Repost of Lecture 1

Just thought I should split my Lecture 1 and 2 so here's Lecture 1, now on its own.

Lecture 1

‘You are the Journalist.’ The first lecture today pretty much just outlined the course and what we’ll be covering over the duration of JOUR1111. I feel like it’s going to be one of those courses that are worthwhile and after completing it I'll be look at everything in the media a little more critically. I will have a better understanding of what’s going on around me.

Dr. Redman made everyone feel at ease and as it was my first lecture EVER I’m not as apprehensive as I was before I entered the classroom. As of today, right after the lecture I’m still a bit unsure of what kind of stuff to blog about…Like the quotes and pictures made me think of the times that I heard big news stories breaking, for example Michael Jackson dying, Osama Bin Laden’s assassination, massacres all the world over and of course 9/11 which I remember vividly even though I was seven years old at the time. It seems that, “if it bleeds it leads” is true from my experiences.


I'd like to comment or at least reflect on each of the quotes Dr Redman included in this intro: 

• "Journalism is the first rough draft of history." Philip Graham - I like this one because it made me think of journalism in a completely different light. You usually just think of it as up to the minute but in reality, news will pass and be replaced. So to have been able to have first comments on something that could change the world forever is a pretty big deal.
• "Journalism can never be silent: that is its greatest virtue and its greatest fault. It must speak, and speak immediately, while the echoes of wonder, the claims of triumph and the signs of horror are still in the air." Henry Anatole Grunwald - This one has a bit more depth to it I think. I see how it is a virtue in that it is a brave and commanding area to work in. But considering the fault part, I had trouble getting my head around it. I think that maybe the fact that journalism can't be silent is a fault because there is really no time to be respectful of things that are tragic or heartbreaking. News must be covered straight away. That's really what I take away from it anyway.
• "I became a journalist to come as close as possible to the heart of the world." Henry R. Luce - Journalism is truly about getting human reactions. I believe only the very best journalists are able to consistently get these reactions. But I do connect this quote to that opinion I hold of journalism. The whole getting to the heart of stories, gets you to the heart of the people, and really people are what makes the "world" so I see that quote as the all encompassing process of journalism.
• "Generally speaking, the best people nowadays go into journalism, the second best into business, the rubbish into politics and the shi*s into law." Auberon Waugh - HAH, alright. I don't really like this one much. To risk being hated I think there a lot of sh*ts also in journalism. That's all I'll say on this one buddy!
• "People may expect too much of journalism. Not only do they expect it to be entertaining, they expect it to be true." Lewis H. Lapham - I can see the point of this one. People now expect to be shocked. That's a sure fire way of getting attention and they don't get that from 'boring old news'.
• "Journalism is organised gossip." Edward Eggleston - This is a very old one which is surprising cos I thought this would be recent and pointing the finger at current commercial news or something. I don't really agree with this one if we're talking about legit journalism which has to be based on fact. Sorry Eddy Eggy.
• "… egomaniacs of average intelligence or less, often end up in the field of TV Journalism." Tina Fey - HAHA oh man, I luuuurve Tina Fey. Bossypants is such a good book. I had a talk by a Channel 10 GM today and he pretty much agreed with this statement. Having no personal experience I guess for now I'm agreeing until it's proven wrong to me. So come on TV journalists, fix that rep of yours. 
• "Journalism is little more than scribbling on the back of advertisements." Anon - Phwar, harsh words. I guess commercial media's whole aim is to making money so they're going to be conscious of advertising. They're gonna need to place enough advertising in their news that they'll be able to make money. Personally I think advertisements are scribbles on news. But I know I'm pretty naive.

Hope that was what is kind of expected! Talk soon I guess :)
Image sources: Picture 1 Picture 2