Engagement and Relevance

As journalist we are to engage the audience with captivating stories that they want to hear and know about, grabbing their attention by the stories we report.

The key to a successful journalist is to connect with the audience to receive feedback on how your story is portrayed in the media. It is always a good thing to get some feedback even if it may be a little critical, it will only improve our journalism skills. In the news today, it is important to engage and connect more with the people. On a lot of the news websites they have online polls and surveys as well as comments that can be posted with each story so the people can voice their opinions and give comments on the piece. For example on KSL they even have live chat for the audience to connect with the reporters and broadcast announcers to express their opinions on a story.

I think it gives the journalist a check and balance from the interaction with the audience. If it is the journalists initiative to tell the truth to the people, then the online comments, and surveys are a great way for the people to voice their opinions and thoughts in the news and how we can improve journalism.

It's also important to get the audiences attention in the stories we report. News is intended to tell a story to keep the audience interested and attentive in the story that relates to them in their community. A reporter must also remember that good journalism consists of the story it's not because of the advertisements in the article.

Another way to be engaged and have relevance within a story is to research a story thus, having more evidence and date into the story which will add interest to the viewers. Each story that is more in depth consist of more credibility and is affirmed to be more accurate.

It was hilarious during the presentation when they brought up the People magazine about Brad Pitts beard and how the social media is trying to be newsworthy. I don't consider People magazine to be news worthy material. From a journalist perspective People magazine is more on the basis of selling a product and advertising viewers, but it's true people love or adore certain celebrities wanting to know what's going on in their lives. Also, the comparison of a journalist being a celebrity, will it hurt their reputation or credibility as a journalist? Well if society is all about fame and glamorous life styles then it may not hurt the journalist reputation, but only boost their careers, like Barbara Walters and Anderson Cooper. I think as a journalist our job is not to seek fame, but to tell the truth and report accurate reliable news to the people that they want and should know. We are the voice for the people that they can have in society.

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