Opinions of Reporters: Should they Share?

My initial reaction to Rem Reider's "Reporting the Conclusions" was that reporters shouldn't be allowed to insert their own viewpoints. After all, that's what being free from bias is all about, right? News organizations, especially broadcast recently, have been accused too often of "concluding" things that aren't necssarily accurate just for the sake of a good story. Fox News is said to draw conclusions favoring the conservatives, and NBC and CNN are said to do the exact opposite.

After thinking about the article some, however, I'm not sure that my initial response is correct. I don't have a problem at all with Anderson Cooper concluding that Hosni Mubarak has given the public nothing but false information in the past few weeks. It was backed up by facts - Mubarak DID lie. Cooper wasn't totally wrong for saying what he said. The question, though, is should he have said it. After thinking about it, I believe he should have. Sometimes reporters try so hard to keep their opinions out that it makes the facts seem unclear. The truth? Mubarak lied. There's your story.

In conclusion (it's my blog so concluding is completely cool), it should be alright to make a personal conclusion in news reporting if it's backed up by facts. If you can't prove your conclusion, however, keep it to yourself.

Who Killed Jack Wheeler?

I was browsing through the USA Today as I always do on Tuesdays (too much down time between classes) and I came across a story that completely captured my attention. Peter Eisler's "Who Killed Jack Wheeler?" reads more like a suspense novel than a news story. Several reporters have covered the mysterious death of the former Pentagon official but none have been this riveting. Eisler has perfected the art of telling an interesting, informative story. 

Aside from the story itself, the visual aids were extremely useful. The story that ran in the paper was accompanied by a map showing the whereabouts of Wheeler during his last days on earth. The online version is even better! It's interactive and allows you to follow Wheeler day by day through his seemingly random journey. 

The story in itself is interesting; however, I have to admit that I haven't read a single article about Wheeler all the way through until this one. Hats off to you, Mr. Eisler. 

Introduction

This is the blog of a third year college student majoring in Marketing Communications. My name is Brittni and my focus for this blog will be on my reactions and thoughts to various articles and other information I come across in the course of my studies. My goal is to a) keep it updated, and b) keep it interesting!