Like the technologies that support it, the craft of online journalism is evolving quickly. This timely book helps students develop standards of excellence, through interviews with more than 30 writers, editors and producers, and dozens of examples of strong work. The author provides a framework of concepts to show how the field is evolving and challenged by competition, staffing limitations, and other pressures. Discussion is organized around four key elements: speed and accuracy with depth in breaking news; comprehensiveness in multimedia content; open-endedness in story development, including public contributions; and conversation with users. Chapter-length treatments of these topics bring home the realities of online work to students, who also come to appreciate how excellence and ethics online go hand in hand.
David A. Craig is an associate professor and associate dean for academic affairs in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma. He teaches journalism ethics, editing and graduate research courses. His research interests include excellence in journalistic practice, the ethics of journalistic language, coverage of ethics in professions and values for ethical decision-making. Craig worked for nine years as a news copy editor. He earned an M.A. in communication from Wheaton College and a Ph.D. in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He taught editing courses at Northwestern University and Missouri. He has been a professor at Oklahoma since 1996.
Preface Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Excellence Online: A Work in Progress Excellence in Old and New Media Excellence Online: Four Developing Standards 2. An Ethical Lens for Looking at Excellence A Practice: The Social Context Telos: The Big-Picture Goal Internal Goods: Distinctive Achievements of the Practice Standards of Excellence: Setting the Bar for the Field Virtues: The Qualities of Good Character External Goods and Institutions: Danger Lurking 3. Speed and Accuracy With Depth in Breaking News The Battle to Be Fast and Right: An Old Challenge With New Pressures Insights from Online Journalists: Giving Voice to a Standard Breaking News Through an Ethical Lens Online Excellence in Development: The Hudson River Jet Landing Challenges to Maintaining and Enhancing Excellence Overcoming the Challenges: Virtues in Action On-the-Job Profile: Mark Stevenson Facing the Daily Challenges 4. Comprehensiveness in Content Insights From Online Journalists: What Comprehensiveness Means Challenges to Comprehensiveness Overcoming the Challenges: Virtues in Action On-the-Job Profile: Jenni Pinkley Facing the Daily Challenges 5. Open-endedness in Story Development Excellence in Story Development Online The Dynamic of Excellence Challenges to Excellence in Story Development: External Goods Lurking Attitude Check: Virtues for 21st-Century Journalists On-the-Job Profile: Robert Quigley Facing the Daily Challenges 6. The Centrality of Conversation A Longtime Value Takes Center Stage Standards of Excellence in Online Conversation The Dynamic of Excellence in Conversation Now for the Challenges: Stumbling Blocks in the "Conversational Commons" Virtue and Conversation On-the-Job Profile: Eric Zorn Facing the Daily Challenges 7. Beyond the Big Guys: Independent and Community Journalism Online Perspectives from Three Smaller Organizations Citizen Journalism, Social Media, and Journalism as a Practice 8. The Future of Excellence in Online Journalism: Living in the World of Both-And The World of Both-And What It Takes to Work in the World of Both-And Index About the Author
"I think it is a great idea and will fill a need, both for my class and other, more skills-oriented online journalism courses. I like that it includes ethics but goes beyond that - the four elements of excellence on the Web go to the unique characteristics of the medium and therefore give students something new to think about and discuss, whether from the viewpoint of journalists or as media consumers. ... The book, by looking specifically at opportunities and challenges of ethical journalism ONLINE, will contribute to understanding both journalism ethics (because there are new challenges online) and the general practice of online journalism." -- Kathy Olson "Reading about the practices and insights of working professionals is the book's greatest appeal. Chapters are richly detailed and address significant issues in online journalism. The writing is brisk and highly readable, and the examples are well chosen." -- Steven D. Koski "The greatest benefit is Craig's focus on the interrelated nature of the multiple forms of information presentation and the need for practitioners to move beyond the traditional journalism model." -- Michael Williams "Excellence in Online Journalism provides a great deal of concrete information for students. Its grounding in the tradition of journalism ethics makes it particularly valuable since the ethics become so well integrated into the practice. Students should easily learn that becoming an ethical reporter will make them a better reporter. Those teaching online journalism will do their students a good service by considering this book." -- Paul A Soukup, SJ * Communication Research Trends * "Craig uses the philosophical approach of the Notre Dame scholar Alasdair MacIntyre as applied by the media ethicists Sandra Borden and, to a lesser extent, Edmund Lambeth. This philosophical approach allows for the consideration of developing standards in the digital era, challenging some old rules while incorporating most of them into a rede?nition." -- Mark Neuzil, Ph.D. * Journal of Mass Media Ethics * "Institutions, such as media companies, come in for criticism when the balance of quality and pro?t get out of whack. Craig does a good job providing examples of how the professionals he interviewed attempt to keep quality in the product." -- Mark Neuzil, Ph.D. * Journal of Mass Media Ethics * "Craig's book is appropriate in a journalism ethics course, although I would be tempted to assign it in an advanced multimedia reporting class to flesh out the ethical dimensions of a journalist's decision making while showcasing the new best practices." -- Mark Neuzil, Ph.D. * Journal of Mass Media Ethics * 'This handbook will be welcome on any practical journalism course, especially at colleges that embrace the potential for theory-practice synergies. Its thoughtful approach via four elements of excellence, and the idea of external and internal goods, admirably situates thinking about journalism at the heart of doing it. [...] This book is remarkably up to date and should remain that way thanks to its companion website' -- Rob Campbell
