Research and Idea Development
What is journalism?
Journalism is the practice of gathering or reporting news/information to the public. Including the analysis of information about current events, issues or trends, and presenting that information through various media channels.
Although the core of journalism has always been the news, the latter word has acquired so many secondary meanings that the term “hard news” gained currency to distinguish items of definite news value from others of marginal significance. This was largely a consequence of the advent of radio and television reporting, which brought news bulletins to the public with a speed that the press could not hope to match.
Bibliography – Britannica (2019). journalism | Definition, History, & Facts. In: Encyclopædia Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/journalism.
Different types of Journalism:
Print Journalism
Print Journalism refers to the practice of producing news and information through printed publications, like newspapers and magazines.
Broadcast Journalism
Refers to to the reporting of news through electronic media (mainly television and radio). Broadcast Journalism uses audio and video to convey stories to a wide audience.
Online/Digital Journalism
Refers to the production of news and information through digital platforms on the internet. Digital Journalism continues to evolve rapidly. It provides a platform for diverse voices, fosters audience engagement, and allows for storytelling formats.
Investigative Journalism
A form of journalism that involves in-depth research and reporting to uncover hidden information, often related to issues of public interest. This type of journalism plays a critical role in holding powerful individuals and institutions accountable and serving the public’s right to know.
Different roles in Journalism:
Reporter
Reporters are on the front lines, gathering information throughout the interviews, research and observations.
Editor
They review and refine the content produced by the reporters. They ensure articles meet the standards for accuracy, style, and clarity to ensure the article is pleasing and entertaining to grab the reader’s attention. Editors also have the power to make decisions on making changes to the article like, headlines.
Photojournalist
They capture news events through visual storytelling by using photography to deliver the emotion, impact of a news story.
News Anchor
News anchors are the face of news broadcasts on television or radio, delivering new stories, introducing segments and engaging with the audience.
Producer
Producers are responsible for planning and overseeing the production of news programs. They mainly work very close with reporters and editors to ensure the smooth execution of news broadcasts.
Bias
Bias refers to a structured variation from the truth or fairness in judgement, decision-making, or the presentation of information. It can manifest in various forms, influencing the way individuals perceive and interpret information, often leading to a partial view. Cognitive biases do not lead people to make worse decisions in general. People associate bias with error. Bias means a deviation in a predictable direction towards or away from something, or a ‘tendency’.
How does it affect the media and news we receive?
Bias within media implies a pervasive bias contravening of the standards of journalism, rather than the perspective of an individual journalist or article. It can affect the selection of events and stories that get published, the perspective from which they’re written, and the language chosen to tell them.
What does it impact?
It can lead to censorship, if a media outlet consistently chooses to emit stories that it doesn’t align with, this can be a form of censorship. It’s pretty much inevitable to a certain extent, especially when its unconscious. It can be politically motivated, experts discuss the way7 in which political coverage in the media is often in collusion with government communication professionals and political parties. Extreme forms can mutate in propaganda. If a media outlet is extremely biased in favour of the governing body, the news that they present may not only be inaccurate, but might brainwash consumers into blindly accepting government decisions.
Different types of bias:
Unconscious bias
Unconscious bias is a term that describes the associations we hold, outside our conscious awareness and control. It is triggered by the brain automatically making quick judgements and assessments. They are influenced by the background of the person and their personal experiences and who they are. it can have a significant influence on our attitudes and behaviours, especially towards other people. It can influence key decisions in the workplace and can contribute to inequality.
Confirmation bias
The tendency to search for, and recall information in a way that confirms of supports one’s prior beliefs or values. The effect is strongest for desired outcomes, for emotionally charged issues and for deeply entrenched beliefs. It can differ from behavioral confirmation effect, commonly known as self-fulfilling prophecy.
Selection bias
The bias introduced by the selection of individuals, groups, or data for analysis in such a way that proper randomization is not achieved, thereby failing to ensure that the sample obtained is representative of the population intended to be analyzed.
Survivorship bias
The logical error of concentrating on entities that passed a selection process while overlooking those that did not. This can lead to incorrect conclusions because of incomplete data. Another kind of survivorship bias would involve thinking that an incident happened in a particular way because the only people who were involved in the incident are who speak about it are those who survived it.
News Article Research:
BBC News: Storm Ciaran
Bibliography – Storm Ciarán: Flooding and damage hits homes across UK. (2023). BBC News. [online] 2 Nov. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67300601.
