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Zakiya Muhammad

Professor Atkins

ENGW 104-039

November 18, 2015

Critical Writing in Broadcast Journalism

Broadcast journalism is not a field where writing plays a major role. In this field writers

share information with the public electronically or visually instead of distributing on paper. In

broadcast journalism the writing component plays a minor role, scripts are written for other

journalist to read on different platforms within the media. Critical writing has different meanings

for different people; in this specific field of journalism there is no standard definition. On a

broader view, critical writing is defined as “it is simply making sure that you have considered all

sides of the argument.” (cumbria.ac.uk) while broadcast journalism is defined as “a type of news

reporting presented to the public electronically or by radio instead of being published in

newspapers” (study.com). At the University of DePaul, a former writing center tutor explained

the writing aspect in broadcast journalism “Broadcast journalism, on the other hand, requires the

writer to write a script that another journalist will read. As scripts for a television broadcast are

generally aired with a video, the writers of television scripts should remember that the viewer is

reading the story with their eyes” (http://condor.depaul.edu/). This supports the concept that the

writing aspect is not relevant in this field. Critical writing in broadcast journalist consist of

distributing information to the public and shaping the opinion of the masses while keeping

people aware of with current events.

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The writer’s responsibility in broadcast journalism when addressing an audience from the

same field, is establish credibility and to be viewed as a reliable source. This is necessary

because this is the audience that will be the most critical, their opinions will carry the most

weight and influence how others feel about the writer. It is imperative for writers to establish

credibility amongst their peers in the same field and for other established writers to support their

work. Without this approval, it would be more difficult to move forward and gain support from

other audiences in different fields. People have to want to listen to what a writer is saying or be

able to trust the information the writer provides to the public. There are certain steps any

journalist should take to gain credibility with an audience and in the article “The best ways for

publishers to build credibility through transparency” Craig Silverman discusses that and the

importance of a journalist being a reliable source. In the article Silverman provides a list of the

five key areas related to credibility: Show the reporting and sources that support your work,

Collaborate with the audience, Curate and attribute information responsibly, Offer disclosures

and statements of values and Correct website and social media errors effectively. A writer should

always want to establish credibility but in the beginning it is more important to first gain respect

from people in the same field. If an audience in the same field as the writer does not support the

information provided then why would people from different fields support the writer? The

opinion of the people in broadcast journalism have a tremendous influence over the other fields

when they are deciding whether or not they will trust the writer and the information provided.

From the outside looking in, certain aspects of broadcast journalism can make the field

seem un-resourceful and misleading. As a writer in this field focusing on outsiders from different

fields of work, it is important to educate people on what the field actually entails. It is defined as

“a type of news reporting presented to the public electronically or by radio instead of being

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published in newspapers” (study.com). The writer is responsible to the outside viewers taking

broadcast journalism seriously; they should be able to promote the field in a way that outsiders

will respect it. A writer would reach this goal by providing outside viewers with honest

information, people want to know what is happening in society and appreciate the truth. A user

on Reddit.com says “People DO care though. Whenever they read a good piece of journalism

that informs them of something they never knew about, or watched a journalist warn them off of

a legitimately dangerous product, bad film, or that there's inclement weather on the way, people

do find themselves needing the news. All the time” (SeveredHeadofOrpheus). A writer in this

field has the task of providing information to the public, the way the writer handles this task has

an impact not only on the writer but on the viewers and their feelings towards this field’s

credibility. A journalist in this field has the ability to shape how others perceive the information

and the credibility of the information. It is important that the writer provides credible information

to an audience consisting of people from different fields because this will affect how the writer is

seen and broadcast journalism is viewed as a whole.

The audience can be influenced in different ways depending on the content the writer

provides and this all relies on the type of information the journalist distributes to their viewers. If

a writer produces work about current events but focuses on the lives of celebrities and

entertainment, the viewer will be affected differently than if the writer’s main focus was current

events in politics. The impact the writer has on the audience all relates to the information being

distributed and how it is construed. In chapter seven of The Media Game: American Politics in

the Television Age Roy L. Behr, Stephen Ansolabehere and Shanto Iyengar explain how in

masses public opinions changed because of the exposure to news reports on TV. In 1987 there

was a serious famine in Ethiopia that claimed thousands of lives but barely had any recognition

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in the United States until a special was aired on TV. “The decision to air the report set in motion

an avalanche of relief efforts and fund-raising activities by Americans” (Behr, Ansolabehere and

Iyengar 142). This shows the impact a journalist can have on their audience, when information is

provided in a certain light, viewers will respond in a way that reflects how the writer presents it.

A broadcast journalist impacts their audience because they are able to shape how viewers will

perceive information they provide and they are able to shape how viewers feel and think about a

subject.

Overall critical writing in broadcast journalism is shaping how individuals feel towards

different topics by presenting them in a certain light. A journalist in this field has the ability to

impact the audience by providing information in a way that will spark the viewer’s interest and

effect their emotions. To get to this point where the writer can provide this information and have

an impact on their audience, they must first be able to establish credibility in their own field.

This is important because if people apart of the same field do not trust the journalist and the

information they provide then why would others. Broadcast journalism can at times be viewed as

an unreliable or misleading source to people outside of the field, so it is important the writer

produces work that undermines that belief. The writer has the responsibility of informing the part

of the audience in different fields about what broadcast journalism actually means. When

addressing these individuals it is important for the writer to produce credible work that proves

they are a reliable source and promote respect for themselves and the field as a whole. Critical

writing has many definitions and when applied to broadcast journalism there are no real limits

for a journalist in this field.

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Work Cited

"University of Cumbria." <i>What Is Critical Writing?</i> University of Cumbria, n.d. Web. 18

Nov. 2015.

&lt;http://www.cumbria.ac.uk/StudentLife/Learning/SkillsCumbria/FAQs/Whatiscritical

writing.aspx&gt;.

"What Is Broadcasting Journalism?" Study.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.

<http://study.com/what_is_broadcasting_journalism.html>.

"Writing in Journalism." University Center for Writing-based Learning. University of DePaul,

n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

<http://condor.depaul.edu/writing/writers/Types_of_Writing/journalism.html>.

Ansolabehere, Stephen, Roy L. Behr, and Shanto Iyengar. "The Multiple Effects of Television

on Public Opinion." <i>The Media Game: American Politics in the Television Age</i>.

New York: Macmillan, 1993. 142. Print.

SeveredHeadofOrpheus. <i>Reddit.com</i>. SeveredHeadofOrpheus, 1 Nov. 2015. Web. 18

Nov. 2015.

&lt;https://www.reddit.com/r/KotakuInAction/comments/3qz17o/i_just_dont_understand

_why_people_dont_take/&gt;.

Silverman, Craig. "How Publishers Should Build Credibility through Transparency." American

Press Institute RSS. American Press Institute, 24 Sept. 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.