[MUSIC]
[SOUND] Let's talk about credibility.
We consume content all the time.
In fact, that what's you're doing right now, but
this content isn't journalistic content.
In fact, very little of the content you consume is journalistic content.
Journalism content is different and
we're going to talk about how it's different and why it's different?
Journalism is powerful content that changes minds and it can change societies.
It moves people and communities.
Journalism can make people laugh, makes people cry.
It inspires us, it motivates us.
That is the power and the purpose of journalism.
Journalism can be mighty.
What is it about journalism that does that?
How can you do that?
In this specialization,
you will come to understand what makes journalism so powerful.
Starting now, you will learn how to use journalistic values and
techniques to make and distribute content that can change the world.
We are all familiar with how journalism has changed people in societies.
Journalism has a unique mission and a special role in our societies.
Journalism exists to inform, educate and empower.
This journalistic mission is what gives journalism special status and
in some places special protections.
It gives journalists access to people and places that most people can't reach and
sometimes journalists feel compelled to be in places where others won't go.
We recognize that our mission and the content we make to achieve it gives us
great power and we believe that with great power comes great responsibility.
People count on us to bring them news that they can count on.
This important mission gives journalism its values and
defines the way we do things.
This mission we are talking about to inform, educate and
empower is all tied into public issues.
We do this to help people be more engaged, more involved and
better citizens in their communities.
Journalism is not primarily here to entertain or to promote or to take sides.
So journalism has an essential ingredient that makes it stand apart from other
content in forms of media.
That ingredient is credibility or trust.
People must trust journalism or it fails.
This quality of being trusted can improve all kinds of content.
No matter what kind of content you make, whether it is writing, photography,
videos, audio or graphics, credibility,
that is being believable will make your message so much stronger.
Trust or truth look similar and both are central to our journalism.
You might call them our X factor or maybe our T factor.
People trust us to tell the truth, so
journalists must first be seekers of truth.
We are going to explore the elements of trust in the next lectures.
We will check in with you as we go.
You will learn how to achieve the trust builders of accuracy, fairness,
balance, transparency and accountability.
These are, to journalists, the ethics that guide how we do journalism,
that's very important.
This is why we bring them to you early and
why the Michigan State team will revisit ethics throughout this course.
We will examine these trust builders and see how they work together.
Sometimes you can't have one without the other.
By becoming known in your work for these qualities, you and the content you
create will become more professional and credible with your audience.
In this module, in addition to trust builders, we will warn you how to avoid
the trust busters of sensationalism, propaganda, and plagiarism.
Before we move on to accuracy and fairness,
please take a quick checkup on credibility.
It is in the quiz and I think you're going to do well with it.
Thank you.
I'll see you after the quiz.
[MUSIC]
Joanne GerstnerSports Journalist in Residence
Eric FreedmanInstructor
Joe GrimmInstructor
David PoulsonInstructor
Jeremy SteeleSpecialist
Lucinda D. DavenportDirector & Professor
