a restaurant, they never knew that we were critiquing their foods, and we paid out of our own pockets — the meals weren’t even paid for by the school newspaper. In the world of large newspapers, however, you run into greater issues of restaurants advertising in the paper and possibly celebrity journalism. A food critic may develop a name for himself and thus be easily recognized at restaurants. The restaurant may recognize him and unofficially try to treat him better.
Regardless, this is one part where journalistic integrity needs to be maintained. What the newspaper prints should not be affected by whether the restaurant advertises or not. And while the review is an opinion of the individual critic, that review should remain honest and not be affected by outside sources.
I really like the last two paragraphs; some people say that this isn’t any different from other types of critics getting freebies from other areas. “I see that as really apples and oranges,” Babcock said. “When a theater critic goes in to review opening night, that critic is going in and getting the same course, if you will, that everyone else in that same restaurant is getting. It’s not a separate playbill. Anthony Hopkins is not acting in a solo performance just for that reviewer.”
Food critics, maintain your credibility and let us know the truth about restaurants!
Anonymous Sources
October 26th, 2005 Dan Chou's Story of the Week
Recent events have spurred talk on anonymous sources. As part of my Journalism 190 course, the story of the week has been changed for this week to point out media use of anonymous sources:
There are times when the use of anonymous sources is unnecessary. For example, this article has quotes from an official of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea regarding the 4th East Asian Games. Is it really necessary to remain anonymous saying that they HOPE to do well? The fact that information from the official is used adds nothing to the article, and instead makes it sound as if it wants to be secretive, when it really is not. There was no need to even say that a delegation was quoted, or that he wanted to remain anonymous.
At other times, there might be an actual reason to remain anonymous. For example, this article quotes an official from the UAW. The official remained anonymous because leaders like him are not allowed to comment on the cuts. However, it might be important to point out the cuts, to bring them out to the public. It almost reminds me off Deep Throat and Watergate in a way.
Cell Phones in Africa
October 19th, 2005 Dan Chou's Story of the Week
Cell phone usage to me used to represent affluence. Every rich kid in high school had one, and my family eventually got them too once we were sure we could afford them. Thus, this article came as a surprise to me, because Africa is not typically considered as an affluent place.
Nonetheless, this is an amazing article on just how cell phones have started making their place in the lives of African people. It has been able to touch multiple aspects of people’s lives, from buying groceries, to selling fish, to tracking elephants.
Technology has been seen as only something available to those that can afford it. But this article clearly shows that technology can help everyone, and thus should be widely made available. “We are developing unique ways to use the phone, which has not been done anywhere else,” says South African Michael Joseph, chief executive officer of Safaricom, one of two service providers in Kenya.
Initially, they assumed that landline use was low and so cell phone use demand would be low as well. However, cell phones free up all the problems that land line usage had in Africa. Because a few people were able to think out of the box, “providing African solutions to African problems,” the continent of Africa may finally be able to make some serious progress.
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