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Media Critique

The top headlines on the Courier Journal website habitually regard topics that are not newsworthy, therefore violating the first basic yardstick of journalism; newsworthiness. The specific headline being focused on also lacks a wide variety of sources, which is a violation of the context yardstick.
Newsworthiness outlines the obligation and responsibility of the journalist to make the topic of an article have "... a direct and lasting informational impact on a wide audience," and pertain to a "core" topic. There are myriad top headlines on the Courier Journal website on any given day, that do not meet these standards. For example, the top headline for nearly the entire day Sunday was, "Your child can be an author in this funky hot air balloon, underwater writing clinic."  Seeing as this story encourages and advertises the Young Authors Greenhouse, it falls under the promotional category. According to gradethenews.org, promotional topics are considered peripheral, and therefore not newsworthy. Even though it may apply or interest all of Portland and surrounding areas, qualifying it as reaching a wide audience, it fails to meet full criteria for the particular yardstick (newsworthiness).
To meet the standards of newsworthiness, Courier Journal could have placed this story under the Entertainment category of their website, rather than the news category. Topics that qualify for the news category would include politics, government action, natural disaster, education, economics, crime/justice, medical, environmental, housing, transportation, science/tech, important social issues, major fires or accidents, weather, or consumer reporting.
The journalist of this article also failed to sufficiently fulfill the requirements of the context yardstick. Context calls on journalists to gather and report on information gained from multiple sources. Throughout the article, the author often relays information from the executive director and program manager- which are two good sources, however, it would have greatly enhanced the quality of the article to include more perspectives. To meet the standards of context, the journalist could have interviewed residents of Portland and surrounding areas, current participants of similar organizations, and people who plan on utilizing the program, rather than just the founder and director.
These two flaws are the main reason I chose to critique the Courier Journal and one of its journalists, however I sincerely respect it as a reliable, trustworthy local media outlet.

Check out the article here: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/money/louisville-city-living/2018/09/16/young-authors-greenhouse-open-writing-clinic-portland-louisville/1279196002/



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