Shock and Awe reaction

 Shock and Awe Reaction

 

In class we watched the film "Shock and Awe", which provided a crazy inside look at the Iraq War lead up from the perspective of the journalists who actually questioned the Bush administration's rationale. As a journalism major, I found that this movie struck a nerve. 

The main storyline follows the Knight Ridder reporting team of Jonathan and Warren. While nearly every other major outlet simply regurgitated the administration's claims about Iraq WMDs, these two journalists decided to do some actual digging. By looking at the sketchy evidence, they slowly realized the "evidence" being used to justify the invasion was straight up faulty or doctored.

It's mind-blowing how much pushback the journalists got just for trying to fact check the WMD claims. You had government officials calling them unpatriotic their own editors brushing them off, and just total resistance to their reporting from all sides. It made me realize there's so much pressure to just go along with the official narrative, even when it reeks of lies.

 

Overall this movie was a good watch but it frustrated me a lot during the whole movie but I would watch this movie again it had my full attention though the whole movie, thank you for picking this movie Dr. Smith!!

Good Night and Good Luck reaction

 Good Night and Good Luck

When watching this movie I really enjoyed how authentic this movie was and how it was shown in black and white. This movie was about the conflict between broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy during the period of communist paranoia and the anti communist crusade led by McCarthy in the 1950s. The movie focused on the showdown between Murrow who was the host of the TV news program "See It Now" on CBS and McCarthy whose hearings and charges of communist infiltration in the U.S. government gained him power and public fear. 

The Importance of Free Press and Ethical Journalism

The importance of free press is in the First Amendment because the founders understood a free press is essential for protecting all other civil liberties. Journalists defend rights like free speech, freedom of religion, due process, and more when those freedoms are threatened.

In the movie Murrow's famous March 9, 1954 broadcast directly confronting McCarthy demonstrated the importance of journalists being willing to ask hard questions and hold leaders accountable, even when it is unpopular or they face backlash.

EOTO #3 Reaction

 EOTO #3 Reaction

                                                                Women In Journalism

As we watched presentations in class about our journalism hero I noticed the majority of women in my class choosing women journalists, and this really stuck to me because I never knew how important women were in the development of journalism.  The main women that stuck out to me during these presentations was Martha Gellhorn, Jane Pauley and Gloria Steinem. 

Martha Gellhorn

Martha Gellhorn (1908-1998) was an American novelist, travel writer, and journalist, considered one of the greatest war reporters of the 20th century. Martha Gellhorn had a significant impact on the field of journalism, particularly war reporting and literary journalism.  Gellhorn pioneered a style of first hand reporting from the frontlines. Rather than covering wars from hotels, she insisted on living and traveling alongside the troops to truly experience their conditions. Gellhorn's writing blended factual reporting with amazing detail. Her literary style elevated war correspondence beyond just getting information to creating narratives that invited readers into the human experience of conflict.

Martha Gellhorn

Jane Pauley

Jane Pauley is an American television broadcaster and author, best known for her work on NBC's Today show and CBS Sunday Morning. Pauley joined NBC News in 1976 as a reporter, quickly becoming a co-host of the Today show from 1976 to 1989. Her appearance on Today made her one of the most recognizable faces on American television during that era. She was known for her warm personality and relatability. Pauley was one of the first women to cohost a major national morning news program when she joined NBC's Today show in 1976. Her role helped represent a major step forward for women in television journalism at that time. By publicly sharing her struggles with depression and bipolar disorder, Pauley helped raise awareness. Her openness promoted important discussions in the media.

Jane Pauley

Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem is an iconic American feminist, journalist, and social political activist. She was a key leader and spokesperson for the feminist movement in the late 1960s and 1970s.  In 1972 she cofounded the feminist media organization Ms. Magazine and remained one of its editors for 15 years. She helped organize some of the earliest major public feminist protests, including the Women's Strike for Equality in 1970. She went undercover as a Playboy Bunny waitress in 1963 and wrote about the dehumanizing experience, bringing national attention to the treatment of women. She campaigned for the Equal Rights Amendment and the legalization of abortion, testifying before Congress.

Gloria Steinam

Importance of Women in Journalism

Martha Gellhorn, Jane Pauley, and Gloria Steinem were pioneering and influential figures who played vital roles in shaping modern journalism and advancing women's voices in the media. For too long the news media was dominated by male voices and viewpoints. The entry of more women journalists brought much needed diversity in perspectives, life experiences, and coverage of issues directly impacting women and families that were previously overlooked or minimized. While there is still more progress to be made women in journalism have made the profession by speaking up for diverse coverage, tackling taboo subjects, and pioneering different storytelling styles and approaches.

EOTO #3

 EOTO #3

                                                                Katharine Graham 

Intro

Katharine Graham was born June 16th 1917 in New York. She was an American business executive who owned and published various news publications most famous was The Washington Post which she transformed into one of the top leading newspapers in the United States.  She especially known for supporting The Washington Post investigation into the Watergate Scandal. 

Early Life

Katharine attended Vassar College from 1934 to 1936 and then transferred to the University of Chicago, where she graduated in 1938. After college she became a reporter for the San Fransisco News. She joined the editorial staff of The Washington Post which her father had bought in 1933. She also worked in the editorial and circulation departments of the Sunday Post.

                              Mid Life

In 1940 she married Phillip Graham who was a law clerk. In 1946 Phillip became the publisher of the Post and in 1948 the couple bought the voting stock of the cooperation from her father. Katharine remained apart from active involvement in the business as The Washington Post company acquired the rival Times-Herald in 1954. Katharine's husband Phillip Graham who had bi polar disorder died by                                          suicide in 1963. After her husbands death Katharine took over presidency at the Post.

Late Life

Under Katharine Grahams leadership The Washington Post became known for its aggressive investigative reporting, led by Ben Bradlee, who Katharine names executive editor in 1968. With the publication of the Pentagon Papers in 1971 and the newspapers constant investigation of watergate in 1972-1974, the Post increased its circulation and became the most influential newspaper in the United States. In 1972 Katharine took over as Cheif Executive Officer of The Washington Post, where she became the first female CEO of a fortune 500 company. She held this position for 19 years and in 1998 she reviced the Pullizer Prize for her autobiography "Personal History". Katharine Graham died at 84 years old on July 17th 2001 in Idaho she fell and stuck her head.