No+Time+to+Think+Notes

Notes on No Time to Think (CD black/ Jaimie blue): "Understanding complex and rapidly changing events...cannot be done in an instant"(Dave Marash qtd. in Rosenberg and Feldman 7). "Not wrong for long" (Rupert Murdoch's Sky News) (25). "the echo chamber"--"What's going on is not so much education as reinformcement of the opinions you already have"(Susan Jacoby qtd in Rosenberg and Feldman 11). ADD/multitasking (20).
 * Chapter 1** is engaging. good examples. The Bush gas problem is amusing.
 * demand for speed's effects on journalism:**
 * -puts contradictory demands on journalists:** "Davies describes the manic, high speed 'churnalism'...'On one hand, it urges: 'Your story MUST be accurate, impartial, blalanced and uphold the values...NEVER publish anything you don't understand, that is speculation...And then, as if there were no contradiction at all...'Get teh story up as fast as you can"(3). "feeding the beast"(28).
 * -favors internet (and video) as news source:** "...most Americans have lost faith in traditional media and prefer the Internet as a primary news source"(4). "...added emotional engagement of live"(Dave Marash qtd.in Rosenberg and Feldman 14). "This is the most profound change we've seen in journalism since the invention of the printing press" (Stephens qtd. in Rosenberg and Feldman 25).
 * -omits reflection and accuracy:** "real time" reporting (5). "this is the ominous ramblings that precede the draft" (Dave Marash qtd.in Rosenberg and Feldman 14).
 * -creates an increasingly ignorant and biased public:"**the bias of convenience" similar to "the law of least effort"--"people tend to be satisfied by the answers that are easiest to obtain" (George Sipf qtd. by Edward Tenner in Rosenberg and Feldman 8).

**-reflects human nature** (historical overview--France, Ted Turner, CNN) "humans were hard wired...to seek news at an increasingly faster pace"(35).
 * Chapter 2** has a nice quick overview of the history of media and how it started in particular CNN. It really defines the 24/7 news cycle.

IDEA: show the monty python sketchihy: the argument clinic and talk about what real discourse is. media type="youtube" key="teMlv3ripSM" height="344" width="425" , This idea of just shouting and arguing back and forth is a perfect lead-in to the Jon Stewart video and his disillusionment with crossfire and what they are doing. I like how Michael Palin gets in the real purpose of an argument and the difference between argument and contradiction.
 * Chapter 3** opens with a point that I REALLY love! why do they ask reporters to GUESS what people like Condaleeza Rice are THINKING. How the should they know? That's not an appropriate question for one reporter to ask another reporter and one that ALWAYS ticks me off. PEJ states that news programs now foster a "journalism of assertion that relies less on reporting than on personal opinion (p. 48)" Great exchange between mathews and deedee myers on clinton being/not being the front runner. but this is great. reread this section. i'm agreeing with mathews. didn't she always have it in the bag and wasn't myers being disingeneious. or is the author saying that mathews is picking apart a nit and making something of it. because matthews does a good job I think if pointing out a lie. how do you to read this section pages 49-50. ** Reiterates the concepts of "feeding the beast" (filling time) and selling emotional impact, seemingly trivial concerns that become dangerous as they ironically effect the outcome of events--changing the definition of news becomes changing the news. I laughed tonight at dinner as I saw an hours worth of Michael Jackson "news" that is based on about two facts and makes speculation about a missing doctor **. It also gets into the argument culture. I really hate those shows that have no discourse but just shout at each other.

**Chapter 4 (Blogs) -negative ramifications:** "...blogging does not reward taking your time for judicious reflection"(68). "[blogs are]...creating an endless digital forest of mediocrity"(70). -Amy Gahran (Poynter) discusses **ethics of blogging:** "The new buzzword is transparency"(73). Is it okay to conceal or disguise a source? Privacy vs. identity. "Hiding behind anonymity is cowardice"(73). -**compensation for blogging** (ads) effects integrity of posts.(We could ask Carlo about this since his blog has advertisements from publishers of books on the Marlowe theory) -**cross between blogger and journalist:** protection of sources, accuracy, "Drudge effect" (role of blogs in getting out news) (81). -**less fact checking vs. immediate self correction:** (We've come a long way since the days when the Stephen Glasses of the world were harshly scolded) Wisdom of Crowds (Surowiecki) vs. Extraordinary Popular Delusions of the Madness of Crowds (McKay)--an interesting debate to have with the kids. -**competition of speed:** "We're just shoving things onto the website because if the competitors are reacting to a game fast, we'd better, too (Sports Illustrated qtd. on 88).

"From now on, news can break into public consciousness without the traditional press weighing in" (Clay Shirky qtd. on 92). "Instead of a dictatorship of experts, we'll have a dictatorship of idiots" (Andrew Keen qtd. in 92). -"24/7 get-me-the-details" demand **pushing out traditional journalism** (98). -**history of voices of journalism and media bias**--Murrow, Cronkite... I was reminded of Network here (we could show a clip to students). -**does speed democratize?** (analogy of Gutenberg, Luther) (102). Maybe not-top 20 news sites are owned by the same corporate behemoths (plantation metality) (103). Blurbgate example
 * Chapter 5 (Citizen Journalists)**
 * -opinion masquerading as fact** (Nick Davies does a great job with this topic in Flat Earth News Chapter 2). Again, the topic of news speculation having dangerous ramifications. Journalist have no official code of conduct. "Before you perform an act of journalism, reach for a condom"(Jarvis qtd. on 111).

-**election of 2007-8 -relationship between news and reality**: bumping up of dates of caucuses, financial strain on candidates, vote-early surge,"length and tone are powerful persuaders" (118), journalists getting far ahead of themselves (again the topic of dangerous speculation), "constructive analysis" or lack thereof,
 * Chapter 6 (Instant Results)**

-news reporters have a **new job description**: video and online coverage required. "split personalities= **convergence**...There are no newspaper reporters, television news reporters, radio news reporters, Internet news reporters per se...There are just reporters..who do it all"(136). Younger reporters (<55) are better equipped. -where does the US get its news? TV (29%), radio (11%), **newspapers (10%).** -**falling circulation, proliferation of freelancers, citizen interaction** (posted comments have gotten out-of-hand, but can't be stopped).
 * Chapter 7 (Newspapers)**

-repeats many concepts earlier stated: speed, feeding the beast, tone conveying message, "pernicious impact" of speculation, echo chamber -part about scripted Q&As was interesting. my favorite quote of book was "fetus of interest" (171) when discussing the media's need to pick apart a "person of interest" in anthrax case. "Slam dunk" is another effective analogy to media's need to "get it right" before it happens.
 * Chapter 8 (Conversation)**

-**expansion of "pernicious impact" of speed and speculation -what ifs: Iran Hostage Crises, Bay of Pigs debacle
 * Chapter 9 (Dark Scenarios)

-not government regulation -"pause, reflect, study, discuss" (193) --wishful thinking?? -new jobs for "speed-answers advisors" (195) -newstritional facts: news (6%) -teach news literacy in schools (hey, good idea!) "TV and the Internet are popular culture, as well as the language and literatue of this generation...Children should be taught...that all media is constructed" (Share qtd. on 201). "It's all about questioning. '...to analyze and be critical of other media...it's in the process of creating that they really recognize that"(Share qtd. on 203).
 * Chapter 10 (What do we do about it?)**