- The story isn’t reported in an overly positive way, as the topic is a destructive storm effecting lives of people and the environment.
- It states that the public were given warning alerts on the weather forecast to prepare themselves which is a positive way.
Telegraph & Argus: ‘Miracle nobody died’ after car smashed into Bradford shop
Bibliography – Bradford Telegraph and Argus. (2023). ‘It’s a miracle nobody died’: Shocking footage shows moment car ploughs into shop. [online] Available at: https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/23986931.miracle-nobody-died-car-smashed-bradford-shop/ [Accessed 13 Dec. 2023].
- This story is reported in an overly negative way, as the topic of the article is about a tragic circumstance that occurred. But it is reported for a positive effect, to show a sense of awareness of situations around local areas.
- It states that ‘one man was taken to hospital with what police described as “non-life-threatening injuries”‘. Showing the awareness of safety of the people involved in the situation.
BBC News: Hyperemesis: Scientists make pregnancy sickness cure breakthrough
Bibliography – Hyperemesis: Scientists make pregnancy sickness cure breakthrough. (2023). BBC News. [online] 13 Dec. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-67684023 [Accessed 13 Dec. 2023].
- This story is also reported in an overly negative way, as the topic is about pregnancy sickness, but also in. positive way as it states the breakthrough of pregnancy sickness cure.
- It states that ‘discovered why some women become extremely sick during pregnancy, bringing them one step closer to a potential cure’ which states the positive impact the creator of the article wants to bring on to the readers.
Interviews
Interviews play a major role in journalism and communication, serving as a mean to gather information from people with experience relevant to a particular topic.
Different types of interviews
Structured Interviews
The same certain set of questions being asked to all people in the interviews, often used in job interviews.
Behavioral Interviews
Behavioral interviews focus on past behaviour as an indicator of future performance. The people getting interviewed usually shares examples from their experiences if they are comfortable with sharing personal information like that.
Stress Interviews
Stress Interviews are made to assess how the people in the interviews handle pressure. This type of interview tests the resilience and decision-making under stress, whilst involving challenging questions.
Exit Interviews
These interviews are conducted when an employee leaves an organisation. The purpose of this is to gather feedback on the employee’s experience whilst working for the organisation, their reason on leaving and suggestions for improvement of the organisation and themselves within the work industry.
Peer Interviews
These interviews or conducted by colleagues or peers within an organisation. Multiple people are interview during this process by multiple interviewers simultaneously.
Idea Development
For this project, i found it hard to think of a topic idea as i struggle with journalism and writing articles, as i have more confidence in fiction writing and making up stories to tell, which i need to work on for future projects. But and idea came through with the help of my sister. I asked her what i should do the topic about and she suggested the topic of pregnancy and fertility (she said this as she is pregnant and my other sister has just given birth) and i could interview them both about their journey throughout their pregnancy.
Pregnancy Myths
I came up with this idea as i found a lot of research on myths around pregnancy and i had in mind that my eldest sister has recently given birth to her firstborn and my other sister is currently pregnant. I thought this would be useful as they had both agreed i could interview them for this project. The goal of this topic is to find different perspectives on pregnancy myths based on their experience of their pregnancy, to find the truth behind myths and how different the process of pregnancy is for every woman expecting.
Pregnancy myths have existed for centuries and can be found across cultures. Some myths are harmless and simply part of culture folklore, others can lead to misconceptions and potentially harmful practices.
Many pregnancy myths lack a scientific basis and are based on anecdotal evidence, cultural beliefs or traditions. Relying on inaccurate information can lead to poor decision making. Promoting accurate information, dispelling myths, and encouraging evidence-based practices contribute to the well-being of pregnant women and their unborn children.
I have encountered information about pregnancy myths during my research about pregnancy.
I explored some common pregnancy myths that highlight the bias in my chosen topic.
- Pregnant women can’t exercise.
This myth is bias as its telling information that is not true but it makes people think about wether or not it is the truth. Exercise is good for the pregnancy and isn’t dangerous for the baby, if the woman isn’t active before her pregnancy, it is best to start with gentle exercise, such as walking.
- You can’t dye your hair
It is safe to colour your hair in pregnancy as the chemicals in hair dye are not highly toxic. But very high doses of the chemicals in hair dyes may cause harm. You should always carry out a patch test before using permanent or semi-permanent hair dye.
