Blog Post #9 - Good Night, and Good Luck Movie Reflection

The historical drama film released in 2005, Good Night, and Good Luck, tells the story of broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow as he looks to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy. The film was written and directed by George Clooney and features David Strathairn, Patricia Clarkson, Robert Downey Jr., and many other well-known actors and actresses. 

The film is set in the 1950s, specifically in what is known as the McCarthy Era. McCarthyism, also known as the second Red Scare, was the political paranoia about the internal Communist threat in the United States during the late 1940s through the 1950s. 

CBS studios was founded in 1948 and was one of the first television news broadcast. Journalists were some of the early adopters of television and set the scene for other broadcast networks in the future. CBS wanted to do a story on Senator Joe McCarthy to illustrate the negative impact he was having on the nation.

Senator Joseph McCarthy is known for alleging that numerous communists and Soviet spies and sympathizers had infiltrated the United States federal government, universities, film industry, and elsewhere. He was one of the major contributors to the red scare, "confusing the public mind" and producing "fearful men."

In his television news broadcast, See It Now, Edward R. Murrow challenged McCarthy leading to a series of televised hearings known as the Army–McCarthy hearings. These hearings were held by the United States Senate's Subcommittee on Investigations, from April to June 1954, in order to investigate conflicting accusations between the United States Army and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy.

In the film, McCarthy answers back to some of the claims Murrow was making on live television. He obviously tries to protect his already hurt reputation by saying that Murrow was responsible for communist propaganda.

Good Night, and Good Luck explained that the show, See It Now, received mixed reviews. The Times gave it a fair review, however others said the real problem was the propaganda. Ultimately, Murrow made a name for himself in the broadcast television industry and exposed Joseph McCarthy for his anti-communism tactics. Murrow believed television news could adopt the same characteristics of print journalism, and that is exactly what he did.

Murrow's famous sign-off phrase “Good night, and good luck” originated with his World War II radio broadcasts from London during the city's Nazi bombing raids. In the film and every time he concludes his broadcast, he signs off with the same phrase.

The film illustrates the conflicting relationship between television news and American politics. It it stated in the film that "If not utilized, [television is] merely wires in a box," implying that it is the responsibility and duty of broadcasts journalists and reporters to seek and relay the truth to the public.

It is believed that the press should take on its "watchdog role" and act as a check on government. The film supports the idea that the government should not control or hinder the press in any capacity, and that the press and government should remain separate from one another. 

The film also explores the idea of the chilling effect, a concept of deterring free speech and association rights protected by the First Amendment as a result of government laws or actions that appear to target expression. Journalists and writers are protected by the First Amendment, and therefore should not feel fearful or uncertain of being silenced by the government.

Blog Post #8 - EOTO 3 Reflection

 Researching, presenting, and learning more about historical terms and concepts in journalism was actually one of my favorite presentation topics we have covered in class. My peers discussed concepts, such as the history of anonymous sources and "gotcha" journalism, and provided unique examples so that we can better understand the impact they have in the world of journalism.

I really enjoyed learning more about the history of anonymous sources and how we, as journalists, are legally bound to protect the identity and reputation of our sources. It is important to build relationships with sources that are build in trust and respect. Protecting our sources' identities solidifies this trust.

My peers discussed the Watergate scandal with Nixon and how the press exposed his involvement through an anonymous source. Washington Post journalists, Woodward and Bernstein, had a source who confirmed information that had already been going around. This source was originally anonymous and was given the name "Deep Throat." It wasn't until 30 years later that the source's identity was revealed as Mark Felt, an American law enforcement officer who worked for the FBI.

Furthermore, I learned about shield laws and how their purpose is to protects journalists against disclosure of confidential info. I also learned about the different levels of attribution. There is on the record, on background, on deep background, and off the record, where the information cannot be used for publication at all.

A few of my other peers discussed the concept of "gotcha" journalism. They explained that it is a method used by interviewers to catch an individual off guard. It is also commonly referred to as "ambush" journalism or "hidden camera" investigative journalism.

