Question

What problem face by a repoter

Answer 1

All reporters, whatever the skill level, face deadline pressures. The temptation to skim the surface of a story or to use readymade conclusions can be difficult to resist. The chance for error increases, however, with the complexity of the topic and the reporter’s unfamiliarity with it. Some of the assignments are designed to highlight this problem by imposing time or information constraints on the students’ work. Subsequent assignments then relax these constraints, providing a basis for assessing the effect of time and information on the quality of the reporting.

While reporters are trained to accurately and fairly convey competing points of view, there are situations where all views are not equal. Scientific research as it relates to policy issues is one such area. Treating two opposed yet unequal positions as though they were equal is called “he said/she said” journalism — the reporter acts as stenographer, passing on subjects’ positions without regard to merit. Journalists have a responsibility, within the limits of space and time, to provide a comprehensive and credible account of the subjects they cover. At one time, for example, stories on the health dangers of cigarette smoking routinely included refutations from tobacco companies or scientists in their hire. Such reporting gives self-interested parties a platform to promote false claims.