All,

Nice work interviewing your fellow students.   I’ve made comments for all of you on your documents (if you uploaded a PDF, I created a googledocs file you can review).  Please finish your revisions soon (at which point I will give you a grade).  See GRADEBOOK link to the right. In general, be sure to provide a captivating title and a good photo or two. Also make sure your introduction brings out key characteristics of your interviewee. I’ve also copy-edited your pieces, so also review and correct any punctuation and sentence errors I highlighted (part of being a good journalist is producing relatively “clean”, catchy copy “on deadline.”)  You will generally have an editor make varied corrections, cuts, and suggestions.  My central suggestion to all of you as journalists is to provide LOTS of KEY details (pertinent to your subject matter) to fully bring your writing to life. 

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This week’s topic builds on our conversation of the critical role of the media (or fourth estate) for maintaining a vibrant democracy.  To review, the press needs to

1) offer a wide marketplace of ideas, perspectives, and information to help citizens make informed decisions.

2) inform the public about “what matters” (i.e. what they SHOULD be paying attention to).  What gets covered by the media and what does not is also called “agenda setting.”

3) serve as a “watchdog” of politicians, businesses, and institutions.

4) inform readers about important people, places, and events across the racial and social spectrum and

5) mobilize readers/viewers to “thought” and “action.”  Let’s add one more:

6) TELL THE TRUTH AND PROVIDE FACT-BASED, VERIFIABLE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT ITS CLAIMS

Because of its importance, the right to a free press (and the freedom of speech) is enshrined in our First Amendment from the American Constitution, approved by all the states in 1789:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

It’s interesting to note that freedom of speech and of the press are brought together with other related rights: the right to practice one’s religion (whatever it may be), the right to assemble (protest) in the streets, and the right “to complain” about your government.

With the recent, horrific events in Gaza and Israel, the pressure on the right to express one’s views (so long as it doesn’t “cause harm” – like yelling “fire” in movie theater) is really being put to the test.  In this class and in this society, I believe that everyone has the right to (respectfully) express one’s beliefs and thoughts on any issue. 

What I want you to think about this week is how well the First Amendment is (and has been) put into practice.

Do Americans have the legal right to criticize our government (and leaders of other countries)?  The answer is yes. This right was severely tested, however, when Julian Assange created a site called Wikileaks in 2010.  Since its inception, Wikileaks offers a platform to give whistleblowers a platform to expose hidden truths about various governments and institutions around the world.

It’s important to keep in mind that it is not legal for WikiLeaks sources to steal secret documents and submit classified documents to the site. However, thanks to the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, it is legal for WikiLeaks to publish these documents and share them with the public. It is also perfectly legal for you to read information found on WikiLeaks

Does the First Amendment allow FAKE NEWS?  Facebook (and Twitter—now X) famously allowed the spread of false information during Donald Trump’s presidency but finally kicked him off their sites for lying about the election results (that Biden didn’t win) and generally riling up his supporters with false assertions (leading to the Capitol riots).  We have also come to learn that for a long time Facebook had allowed false reports about the Covid Vaccine (see Covid Misinformation on Facebook is Killing People).

The Supreme Court is currently considering the limits of free expression on Social Media (and their liability when users “cause harm”). Let’s keep an eye on these decisions.

What one is allowed to say and publish has been under constant scrutiny since our nation was first established.  The same is true with the ever-presence and danger of Fake News.

For this week’s assignment, watch this video on the origins of the First Amendment. It begins with the trial of a printer in New York, named John Peter Zenger, in 1735. His newspaper, The New York Weekly Journal, mercilessly criticized, William Cosby, governor of the colony of New York at the time.

John Peter Zenger Trial 1735

I also ask that you watch a fun video exploring how “Fake News” was an issue even during the American Revolution (1776-1783). Both videos offer a good overview of our first media outlets before CNN, Facebook, and Twitter/X.

Fake News in the Revolutionary War

There is no post assignment due this week. Please finish your student interviews. Please also be sure to sign up to the New York Times free student app ( New York Times account ) and begin following a topic you might want to write about in an opinion piece (OpEd) or your own, which is an upcoming assignment.

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for uploading your interview drafts. I am currently reviewing them and will have comments for you by the end of the week. When I edit your pieces, you should be notified via gmail I believe. Work from the files I edit to produce a final version. Some of you will need to get more information from your subjects, so you might want to share the interview with your partner, once I’ve commented on them.

