News sources I look to in times of crisis

During times of crisis, my first instinct is to look at sources that I go through on daily basis, which is normally the Washington Post and the New York Times. I mainly reference the online editions but try to stick to articles that are featured within the print edition. With both crisis coverage and news that is more "everyday" I enjoy the Time's and Post's photo slide shows because they act as a seamless extension of the natural format of print journalism. Even with all the multi-media developing, I still strongly believe that a picture can be worth 1000 words.

I have found that during times of crisis I will watch broadcast journalism while regularly I pretty strictly stick to print. This past week, I have been watching coverage of Haiti on CNN and  ABC. I think that film is the closest representation of reality that we have and during moments of almost unfathomable events it is important to allow yourself to face the reality of what is actually going on. Video allows you to more closely experience the chaos, panic, momentum or whatever adjectives describe the situation yet cannot be put into words.

During times of crisis, I think I look at the same sources because I believe the NYTimes, Post, CNN etc.  uphold strong ethical guidelines and therefore are reliable. For example, I do not question the context or accuracy of stories I read on the Times. Furthermore, I assume that they are probably provide the most clarity on the issue. When I receive any type of news through an "unreliable" source, be it social media or interpersonal communication, I find myself referencing the same sites because I believe that they naturally uphold these ethical guidelines.

However, outside of clarity, reliability, context, and relevance, I think I look at these sources on a day to day basis becuase I assume they have very objective reports.

Interestingly enough, broadcast has proven over the years to flirt with the line of objectivity, especially in regards to a reporters level of emotion and personal investment in the story. In print journalism, the editing process provides a thick line between opinion and news and the reporter is still held under fairly clear ethical guidelines. However, multiple occasions have tested the broadcast journalist's ability to maintain a objective distance from the crisis.

Today a friend and I were discussing Anderson Cooper and his reputation for intervening in his subject. However, during these times of crisis, you have to wonder if the need for no-emotion objectivity is still crucial or even effective? The news media must keep in mind that during instances such as 9/11, the videos being shown to the public are shocking, heart-wrenching, disturbing and to show no-emotion seems to almost separate one's self from the people to whom you are reporting. Looking back on historical moments where objectivity has been thrown to the wind, it has had serious political effects. For example, when Walter Cronkite spoke against the Vietnam war. Is the role of the journalist during crisis the same as during everyday news?

When looking at a political commentator such as Keith Olbermann who, in my opinion, provides good context but is subjective in his reporting (see his recent countdown on the Supreme Court's decision regarding Proposition 8, in which he said it was the end of democracy), audiences still are informed after his show but probably tune in to hear mass media outlets expressing their concerns.

It is very difficult to make an argument for abandoning objectivity during crisis. However, I think that nature of crisis provides a space for us to examine the purpose of the ethical guidelines that we so strongly associate with good journalism. It could be possible that what works 90% of the time with everyday news is not as crucial as other forms of journalism during crisis. 

500 words on something I learned from The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11

Lawrence Wright’s bestselling novel, The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 is the first book that I have read regarding the attacks on the World Trade Center and the development of terrorism under Osama bin Laden. I have found myself often avoiding stories in the news regarding al-Qaeda because the history is so complex and dates back to a period before I became interested in news and definitely before I could understand foreign affairs.

            After going through The Looking Tower my belief that the history of al-Qaeda is complex is completely reiterated. So, to start at the beginning, I found it extremely interesting to examine what Wright considers, “…bin Laden’s ‘first terrorist blow’”, the National Guard Bombing. The bombing took place November 13, 1995 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The attack killed seven individuals, 5 of whom were Americans, and injured 60. Wright follows this story by saying the four men responsible for the bombing, lead by Muslih al-Shamrani, later confessed on Saudi television that they were influenced by bin Laden’s public speeches.

            Later in the novel, Wright describes the Clinton administrations view of Osama bin Laden in 1996 as an annoying public figure rather than a terrorist threat. The Clinton administration urged the Sudanese government to expel bin Laden and relocate him in Afghanistan.

When thinking about the existence of these televised confessions of people influenced by bin Laden, who was so closely tied to U.S. foreign affairs just three years later, the importance of media to provide context is highlighted. When I read about these two separate moments in the history of al-Qaeda, I feel as if the elements that led to the attacks and the coverage after the attacks did not delve far enough into the contextual history of who it was that attacked us, how long this war had been waging, and how bombings in Saudi Arabia six years prior were related.

When 9/11 struck, I was too young to really examine the news. But still years later, it seems that the news is constantly an update and does not always take the time to explain the terms of the story or the history behind the actions. I do not think that all reporters need to be investigative, but it sometimes seems that they are unable to separate their knowledge of something as complex as the middle east in a way that allows them to explain it to a less informed audience. Just as we talked about Haiti in class today, the relationship between the US and Haiti goes back to the 1700’s and will affect how we intervene during this crisis.

In a situation like 9/11 it also seems that the media was not actively piecing together a story such as al-Qaeda and makes me wonder about other stories that are in the corner of the paper that are interrelated. I am not skeptical of the news media but also believe with the constant updates and flow of information, the role of a journalist is increasingly important in deciphering the information and how relevant pieces of information mold into a cohesive context. 

About Me

My name is Annie Rossetti. I am a senior at the University of Michigan majoring in Communication Studies. Last summer I interned for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in Washington D.C. I worked mainly with the communications department.

Here is NRDC's summer documentary, Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification. This video was broadcasted this summer and discusses the phenomenon of ocean acidification. For fans of Planet Earth, this uses a similar style but more directly addresses issues facing our oceans!




The summer before that I interned at Michigan Radio as a interview production intern. I helped with production of the Jack Lessenberry's: Essay and Interviews and All Things Considered with Charity Nebbe.

Last year I studied abroad in Rome, Italy for 4 months. I have taken 5 semesters of italian.

My main reason for taking this class is to improve my understanding and practice of journalism. Beyond that general goal, I hope this class will allow me to examine the role of media during crisis, specifically how to provide relevant, contextual and objective coverage while maintaining a strong ethics. I hope also to understand how the news develops during crisis and the history of coverage throughout the past few decades.