- You can’t fly on an aeroplane during pregnancy
Flying isn’t harmful to you or the baby. After 28 weeks of pregnancy, the airline may want a letter from your midwife or doctor confirming your due date and that you aren’t a risk of complications.
- You can’t have sex while pregnant
It’s safe to have se when you’re pregnant unless you have been advised not to by your midwife or doctor. It’s normal for your se drive to change during pregnancy. Later on in pregnancy sex can sometimes trigger Braxton Hicks contractions.
- Pregnancy makes you feel like your glowing and happy all the time
Not everyone will feel like this, pregnancy is an emotional processes and your hormones can cause highs and lows in your mood. You may also may be coping with pregnancy symptoms and worrying about giving birth or adjusting parenthood.
- You will have strange cravings
Pregnancy cravings can be different for everyone, they are triggered by hormonal changes in your body, which can affect taste and smell. Some women get irritated by certain smells and taste during pregnancy and some women can eat a certain thing all the time during pregnancy and then not like it when the baby is here.
- Your baby will arrive on their due date
Your due date is useful to help you plan, especially for maternity leave, but remember that the date is only an estimate. It is common for babies to be born after their estimated due date, particularly for first pregnancies.
Bibliography – www.tommys.org. (n.d.). 10 pregnancy myths. [online] Available at: https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/im-pregnant/early-pregnancy/10-pregnancy-myths.
Telegraph & Argus: Bradford Baby Week
Bibliography – Bradford Telegraph and Argus. (2023b). Family fun as Baby Week Bradford comes back for sixth annual event. [online] Available at: https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/23888015.baby-week-bradford-events/ [Accessed 13 Dec. 2023].
There’s a range of free family events taking place across the Bradford district, including a family fun day at Odsal Stadium, woodland walks, outdoor play sessions, story and rhyme times at the district’s libraries.
Better Start Bradford, which co-ordinates Baby Week Bradford on behalf of the district, is also aiming to get the whole of Bradford moving and wiggling to the Baby Week Wiggle, a special song and dance created especially for the week by BoomChikkaBoom, best-known for their fun, family raves.
Baby Week Bradford will also be joined by Dr Amir Khan and CBeebies’ presenter George Webster.
Pre-Production
Practice Interview
Doing practice interviews is a valuable approach to enhance my skills and prepare for the actual interviews. The decision to conduct these sessions in a group adds an extra layer of benefit. By filming interviews centered around college life and students’ opinions on the city of Bradford, I am not only perfecting my interviewing skills but also gaining insights into the perceptions of others.
When editing the footage, I had realised that the video and audio quality of the camera that we had used to film the interviews wasn’t the best. Instantly, I saw this as a positive, as I now know the correct camera equipment to use for a more higher quality result for the future. I edited it using Imovie on my mac at home. I tried making the quality of the video better by adding the auto colour balance onto the footage, it didn’t really make any difference but I kept it on every clip anyways. I also added reduce background noise and voice enhance on the audio of every clip to make the audio more clear and understandable for the audience.
Overall, the process of filming practice interviews has been instrumental in fostering self-reflection and learning from mistakes, it has helped with my awareness that will undoubtedly shape and inform future opportunities of interviewing.
The practice of filming interviews serves as a learning experience, giving self-discovery and targeted improvement. This reflective journey lays the groundwork for a more effective approach to filming interviews, contributing significantly to my professional development.
Pregnancy Myths Interview
Location of interviews:
- Outside of college grounds (sisters house: Clayton)
People being interviewed:
- Interview one – Danielle Whiting (sister)
- Interview two – Stacey Whiting (sister)
I am going to do both interviews in the same location (danielle’s bedroom) as Stacey now lives right next door to Danielle so it is easy access to get both interviews done and out of the way on the same day.
Interview questions/script
Hi, I am Leon and Im here today to ask you about your experience throughout your pregnancy and your thoughts on pregnancy myths. Let’s start with your names.
Okay, so first question, What was your experience like whilst you was pregnant.
What type of research did you do? And how did this effect what you did and didn’t do while being pregnant?
So i would like to go through some pregnancy myths with you and speak about your thoughts on them.
So the first myth i found was that “you cant exercise whilst you’re pregnant”, where you told this and did you take this into consideration? Also what are your thoughts on this?
Second myth was that you cant dye your hair whilst pregnant, is this true? and what are your thoughts on this?
You cant fly on an aeroplane during pregnancy, what are your thoughts on this and did you fly during your pregnancy?
You cant have sex whilst pregnant, what are your thoughts on this?
