Effective Journalism
How the Information Ecosystem Works and What Journalists Should Do About It
9781789389036
Distributed for Intellect Ltd
Effective Journalism
How the Information Ecosystem Works and What Journalists Should Do About It
An overview of the ways modern communication technologies and information approaches interact with human cognition to make it difficult for people to effectively find and interpret information and what journalists can do about it.
The central argument of this book is that journalists and audiences can no longer afford to pretend that all information is competing on an even playing field and that it is enough for journalists to simply publish “the facts.” Effective Journalism attempts to explain the reality, rather than the ideal, of how people seek and process information, and what journalists and their audiences can do to try to create an informed public in the face of that reality.
The central argument of this book is that journalists and audiences can no longer afford to pretend that all information is competing on an even playing field and that it is enough for journalists to simply publish “the facts.” Effective Journalism attempts to explain the reality, rather than the ideal, of how people seek and process information, and what journalists and their audiences can do to try to create an informed public in the face of that reality.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
PART I: STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES IN OUR INFORMATION ECOSYSTEM
1. Information Proliferation
2. The Attention Economy
3. Customization and Filters and Bots
4. The Competitive Advantage of Junk News
PART II: COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE BARRIERS TO PROCESSING INFORMATION
5. The Dual-Process Model
6. Motivated Reasoning and Bias
7. Emotion and Information
PART III: THE SOLUTIONS
8. New Movements in Journalism
9. Strategies to Effectively Debunk False Information
10. Empathy Cultivation and Building Community
11. Effective Journalism Practices
12. Solutions for Tech Companies, Government, and the Public
Conclusion
Index
Introduction
PART I: STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES IN OUR INFORMATION ECOSYSTEM
1. Information Proliferation
2. The Attention Economy
3. Customization and Filters and Bots
4. The Competitive Advantage of Junk News
PART II: COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE BARRIERS TO PROCESSING INFORMATION
5. The Dual-Process Model
6. Motivated Reasoning and Bias
7. Emotion and Information
PART III: THE SOLUTIONS
8. New Movements in Journalism
9. Strategies to Effectively Debunk False Information
10. Empathy Cultivation and Building Community
11. Effective Journalism Practices
12. Solutions for Tech Companies, Government, and the Public
Conclusion
Index