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Mon 28 Sep 2015 3:55AM

What does "Good Journalism" mean to you?

AT Alastair Thompson Public Seen by 248

As we begin the process of coming together as a news community The Scoop Foundation would be very keen to compile some answers to the question:

>What does "Good Journalism" mean to you?

Please post your answers to this question below. We may use these in promotional material.

JB

Jules Brown Wed 7 Oct 2015 5:08AM

To me, good journalism means three fundamental "Musts" and three "Shoulds"

Good journalism MUST be:
1. politically neutral
2. balanced
3. as factually accurate as humanly possible

And should be:
1. critical of power in all its forms
2. a champion for people
3. a slave to the truth

The people of New Zealand need and deserve a genuine mainstream media outlet "of record". Currently, we have nothing of the kind.

We need and deserve:

  • high quality, unbiased, well-edited, fact-based, unsensationalised reporting, comment and discussion.

  • reporting that follows issues and stories to their conclusion, and which provides a rounded view of all the relevant facts.

  • an end to "Churnalism" where desk-chained content producers regurgitate news wire stories, corporate press releases, and other outlets' content without journalistic and editorial input.

  • an end to the kind of journalism where words like "embedded" and "briefed" are seen as positives, rather than as the pejorative terms -conveying the taint of compromise and imbalance - that they are.

  • and lastly, higher standards of basic written English and grammar.

I'm sure I've forgotten a few things, but broadly, that's what 'good journalism' means to me.

Jules Brown

AT

Alastair Thompson Wed 7 Oct 2015 5:29AM

Hey Jules,

What a wonderful post! And a most excellent first post for this discussion.

And welcome to Scoop, we are delighted to have you as a member.

Al

AT

Alastair Thompson Thu 8 Oct 2015 8:08PM

Hi Everybody and particularly Jules Brown ( This is particularly addressed to you as you provided such a wonderful response to the OP.)

Some supplementary questions which I am very keen to get top of the head brief answers (8-25 words) to:

Why do journalists need to get paid?

What makes good journalism?

What is good journalism worth to you?

Do you support the creation of a charitable news organisation - the Scoop Foundation? Why ot why not.

Is access to quality news a public right? And/or Should it be?

Alastair
Scoop Director & Editor

AV

Amanda Vickers Sat 10 Oct 2015 10:08AM

Q3. Are you asking in dollar amounts? The answer to me is this: good journalism is only worth the people it can reach and inform -

Media forms public opinion. It is crucial that side lined and marginalised stories, view points and activists activities get under people's noses.

Q4. Absolutely. Have become a member and made a donation. Why? I'm passionate about bringing the truth to the people and getting away from the corporate dominated narratives.

I stand by my strong viewpoint though - print way is the best way for game changers to proactively bring information to the people.

Online Journalism by itself relies on the people actively seeking information.

Q5. It is MORE than just a public right. It is the heart of democracy. Ask Nicky Hager! Information is one of the key aspects of the wider picture of a true democracy.

AR

Andrew Reitemeyer Sun 11 Oct 2015 5:37AM

Q1: Journalists need to get paid in order to pay for their time spent researching and writing quality work and to encourage more of the same .

Q2: Accurate, entertaining, balanced or open when promoting a political or commercial line. But basically the presentation of raw data in an understandable form.

Q3: Time - not having to sift through multiple streams of facts, opinions and junk,

Q4: yes - if it would also allocate resources to researching new ways of gathering and disseminating news.

Q5: Yes as without it democracy is not workable nor is a sound economy.