   |  |
     |  |
Discussion Questions
1. Chapter 3 (p. 52) discusses how the audience for print news versus broadcast news may be different. It says the audience for print news generally seeks detailed information about a specific event or story, while the broadcast news audience is characterized as passive receivers of information. Compare and contrast the coverage of a national current events topic as followed by print and broadcast sources over a few days.
b. Describe the coverage on the national television news. How many minutes is the story? How does the detail provided on the television news compare to the newspaper?
c. Describe the coverage on National Public Radio, or another radio program that includes national news. How is the coverage on radio and television similar? How are the stories different? Describe how the radio story uses background sound and interviews to change "scenery" in the listener's mind, as discussed on page 60 of Chapter 3.
2. In Chapter 3, television news has been called a "bridging medium" (p. 55) that helps newcomers to the political system learn about issues. Discuss how the format of a television news story provides a helpful introduction to issues. How might the television news format be a more helpful introduction to current events than a local daily newspaper or The New York Times?
3. Jot down a current issue at your college or university, such as parking availability, library hours or dormitory space. Assume you are writing an article about the issue for two different publications: the student newspaper and the faculty-staff newsletter. Describe how the informational needs of these two audiences differ. What will you emphasize in the student newspaper story? What will you emphasize in the faculty-staff newsletter story?
4. Using the same issue from the question above, assume you are working in your college or university public relations office. You may get phone calls from local news reporters about this issue. Prepare a list of questions the reporter might ask. Do you know possible answers for any of the questions? In Chapter 3, pages 66-67 show a sample "Q and A" sheet from the Mall of America. Those pages in the textbook also discuss the benefits of preparing questions and answers in advance.
5. Chapter 3 (p. 58) discusses the ways in which online versions of newspapers are beneficial to audiences. Some of the advantages include: (1) continuously updated information; (2) the ability to easily search for specific information; and (3) links that provide detailed coverage about a variety of subjects. Go to www.wsj.com, the Web site for The Wall Street Journal. Discuss how this Web site performs the three functions of online newspapers described above.
6. Chapter 3 (p. 73) suggests that the better the writer knows the audience, the more effective the writer's message will be. Find three advertisements from newspapers or magazines that demonstrate an understanding of the target audience for the product or service being advertised. Explain how the advertisement demonstrates an understanding of the audience. Find two other advertisements that could have done a better job of appealing to their target audiences. Suggest ways to improve these ads.
a. Describe the print coverage in a daily newspaper: How long are the articles? How many articles are there each day? Are the stories accompanied by charts, graphs or photos?
| |