Distorted media

Author: Li Xiguang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-01
Features: This book is recommended to all journalism students and professionals. As we read this book, we should seriously reflect on a self-identity issue in our career: What exactly is the "professionality" of journalism? What role and status does it play in the social field? Is the social environment respectful towards journalism? What is the relationship between journalism and the media? Perhaps you do not agree with the viewpoints presented by the author in the book, but at least, he will bring us reflection and thought. Excerpt from the Preface: "Journalism is Not the Media" (Li Ou-fan) Professor Cale of the Columbia University School of Journalism proposed three principles in his short essay "Where Does Journalism Education Go Wrong": (1) Journalism or journalism education cannot be considered as one with advertising, media, public relations, or broadcasting; (2) As a unique social practice, journalism cannot be confused with media and communication; (3) "Journalism is another name for democracy" – there is no democracy without journalism. ....... What is journalism if it is not the media? Cale's argument is based on a humanistic foundation: he believes that journalism education should belong to the humanities or socially-oriented disciplines with a humanistic touch, rather than technology, because the main subject of journalism is people and their social environment. ....... Once journalism becomes the media, it has lost its original reason for existence; it is no longer a discussion of people's social practices but has become another form of sensational commodity. The production and consumption of commodities are market-oriented, so newspaper sales and television ratings become the goals of media attention, rather than society and life. ....... In Cale's eyes, the true "media" of journalism is still text and writing...... However, he did not mention the transformation of the news media itself – from text and print to visual and digital, this transformation has brought unprecedented and unimaginable impacts not only on journalism but also on the entire society. This impact has created a broader humanistic crisis. ....... Contents: Preface: "Journalism is Not the Media" (by Li Ou-fan)
Part I: Essays
Chapter 1: The Turbulent Media and the Distorted Media – The Operation and Function of Journalism in a Market Economy
1. Avoiding Major News
2. Commercial Interests Replacing Public Interest
3. The Illness of Voyeuristic Journalism and the Degradation of Journalism
4. Corporate Journalism Replacing Fair Journalism
5. Good Journalism and the Future of Journalism
Chapter 2: Journalism Is Not a Story from Another Planet
1. Journalism Is Not Propaganda
1. Rigid Propaganda Templates
2. Propaganda Language That Is Boring and Suffocating
2. Journalism Is Not a Story from Another Planet
1. The Cancer of Chinese Journalism Style: Lack of Direct Quotes
2. Major News Without Background Is Harmful Without Benefit
3. The Biggest Taboo of Objective Reporting: Never Forget the Journalist "I"
4. Dissection of a Propaganda-Style News Article
3. Journalism Is Not Rumor
Chapter 3: Good Journalists Should Go Beyond a One-Night Stand
1. Prefer a Newspaper Without Television Over a Television Without a Newspaper
2. Russell's Style: Telling the Stories of Ordinary People
3. Snow's Style: Telling Stories That Represent the Trends of the Times
4. Beyond the Inverted Pyramid
5. High Emotional Scenes and Cases
Chapter 4: Who Is the Core Talent of Modern Media?
1. Different Understandings of the Definition of Journalism
2. Different Attitudes Towards Scandals
3. Different Attitudes Towards Journalism Planning
4. Journalists Face the Public, Media Professionals Face the Audience
5. One Solution for Modern Media: The Principles of Balance and Fairness
6. Another Solution for Modern Media: Highlighting the Role of Journalism Talent
Chapter 5: The Classroom for the Next Generation of Journalists
1. Moving the Journalism Classroom to Snow-Capped Mountains
2. Cultivating the Next Generation of Journalists in the Real World
3. Finding Stories in Ordinary People
4. Who Qualifies to Record Real Stories?
Chapter 6: Do Not Be Slaves to New Media
1. Adhering to Network Journalism as a Branch of Traditional Journalism
2. Adhering to Humanistic Spirit and Media Technology
3. How to Conduct Network Journalism Education?
Chapter 7: A Journalist Who Dared to Say the Emperor Was Not Wearing Clothes
1. A Senior CBS Journalist Leaked the Secrets of American News Media
2. Where Does Media Bias Come From?
1. Unbalanced Reporting, Unable to Fully Reflect the Opinions of Both Sides of a Conflict
2. The "Political Correctness Principle"
3. Pressure from Lobbyists and Interest Groups
4. Media Bias Comes from the Control of Large Companies
5. Media Moguls Are Severely Detached from Real Life
3. Do You Have Bias That Misleads the Audience?
Chapter 8: The Expression of Journalist Opinions in a Diversified Interest Era
1. How to Skillfully Use Objective Techniques
2. Methods to Achieve News "Objectivity"
1. Citing Sources from Both Sides
2. Skillfully Incorporating the Journalist's Opinion and Stance
3. Expressing What the Journalist Wants to Say Through Experts and Scholars
4. Using Neutral and Balanced Verbs as Much as Possible
Chapter 9: Observe Journalism with a Mathematician's Mind
1. Long and Short Television, Short and Deep Newspapers
2. Anchors, Halos, and Probability Theory
3. Learning to Observe Journalism with Numbers
4. Linearity, Chaos, and the Butterfly Effect
5. Complexity Theory, the Liar Paradox
6. "The Demon in the Bottle"
7. Exponential Growth in News Value, the Inverted Pyramid
Chapter 10: What Kind of Reporting Is "Good Science Journalism"? – Reflections on the Beijing International Mathematicians' Congress Report
