CD1-track17

Journalism: Newspapers and Journalists

1. What is the lecture mainly about?

A Freedom of speech and newspapers.

B Journalism and freedom of the press.

C How the media distorts the truth.

D The history of journalism.

(B)

2. According to the lecture, why is “prizemanship” mainly problematic?

A Journalists may distort the truth.

B Journalists can be invading some privacy.

C Newspapers feel humiliated when their journalists do not win the prize.

D The truth must always be found and never interpreted.

(A)

听力原文：

CD1-track17

Journalism: Newspapers and Journalists

“In the US constitution it is stated that the congress shall make no law abridging the

freedom of speech of the press. This puts forth the foundation of journalism in the

United States. The government and the press are 2 separate entities. The people who

wrote the 1st amendment understood that journalists are human beings and that they

can make mistakes. The press even though it is not perfect was to take on the job of

government critic with its responsibility to the citizens of America not to the

government. At the core of the way in which the press operates is independence.

Newspaper owners may support a particular party, but it is becoming more common

for a newspaper and its journalists to be totally independent in every way.

Unfortunately sometimes this is a goal to work towards and not a description which

shows the truth. Staff and the newspaper they represent should show freedom of

thought and action. A newspaper must not print stories for the sole purpose of

promoting people who support it. Journalists cannot receive money, holidays, or gifts

from special groups for favorable news coverage. If a newspaper were corrupt it

could not criticize the government for being corrupt. Sometimes things like a free

meal or sports tickets are acceptable though, but this is not practice written in stone.

There are not really any rewards for the type or amount of freedom that the press

enjoys, maybe devotion of the readers in trust. With freedom of the press a newspaper

can still report a story in the way it wished. However, it must still adhere to the laws

of libel. The basic idea is that there must be truth to what the newspaper prints and

the newspaper must be able to show that they are being truthful. It is common for a

newspaper to separate its ideas and beliefs from the objective presentation of truth.

The news is presented with sources identified when possible. It is only on the editorial page that the newspaper gives its and other staff members or syndicated writers

personal opinions. For a newspaper to not sound one sided or closed minded to

others it often has a section devoted to letters that people write to the newspaper

about how the news is being reported and other versions of the truth if one or several

happen to exist. The newspapers reserve the right to edit as necessary so that there is

fair presentation. A newspaper must also be sure to remain responsible if it does make

a mistake. Correction should be printed in the same part of the newspaper all the time

so they are easier to be found. A newspaper must also know when to draw the line

when they have crossed the boundary of invading somebody’s private life. It is at this

point that the newspaper must look at what it is saying and doing and re-evaluate the

situation. Journalists must follow the same laws as does everybody else but must be

extremely enthusiastic in uncovering the truth. In doing this they become a type of

supervisor or watchdog. Newspapers must be careful of becoming caught up in

something called prizeman-ship, presenting stories in a certain way with the sole

purpose of the newspaper or the journalist winning a prize. This has happened before.

A journalist made up the story and ended up winning the Pulitzer Prize. In the end the

journalists revealed the truth and quit her job. The newspaper gave the award back

with great humiliation. It is okay for newspapers and journalists to receive prizes, but

they should be from people or groups who have no connection to the recipient and

they should be without the recipient knowing it. There is the temptation to exaggerate

the facts but this must always be avoided. Journalists must always remember this last

rule in being a journalist. Above all one must be aware of the possibility that he or

she might be wrong, that a mistake has been made. There can be many viewpoints

which distort the truth. Journalists must remember when an error is made there is

always somebody who is going to be hurt. It is for this that the truth must always be

found and never interpreted.”