Business
research and journalism research are done for different purposes, but may have
similar methods. Businesses do research
to increase their profit margin and better serve their customers. Journalists do research to tell a factually
correct story and inform the public about things they need to know.
Secondary
research isn't done as often as primary research in journalism. It’s still important, though that secondary
research is done to check facts and make sure that what people say is true because
they may be wrong or lying. Journals and
articles may provide good context and more understanding, but are rarely the
actual story itself. (Stories are built
around people, not facts.) I use
journals for interesting statistics and findings that may pertain to a larger
story. I use this infrequently, though,
because news isn't about academia, but more about how it will affect the life
of who is watching it.
Journalists
do a great deal of primary research.
When searching for stories, we observe what’s going on around us and
figure out what people are talking about.
These observations can be used as a jumping off point for the story and
help people know who to interview. What
people say in the interview is ultimately what drives the story. The “human” element is what’s interesting to
them, so journalists pander to it.
No comments:
Post a Comment