Please contact me if you have not been able to make contact with your interview partner.

All interviews remain in our googledocs dropbox: HERE

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Given the assignment I’ve asked you to work on, there is some irony that the big journalism story of the past week concerns the “cancelling” of the founding editor of Rolling Stone Magazine, Jann Wenner. Wenner and his magazine practically INVENTED the modern interview allowing Rock and Roll musicians to be taken seriously for the first time in the 1960 and 70s.  The importance of this magazine (founded in 1967) and genre cannot not be overstated. 

So, last week, Jenner gets interviewed by a New York Times reporter to discuss thoughts on his legacy. In the interview, Jenner really speaks his mind. When asked why he never interviewed a black or female musician, he flat out claims that none were sufficiently interesting enough to interview! What?!!?  Literally the next day, he is removed from the Board of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which he also founded) and becomes the talk of the town. 

A question I have for you is not whether Jenner deserved to be “cancelled” (the media is all over the place on this topic) but whether the journalist interviewing Jenner should have stepped in and “fixed” the interview to protect him.  As Jenner himself discussed in the interview, he always “cleaned up” his interviews with famous subjects such as John Lennon and Mick Jagger.

Here is the full story.  Also link to the original interview. It’s a helpful model to consider as you work on your own.

Jann Wenner’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Reign Ended in 20 Minutes – The New York Times (nytimes.com)

This story relates to our lesson of the week: the ethics of journalism.  While I do not ask that you post this week (concentrate on writing your interviews), I do ask that you read the following:

“The Elements of Journalism”

Society of Professional Journalists CODE OF ETHICS

“What is the Role of a Newspaper Anyway?”

Next week, we will return to discussing the issue of “journalism ethics” and the role of journalism more fully.

Thank you students for your careful reading and comments on the interview profiles of Eden Bridgeman Sklenar and Juan Gonzalez. While both of these journalists are superstars in their own right, the interviewers were themselves talented practitioners of journalism, especially adept at bringing out key details and information about their interesting subjects in an engaging manner. It was also interesting to see how Jillian Jorgensen was able to bring her subject’s “story” alive for NY1 television viewers – though not famous, Carlos (and his daughter) were worthy interviewees.

All of you made some helpful points about what makes an interview particularly stellar.

Sphear, for example, writes on “Ebony Returns to Chronicle a New Moment,” noting Marc Tracy’s “ability to relay multiple stories simultaneously, relaying the impact of said stories, and then being able tie them together at the end to one consistent point. The ability of a veteran journalist to implement multiple stories, points of view, and sources shows why it is important how you structure an article. The ability to properly structure an article allows the writer to tell many branching narratives while maintaining the ease of understanding for the reader.  

Avis Weathersbee’s interview with Eden Bridgeman Sklenar is another example of great journalism. She allows Sklenar to answer each question without interruption and builds on some questions. This shows that she is knowledgeable about the topic and interested.  Student journalists should be able to expand on questions. It shows that they are actively listening and produces more substantial answers.” 

“Street-Beat Confidential,” Aaron writes, “is an interview that captures Daily News journalist Juan Gonzales as he is continually moving and focused on his own point of view in the streets around Rockefeller Center. […] As a journalist, Gonzalez employed a variety of techniques, but I believe one of them was to walk about the streets rather than read about something to get a first-person perspective on it—well captured by the interviewer.”

Riley Gatto’s favorite piece was “Two decades later, a student returns to class at CUNY” by Jillian Jorgensen. As she writes, “right off the bat, I was drawn to the piece for sentimental reasons; one of the first few sentences is a heartfelt quote from the student who is covered in the piece, Carlos Rodriguez. ‘In my heart, I always knew I wanted to come back to school. I don’t know when that was going to happen, but I knew that eventually it would happen,’ Rodriguez said. This quote immediately gives the audience someone to root for and a reason to continue reading the story to see the victory of this person. This piece not only can resonate with those of us who are nontraditional students, but anyone who has ever had to wait for their dreams to come to fruition. I think the technical move of involving his daughter, a fellow City Tech student, increases the sentiment the reader/watcher feels towards the subject. The story is engaging and very clearly written in a style that makes it seem like Carlos’s journey has come full-circle, which is very satisfying to read.”

Well said all.

Now that you’ve read and analyzed these pieces, I ask that you put into practice your own journalism skills by interviewing a fellow student and creating a profile of him or her.  You can do the interview in written form, or if you like, as a video recording.