1. Who Supervises Scientists?
2. Is the Journalism Industry Collaborating with the Scientific Community to Create "Media Stars"?
3. Do Scientists and Journalists Have Disagreements?
4. Do Journalists and Scientists Have Common Ground?
Chapter 11: Global Communication After "9/11"
1. Images, Live Coverage, and Multiplied Communication Effects
Case 1: "9/11" Images and CNN's Film "Remember 9/11"
Case 2: Chinese Media's Coverage of "9/11"
Case 3: Emotional Outlets and One-Sided Public Opinion
Case 3: American Media's Revenge Statements
Case 4: From a Single Voice to the Erosion of Press Freedom
Case 4: CNN – Patriotism After "9/11"
Case 5: Hollywood – Patriotism-Themed Movies
Case 6: AP – American Patriotism After the Hainan Island Collision
Case 7: Reporting on the Afghanistan War
Case 8: Reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Case 9: Inspecting Iraq and Preparing for the Iraq War
Case 10: CNN Anchor: The President's Words Are Evidence!
5. The Structure and Agenda Setting of Global News Communication
6. The Strategy and Techniques of Global Communication: Image, Emotion, Policy
Case 11: CNN's Coverage of the Attack on the Chinese Embassy in South Africa
Case 12: CNN's Coverage of the Hainan Island Collision Between China and the U.S.
Case 13: U.S. Newspapers' Reports on Beijing's Successful Bid for the Olympics
Chapter 12: What Does Global Communication Mean? – Promoting Professor Kamalipour's Views and His New Book
Chapter 13: Who Sets the Agenda for Major International Reporting by Chinese Media?
1. Research Theories and Methods
2. How Do Chinese Media Determine Major International News Reports?
3. U.S. Media's Coverage of the Afghanistan War
4. U.S. Media's Coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
5. U.S. Media's Efforts to Reshape a Positive National Image
Chapter 14: Does Fear Come from the Virus or the Media? – Perspectives on the SARS Coverage
1. Observation Point 1: Semiotics
2. Observation Point 2: Risk Communication
3. Observation Point 3: Digital Methods
Chapter 15: New Journalism: Trends in Chinese Journalism Reform
1. "Change Thinking"
2. "Beauty Is a Bad Woman"
3. Positive Propaganda
4. A New Mirror
5. Focus on Bottom Lines
6. Increase Transparency
7. Investigative Journalism
Chapter 16: The Internet Has Liberated Chinese Media
Chapter 17: The Media Industry in the Post-Internet Era
1. Overall Evaluation of the Chinese Media Market
2. Future Directions for Global Media Development
Part II: Interviews
Chapter 18: The Future Reform Path of Chinese Media – Record of a Dialogue with Al Jazeera
1. The Dominance of Western Media
2. The Success of Al Jazeera
3. The Core Conflict Between Western Mainstream Media and Media Outside the West
4. The Status of Chinese Media in International Public Opinion
Chapter 19: New Media Environment and China's Journalism Reform – Record of a Guest Appearance on Sina
1. Will China Have a Media Like the New York Times?
2. How Is the Rise of Commercial Newspapers Impacting the Chinese Media Industry?
3. Who Are the Opinion Leaders in the New Environment of Chinese Media?
4. Does China Still Have Media Representing the Vulnerable?
5. How to View the Forces of Demonization and De-Demonization?
6. What Media Strategy Did the U.S. Adopt After "9/11"?
7. What Kind of Journalist Do You Consider Qualified?
8. If You Were to Start a Newspaper, What Would You Design for the Layout?
9. How Do You View the Opening of the Chinese Media Market After the WTO?
10. How Do You Strictly Require Your Students?
11. How Do You Evaluate the Differences Between the Beijing, Shanghai, and South Styles?
12. How Do You View the Political Reform Proposed in the 16th National Congress?
13. What Are the Implications of the Pulitzer Prize for China?
Chapter 20: Media Commercialization, Entertertainment, and the Right to Know – Interview with Professor Li Xiguang
Chapter 21: Speaking the Truth, Reporting the Truth, and China's Stability
Chapter 22: Li Xiguang on Journalism Reform – Interview with Guangzhou TV's "Urban Online" Program in Spring 2002
Chapter 23: 24-Hour News Channels: Progress or Regression for News Media?
1. Is It a "News Channel" or a "Propaganda Channel"?
2. "News Channels Are Becoming Burial Grounds for the Truth"
3. "News Channels" and the Creation of Public Emotion
4. Is It a "News Channel" or an "Entertainment Channel"?
Chapter 24: Fairness and Balance Are the Standards of a Good Journalist – Interview with CCTV Commentator Yang Jun on Li Xiguang
1. Simple Things Are Beautiful
2. Journalism Is Constantly Seeking Beautiful Stories
3. Major News Is Related to Ordinary People
4. The Power of Journalism Comes from Visualized Reporting
5. Where Does an International Perspective Come From?
6. How to Explain the Dilemmas Faced by Chinese Overseas Media?
7. Revisiting "Demonization"
8. Why Are Media Professionals Not Journalists?
9. Be a Journalist Professor, Not a Scholarly Journalist
10. The Dangerous Enemy of the Media: Ignorance of Basic Journalism Principles
Chapter 25: Learning Journalism and Communication in War – On the Communication Art of the Iraq War
1. News and Propaganda Wars of Both Sides in the Iraq War
2. Planning News Language and Setting Agendas
3. True Reporting Comes from: Describing! Describing! And Describing!
4. Where Should Chinese Journalists Go?
Chapter 26: How to Understand American Media in the Era of Global Communication? – Record of a Conversation with Tsinghua University's "Western Media's Coverage of China Research Group"
Appendix: The Coal Mine Child, Li Xiguang