Author: Jim Boren
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On July 4, we celebrate our nation’s founding, and the freedoms that came with it
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, formalizing our separation from Great Britain and creating a new sovereign nation. The Declaration of Independence was the first of three founding documents called the Charters of Freedom. These documents include the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the three charters laid…
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Journalism prof offers his take in Forbes Magazine on news outlets that he ranks as ethical and trustworthy
What are the top news sites for credibility and using ethical standards in gathering and reporting the news?
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Will McClatchy experiment help inform news industry on best way to speed move from print to digital?
UPDATED An experiment at three of the McClatchy Company’s smaller publications has industry observers wondering whether this is a first step in reducing the daily print schedule of other newspapers in the media group. McClatchy owns 30 newspapers around the country, including The Miami Herald, Charlotte Observer and Kansas City Star, as well as the…
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Journalists must be able to do their work without police intimidation
The Institute for Media and Public Trust vehemently protests the actions of the San Francisco Police Department in raiding the home of a freelance journalist in an attempt to find out who leaked a sensitive report on the death of the San Francisco public defender. This heavy-handed attempt to discover the identity of a confidential…
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Here’s how you can be a smart news consumer, and not get trapped by those trying to deceive you with ‘fake news’
I gave a speech on “fake news” to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Fresno State and had a great time interacting with an audience of relatively sophisticated news consumers. Part of my presentation in April dealt with strategies to identify phony news content, with the goal of reducing the amount of fake news that…
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Fresno State students recognized by Free Speech Center for their project on the First Amendment
Our First Amendment project has been recognized by the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University for a campaign to educate Fresno State students on the five freedoms contained in the First Amendment. The Free Speech Center at MTSU praised the 60 public relations students in the Media, Communications and Journalism Department at Fresno State…
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Raising the bar — from awareness to action on the First Amendment
Fresh off Sunshine Week, the Institute for Media and Public Trust will hold a free workshop on educating Fresno State students about the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. Media, Communication and Journalism students will unveil their campaign from noon to 2 p.m. on March 26 in Education 140. More than 60 students will present case studies…
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Media Institute sponsoring seminar on science and environmental reporting on April 9 at Fresno State
The Fresno State Institute for Media and Public trust will hold a seminar on science and environmental reporting beginning at 6 p.m. on April 9 at Fresno State. The keynote speaker will be Pulitzer Prize winner and author Deborah Blum, who now is the director of the Knight Science Journalism program at the Massachusetts Institute of…
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On a February evening at Fresno State, national journalists gathered for a memorable discussion on the future of journalism
We cannot recall an event in Fresno that featured the range and quality of journalists who came together at Fresno State to explore the many challenges facing the news business. This year’s Roger Tatarian Symposium on Feb. 26 included nationally acclaimed journalists from ProPublica, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press. Keynote…
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Democracy and taxpayers suffer when there are fewer local journalists serving as government watchdogs
We’re seeing more journalists being laid off in the news industry, and just about everyone thinks they know why the business model is so broken. But like most issues, the causes are varied and complex, ranging from an industry unwillingness to recognize changing revenue trends, being behind the curve on technology, and thinking that you…