The main purpose of "gotcha" journalism" is to entrap interviewees into making statements that are damaging or discreditable to their cause, character, integrity, or reputation.

Finally, a few of my peers discussed Gonzo journalism: a style of reporting that places the reporter at the center of the story in a highly personal and participatory way. This style of journalism is typically characterized in humor, sarcasm, and satire. It is based on opinion and experiences and was founded by Hunter S. Thompson in the 1970s. Thompson is known as the father of gonzo journalism and contributed to the style of writing often seen in publications like BuzzFeed and The Rolling Stone.

Blog Post #7 - The Women's Pages

Journalism scholar and author, Jan Whitt, states that the Woman’s Pages were “a product of the late nineteenth century and were designed to draw a large audience for advertisers interested in marketing to women.” For a long time women’s only journalistic role was to write with “a woman’s touch” about women, for women readers. 

The Woman's Pages were a sexist page or column designed for women in newspapers. These pages typically consisted of content regarding beauty, housekeeping, serial fiction, and parenting advice. It reinforced gender norms as companies tried to expand to wider female audiences and overall influenced popular new genres, such as stunt reporting, celebrity gossip, and advice columns.

The Pensacola Journal offered some of the earliest examples of what is considered the “woman’s pages” as it ran from 1905 to 1914. There were sections known as, “People and Events” and “Society” that discussed social events and provided insight into national cultural concerns for women. Women’s pages also addressed topics related to the body both inside and out. 

Fashion and beauty were a main focus in these columns in the form of editorials, news reports, and advertisements. “The Journal’s Daily Fashion Feature,” includes drawings and descriptions of women’s clothing styles from around the United States and Europe. Elizabeth Thompson wrote a column called “Heart and Home Problems” that provided practical advice to letter writers regarding a wide variety of issues like courtship, hygiene, and education. 

These pages created the idea of the ideal American woman: A white, financially comfortable, married, woman rooted in her home. Most of these female writers were hired as journalists to portray a more "realistic" perspective.

Male editors and reporters expressed increasing alarm at the women’s presence in the newsroom. Many men insisted that reporting would de-feminize and masculinize women. Female journalists often complained that men editors, colleagues, and sources refused to take them seriously. 

Men reporters had little interest in covering domestic life, fashion, beauty, household tips, or society news and ultimately, had little interest in writing for women. However, it was important to reach all audiences and the big news publishing companies quickly realized that developing material for women required hiring women to write columns, features, and pages with the so-called “woman’s touch.”

World War II opened the door for females in many male-dominated fields, journalism being one of them. The war allowed female journalists to cover and report on a wider variety of news sections. When the war ended, male journalists returned to their previous roles forcing the women who had been writing and editing more hard-hitting stories back into the women’s and food pages.

“Food, Fashions, Family, Furnishings” ran in the NY Times from 1955 to around 1971 as a one-page section in the paper on varying days of the week. Historically, women who came to The Times were immediately placed in the women’s pages, informally known as the “four Fs.” Because it was so often ignored by the rest of the newsroom, the four Fs became a space for writers to experiment and push past what was conventionally considered “women’s news.” This section eventually outgrew its original purpose and female journalists proved that they were just as capable of writing hard-hitting stories as men in the field were.

Blog Post #6 - EOTO 2 Reflection

 It was extremely interesting to take a look at some of the individuals and groups who are considered the early heroes of journalism. My peers covered a wide variety of people and topics so today I'll be discussing some of the presentations and pieces of information that I found important to take with me throughout my career as a journalist.

One of the first heroes discussed was the female reporter, infamously known for her stunt reporting in the late 19th century, Nellie Bly. My peers discussed her time spent undercover in the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island which led to her popular publication, "Ten Days in a Mad-House." It was originally published as a series of articles for the New York World to later be complied into a book. She exposed the maltreatment of patients and their horrific living conditions in the institution, leaving a huge impact on the journalism industry.