“Pregnancy makes you feel like you’r glowing and happy all the time”, did you feel this throughout your pregnancy?
“You will have strange cravings”, did you experience any cravings? If yes what were they and if no why do you think that is?
“Your baby will arrive on their due date”, do you have any thoughts on this?
Last question, Do you think they manipulate people into believing you can and can’t do certain things during pregnancy?
Production
Filming
Filming the interviews went easier and quicker than i thought they would, i thought they were gonna take at least 30 minuets per video but it was so much faster than that. I think this was because of the fact that they are my sisters and it was a lot easier for me to ask the questions and i felt a lot more comfortable doing it as i would if i was interviewing someone i didn’t know.
Editing
I edited these interviews using imovie on my mac at home, as i don’t have access to Premiere Pro. I only did this as i had the motivation to edit the interviews so i could see them as videos all edited and done correctly. The only thing i did wrong with filming was that i forgot about getting footage for b roll, i got a few shots for b roll, but i don’t think it’s enough. But i carried on editing the videos on imovie.
I added the audio auto enhancer and reduced the backgound sound on every clip on both interviews which helped the audio a lot but it still sounds abit bad but it sounds alot better than what it did before i imported the file into imovie.
I also tried using the auto colour balancer on imovie to make the colour correction of the video but it didnt make it look any better, it made the video look orange.
So i decided to wait until i was next in college, and then colour corrected the interviews using Premiere Pro and it worked so much better than imovie did, it made it look like the brightness acceptable for an interview.
Interview 1:
Interview 2:
Article
Pregnancy Myths: Do They Impact The Well Being Of Pregnant Women?
Pregnancy is often hailed as a miraculous journey, filled with joy , and the promise of new life. However, amidst the celebration of life’s creation, pregnant women find themselves navigating a landscape filled with countless myths and misconceptions. The joyous dream is often overshadowed by the weight of misinformation that pregnant women bear.
We had interviewed two local women, one who has just given birth and the other who is still going through pregnancy, to get their perspectives on pregnancy myths and if they impact women during pregnancy.
Let’s debunk some common pregnancy myths and shed light on how they can impact the physical and emotional health of expectant mothers.
- Myth: You can’t exercise (stated by tommys.org)
In conflict with popular belief, exercise during pregnancy is generally safe and beneficial. Regular physical activity can help relive common discomforts, improve mood and promote overall health. Of course, it’s crucial to consult with a healthcare professional to determine the appropriate level of exercise based on individual circumstances.
Exercise is important during pregnancy as it helps with the mental well-being of the mother, which is important as bad mental health can lead to stress and stress can be overwhelming for the baby and the mother.
Danielle from”Interview 1″ states this as she states that, “i made sure i kept myself active and went on walks but that was also for my sanity”
2. Myth: Eating for Two (google)
One of the myths surrounding pregnancy is the belief that pregnant women must significantly increase their food to nourish their growing baby. Contrary to the widespread myth, the recommendation for pregnant women is not an increase in calorie consumption. Instead, experts advise a more modest adjustment to meet the nutritional demands of pregnancy.
This misconception can lead to excessive weight gain during pregnancy, posing potential risks to both the mother and the baby. It’s important for women to follow a balanced diet and listen to their body’s hunger cues.
3. Pregnancy Glow
Pregnancy is a evolving time for a woman’s body, and hormonal variations can manifest in many different ways, including changes to the skin. While some women do experience “pregnancy glow” due to increased blood flow and hormonal changes, others may encounter skin issues such as acne, pigmentation changes, and dryness, It’s essential for pregnant women to be aware of these potential changes and take steps to adapt their skincare routines accordingly.
Hormones play a crucial role in maintaining skin health. During pregnancy, hormonal variations, especially increased levels of progesterone and estrogen, can trigger various skin issues.
While some women may indeed enjoy the radiance associated whit the “pregnancy glow” it’s essential to recognize that the hormonal changes during pregnancy can impact the skin in various ways. By adapting skincare routines, seeking professional advice, and choosing pregnancy- safe products, women can promote healthy skin during this transformative period.
4. Myth: No flying during pregnancy
Flying during pregnancy is generally considered safe for most women, but it’s crucial to prioritize both the mother’s and baby’s health. While air travel itself is not harmful, there are certain considerations and precautions pregnant mothers should take into account before planning a trip. It’s highly advisable for pregnant women to discuss their specific health situation with their midwife or doctor before making any travel arrangements.
