DIGITAL DIVIDE & DIGITAL JOURNALISM ETHICS

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Dorcas Daniel
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1 DIGITAL DIVIDE & DIGITAL JOURNALISM ETHICS The last day of class Student #5, Review the part for your group! RETHINKING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE 1

2 Reading #1 "The Digital Divide Is Still Leaving Americans Behind", Jessica Goodman, Mashable.com, Aug. 18, 2013 A Basic Human Right Having fast, reliable Internet access is a basic human right (Susan Crawford, Telecommunications policy expert and former White House official) 2

3 The term digital divide Is used to describe the connectivity gap among distinct regions and demographics. Which areas & groups are lagging behind? According to a White House broadband report issued in June 2013: 91% of Americans had access to high-speed Internet service of at least 10 Mbps downstream Only 71% of Americans subscribed to broadband at home That adoption rate was even lower among African-Americans and Hispanics. Is mobile helping? Some say that many people opt out of home broadband because of the proliferation of smartphones and other wireless devices. Is mobile helping to close that divide? 3

4 Lacking in necessary computer skills Using smartphones for Internet needs According to the April 2012 Pew Center study: 88% (of Americans +18yrs) have a cellphone 66% (of Americans aged 18-29) have smartphones 57% (of Americans) have a laptop Falling behind on necessary computer skills; long-term computer literacy They re all over Twitter but they don t know how to save a Word document. The April 2012 Pew Center study also found: Young adults, minorities, those with no college experience and those with lower household income levels are more likely than other groups to say that their phone is their main source of Internet access. 4

5 Smartphones might actually be widening the digital divide. The rising cost of smartphone data plans limits lowerincome students ability to get online. Students with limited home Internet access and computer literacy skills have found it increasingly difficult to find, apply for and obtain jobs, even at minimum-wage positions. Optional reading on the digital divide "Wasting Time Is New Divide in Digital Era," NEW YORK TIMES, May 30,

An unintended side effect The growing time-wasting gap Children in poorer families are spending considerably more time than children from more well-off families using their television and gadgets to

6 An unintended side effect The growing time-wasting gap Children in poorer families are spending considerably more time than children from more well-off families using their television and gadgets to watch shows and videos, play games and connect on social networking sites. A refection of the ability of parents to monitor and limit how children use technology. Access is not a panacea Access to technology mirrors and magnifies existing problems. A 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation study found: children and teenagers whose parents do not have a college degree spent 90 minutes more per day exposed to media than children from higher socioeconomic families. In 1999, the difference was just 16 minutes. 6

7 DIGITAL JOURNALISM ETHICS Reading #2 "Journalistic Ethics At Internet Speed", Anthony Zurcher, an interview with Jeffrey Seglin, BBC.com, May 26,

8 Some examples (in the reading) A controversy over Harvard s mandatory privilege class à it turned out there was no such training program NYT s error in writing about an astronaut who was awarded the Medal of Freedom posthumously. Major cable news networks errors in reporting Boston Marathon bombing in April 2013 à the Boston Globe (the local news broadcast) provided far more through and thoughtful reporting The Newsroom ep. 4 Giffords shooting (7:11) Based on 2011 Tucson shooting (On Jan. 8, 2011, U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others were shot during a town hall meeting held in a supermarket parking lot in Tucson, Arizona). The importance of being first? Why is it important to be first? Being first is rewarded by increased web traffic; We also live in a highly competitive media market (cable news, Twitter feeds, etc.) Why is it problematic for a journalists to focus on speed? Being first tends to encourage snap judgments and a failure to adequate check the veracity of sources. Are the pressures of the modern internet-connected media a problem? Actually, There has always been a pressure to produce faster than the next guy. 8

9 Once incorrect information is posted The rapid dissemination of incorrect information After having gone out all over the place, the error is still out there even if the original story is corrected Reporting erroneous information tarnishes the image of that outlet. à "I-will-correct-the-facts-later attitude doesn t works! Journalist's responsibility: Verify and check out what your sources tell you Perhaps the bigger problem is losing sight of the importance of verifying and checking facts and doing good journalism. "If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out" Not receiving corroboration or confirmation in a timely manner is never an excuse for going to air or print or post with knowingly unchecked facts. Getting the news and getting the news right is more important than being the first. 9

Digital differences. New data and trends. Kathryn Zickuhr, Research Specialist Pew Research Center s Internet & American Life Project

Digital differences. New data and trends. Kathryn Zickuhr, Research Specialist Pew Research Center s Internet & American Life Project Digital differences New data and trends Kathryn Zickuhr, Research Specialist Pew Research Center s Internet & American Life Project American Library Association Spectrum Leadership Institute Anaheim, CA