My peers stated that Bly believed women were not useless, regardless of what they were often being told at the time. She constantly wanted to prove people wrong and even completed her "Around the World in Eighty Days" inspired trip in 72 days.

Some of my other peers furthered the discussion on investigative journalism through their presentation on the muckrakers. Although this group of journalists began with pieces that were considered more of a form of yellow journalism, they eventually became more professional. Lincoln Steffens was one of the leading muckrakers of the Progressive Era in the early 1900s. He published an article in 1902 that exposed how city officials worked in league with big business to maintain power while corrupting the public treasury.

Upton Sinclair was another muckraker who published his novel, "The Jungle," in 1906 in order to expose the appalling working conditions in the meat-packing industry. My peers described that this was really the beginning of investigative journalism of the government and that it exemplified SPJs Code of Ethics.

Finally, one of my peers discussed Jacob Riis and the important role he played in photojournalism. Riis worked as a police reporter and therefore had extensive knowledge of NYC’s slums. His photography, showcasing the awful living conditions in the city's slums in the 1880s, became well-known as one of the first forms of photojournalism. 

He used his photography to publish a book, "How the Other Half Lives," which highlighted poverty in America. "The Making of An American" was his autobiography published in 1901 which follows Riis's early life in Denmark and his struggles as an immigrant in the United States.

These individuals were only a handful of the early journalism heroes discussed in class, but their impact on journalism immediately stuck out to me. They truly embodied the purpose of the press and wrote for the people rather than the government.

Blog Post #5 - Girl Reporters

 Most of the 19th century saw journalism as a specifically masculine profession; however in the 1880s and early 1900s, female journalists, also known as the "Girl Reporters," became a more common trend to see. 

These female reporters would go undercover and place themselves in dangerous situations to reveal and expose the urban institutional issues that flooded society. This was really the beginning of investigative journalism as a whole but because it was more common for women, it was referred to as stunt reporting.

Nellie Bly was one of the first stunt reporters to leave her mark in the journalism community, establishing a standard for those that followed. She and other "Girl Reporters" proved that you didn’t need a lot of training but rather a lot of bravery. In 1887, many editors refused to hire a female journalist so when Bly was offered the opportunity to produce an investigative piece, she took it. She had herself committed to the infamous insane asylum on Blackwell's Island. 

She lacked many qualifications with little formal education, no professional training as a journalist, and no credentials in any specialized field. Despite this, Bly became a national phenomenon during a formative moment in American mass culture. While Bly and her followers were often scorned by more traditional journalists, they were the first newspaper women to move from the women's pages to the front page.

Elizabeth Garver Jordan was an aspiring young female journalist. She was hired by editor of the New York World in 1889 to produce more emotive pieces. She is example of how women manipulated sympathy as a rhetorical strategy for positioning themselves in the newspaper world. Jordan had a gift for the dramatic, human interest stories favored by readers and writers alike in the late nineteenth century. She specialized in stories that blurred the lines between fiction and news, and it wasn't long before she began writing straight fiction, inspired by her news stories.

Victoria Earle Matthews was another "Girl Reporter" who worked for three New York newspapers. She went undercover to observe the abuse of young black women in employment agencies in the south. After writing her story, she took it a step further and decided to open up a settlement house for these women. Prior to some of these female journalists, women struggled to claim space for themselves in the industry. Female reporters and journalists like Bly, Jordan, Matthews and others helped women claim their spot on the front page of a paper. 

The “Girl Reporters” had an immense impact on American journalism. They brought the female voice into the newsroom through investigative journalism pieces, often supporting women’s rights. They were able to change the public perception of women’s abilities and steered away from stereotypical topics such as fashion and society news. They offered a new angle to womanhood that hadn’t been showcased in newspapers before – the brave, charming, independent, professional, ambitious female. 

Many argue the female reporter could access reality and produce a more realistic and “objective” form of journalism. While male colleagues were convinced "women were only capable of fluff or tear jerking stories,” female journalists like the “Girl Reporters” and “Sob Sisters” turned their emotional and sympathetic tendencies to a rhetorical asset.