While flying is generally safe during pregnancy, individual health considerations play a crucial role in determining the suitability of air travel. Open communication with healthcare providers and careful planning can help ensure a safe and comfortable journey for expectant mothers.
5. Your baby will arrive on their due date
Your due date serves as a helpful reference point for expecting parents to plan for the arrival of their baby, it’s essential to understand that it is an estimate rather than an exact science. Due dates are typically calculated based on the first day of the woman’s last menstrual period and are adjusted using various factors.
While the estimated due date is valuable tool for planning, it’s crucial for expectant parents to approach it with the understanding that it is an estimate. Babies may arrive a bit earlier or later, and flexibility and patience are essential qualities as the due date approaches. Regular communication with healthcare providers ensures that the birth plan can be adjusted based on the unique circumstances of each pregnancy.
6. You can’t dye hair whilst your pregnant.
The safety of colouring your hair during pregnancy has been a topic of discussion and concern for many expectant mothers. While it’s generally considered safe to use hair dye during pregnancy ,there are some precautions and considerations to keep in mind.
The chemicals in hair dye including ammonia and peroxide are not highly toxic at the levels typically found in these products. Some chemicals in hair de can be absorbed through the skin, and there is a theoretical risk of these substances reaching and the developing fetus.
However, the amount of exposure to these chemicals during a standard hair colouring session is relatively low. Most experts consider hair dye use in moderation to be safe during pregnancy. The small amount of chemicals absorbed through the skin is unlikely to reach levels that could cause harm to the developing baby.
While the risk of harm from using hair dye during pregnancy is considered low, every pregnancy is unique. If you have any doubts or concerns, seek guidance from your healthcare provider, who can provide personalized advice based on your health.
Pregnancy is a vulnerable period in a woman’s life, and it’s unfortunately open to the influence of myths and misconceptions. These myths often spread through informal networks. The circulation of inaccurate information can lead to unnecessary anxiety, confusion, and second-guessing among pregnant women.
Believing in unfounded pregnancy myths can include emotional stress and anxiety. Myths surrounding pregnancy can create a state of decision paralysis, where expectant mothers may become hesitant to make choices about their health and well-being. When pregnant women encounter conflicting information, they may being to question medical advice. This can lead to hesitation to consult healthcare professionals, potentially depriving them of crucial guidance and support during this critical time.
Myths may also influence pregnant women to make health choices that are not evidence-based. Like, avoiding medications or treatments due to misinformation can have effects on both maternal and fetal health.
Healthcare professionals, educators and support networks play a crucial role in dispelling myths, promoting evidence-based practices, and fostering a supportive environment for pregnant mothers. Encouraging open communication and empowering women to make informed decisions is key to a healthy and positive pregnancy.
Evaluation
Overall, doing this project proved to be a enjoyable and enlightening experience, one uncovered different abilities but also discovered more confidence within my personality and my communication skills. One of the key things from this project is the realisation of the importance of testing and practicing throughout the production process. It helps in knowing what and what not to do, enabling an understanding of strengths and weaknesses within the project. The significance of these tests and practices shows that they illuminate strengths and weaknesses within the project. The experience emphasized the value of learning from mistakes. This project has helped developing a comprehensive understanding of my own capabilities.
The research i did for this project was useful but also not reliable in a way as the pregnancy myths are myths after all, some of the myths i have found and used for the project, they could be false and not myths at all, someone could have just came up with these myths which makes them more into myths when they are getting published online for everyone to see.
Although, the project ran quite smoothly, i think that there was a few challenges along the way. At first i had troubles with filming the interviews, as i booked out the cameras scheduled to go to the location and film, but i had to change the plans and take the equipment all the way home on the bus on my own in the pouring rain. But i had then asked to book out the cameras for an extra 3 days, which i was not happy about because i had a scheduled planned for filming. This effected my coursework, as i wanted to get the interviews over and done with way before i even started to write the article, but that didn’t effect me getting it done in time, as you can see every was done quickly as catching up from waiting to film the interviews.
Overall, the quality of my news article is well written and it has a lot of attention to detail towards the topic of the article, but i feel like it could use a little bit more of evidence of the research and also more quotes from the video interviews linked in the article. I also think that the article could have used some branding to make it look more like a realistic news article and more professional like a real news company has written and published it. Also i think that the video interviews would be better with some b-roll footage, to give the interview more of a highlight towards the topic of the interview to make it abit more clear.