Mining the Web

Analysts of contemporary culture frequently criticize journalism and, in particular, news media. They point out that the media outlets are owned by corporate conglomerates and that they rely as much on entertaining as informing their readers and viewers through the quantity of coverage on celebrities, scandals, and human interest stories. This criticism contrasts with the principles of journalism articulated at the beginning of Chapter 1.

To immerse yourself in the competing goals and claims, explore the following sites.

Professional news organizations:
American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNA)
The Poynter Institute
Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)
Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. (IRE)
Associated Press Managing Editors (APME)

Newspapers and alternative news:
The New York Times
The Washington Post
The Observer
Drudge Report
MoveOn.org
The Onion (A parody of news)

Example of a Web site fostering "chat":
ItsHappening.com

Comparing Internet venues, such as those listed above, can give you a better appreciation for and understanding of the implications of competing interests.

On the Internet, news is, as the textbook points out, truly multimodal. That is, on Internet sites you may encounter video, audio, and print files; you can watch, listen, and read. Moreover, many Web sites allow for online discussions. Here people from all walks of life and everywhere on the globe can offer opinions, find information, express feelings, and make sense of events. All represent an interpretive bias, and some may be offensive to your own position. Nonetheless, exploring the spaces where people converse with each other about current events can provide you with rich resources for the analysis of contemporary culture.