One time earlier in this semester, I had a journalism teacher ask us to tell him what resources we used to do research for papers, then explain why we used them. So I printed this picture and submitted it. When the professor questioned me about it, I said that as he told us, our job as a journalist is to report the truth, and I was doing just that. He was like Finnegan, you're going places kid.
@jfinn298 Yup, the trick here is to dig into the biblio references used to support the article. Despite the availability of the wondrous Wiki, the content does not necessarily pass through the rigorous filter of a seasoned academic.
So....while it's cool to use Wiki....it's your responsibility to verify.
@DistractedKate101: Thank you, we're always talking about what a bad state the journalism profession has entered, so it is always good to try and lighten the mood a bit. I like adding touches of humor to my education.
@jfinn298: I hope for you, Finn, that once you graduate you find employment with some form of media that insists on the integrity of its information. Given the "new" regard for truth telling and accuracy of evidence modeled by our current President, the hazard is that "news" will finally succumb to sensational impressions to keep the readers interested or subscribing.
We already are in a quite a fix with the control of the special interests have on politicians....which reduces their job to fund raising versus studiously understanding the needs of this country beyond self-aggrandizement.
We depend on the veracity and the depth of journalism to provide balance.
That appears to be a good answer. He would have done you a favor if he warned you that while most stuff there is pretty good you have to be careful about self-serving articles. Generally their editors or other readers pick up bad stuff but not always. I have seen stuff there that was inaccurate, self-serving, politically motivated or otherwise questionable, the sort of "fake news" that journalists might resist. [disclosure: I'm a writer.]
@Humanist321: Teachers have been warning us about Wikipedia for years. My professor likes to joke around quite a bit since it is an introductory course, so I figured he would appreciate a little humor.
@Flenflyys: I won't go any further without saying that I am really just making a joke out of it. I know there's bad information out there. I try not to take things so serious, for better or for worse.