Interview Assignment Directions:

1) Look below to see who your student partner is (see list below).

2) Read the Student Interview Assignment (I have also posted this assignment at the bottom of this page)

3) Review these sample student interviews to use as models. The first sample is in the classic “Q & A” style; the second sample is the “story-line” style also used in the Juan Gonzalez interview.

4) Create a list of questions drawn, in part, from the ones I’ve given you. I encourage you to add your own creative questions. As you interview, you might find that you want to go in a new direction. You may also need to ask follow-up questions.

This week I want you to contact your interview partner (you can get contact information by responding to their self-introduction under “our community”).

Discuss how you want to perform the interview (on zoom, email, or google.docs).

You can upload (and work on) this assignment in our googledocs dropbox: HERE To upload a file from your computer press “new” (on upper left corner) and then “upload file”.

If you have questions or concerns, please email me (mnoonan@citytech.cuny.edu). As a reminder, I also hold weekly office hours (Tuesdays 4-5 pm). The zoom link is on our site.

Draft Due Date: Monday, Oct. 2 (but get started soon!)

Student Interview Partners

Kareeb,Efaz  AND WuWu,Qiting

Khanam,Mareefa AND Morales,Richard

Prosper,Thierry AND Rodnell,Kiana 

Jason Barrios AND Halley,Kevin

Gan,Aaron AND Willis,Christopher

Bah,Mamadou AND Li,Christine 

Martinez,Cindy AND Zhang,Cui 

Kimba,Samiratou AND Barrios,Jason

Jimenez,Gabriel AND Baltazar,Kobe

Lee,Edmond AND Cruz,Odalis 

Diallo,Coumba   AND Forde,Sphear

Gan,Elan  AND Gatto,Riley Marie

Abdul-Nasir,Khalid

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Unit #1: Interview Assignment

Writing a “Student Profile”

A “profile feature” is a newspaper article that explores the background and character of a particular person (or group). The focus should be on a news angle and/or key aspects of the subject’s personal or professional/academic life. Based on information gleaned during your interview, try to think about what really stands out that defines your subject.

The profile should begin with the reason the subject is newsworthy at this time, and should be based on an extensive interview with the subject (see sample questions below). Biographical material is important but should not be overemphasized: the biography is background to the news. Readers should be allowed to better understand the subject by seeing this person in the context of his or her interests and career, educational and family background.

When reporting a profile feature article, pay close attention to your subject’s habits and mannerisms. Subtle clues like posture, tone of voice and word choice can all, when presented to readers, contribute to a fuller and more accurate presentation of the interview subject.

When interviewing, encourage your subject to open up and express significant thoughts, feelings or opinions. Do so by asking open-ended questions that are well-planned. Make sure to research the subject of your profile before beginning your interview. This will help you to maintain focus during the conversation and to ask questions that will elicit compelling responses.

The profile should open with an overall picture of the subject’s achievements, aims, and personal qualities. Consider interviewing other people (friends/family members), representing a variety of perspectives, about the subject of your profile. Ask them for telling anecdotes. You don’t have to quote, or even mention, all of these people in your article.

A profile feature lede can take one of many forms. One is a “delayed lede,” in which a person is introduced before his or her relevance is revealed.

An example:

“As a young girl growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Mae C. Jemison watched telecasts of the Gemini and Apollo spaceflights and knew that that was her destiny. No matter that all the astronauts were male and white and that she was female and black. She simply knew she would be a space traveler. Now a 35-year-old doctor and engineer, Dr. Jemison has realized her dream, launching into orbit yesterday as one of the shuttle Endeavor’s seven member crew. In the process she has become the first African-American woman to go into space….”

Review the sample profile I provide as well as the profile on Ebony editor Eden Bridgeman Sklenar, from last week’s readings. Like these two samples, begin with an introduction of your subject (your “lede”), followed by a Question and Answer sequence. Alternately, you can use a “story-line” as Paul Hond does in his interview of Juan Gonzalez.

Here are some questions to ask but feel free to add your own. It might be helpful to upload these questions into your own google.docs document (which you can upload to our class googledrive).

1. Who’s someone you admire, and why?
2. Tell me three pet peeves.
3. What’s a typical day like for you?
4. Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?
5. If you could be anywhere other than here, right this minute, where would you be? (Don’t overthink it!)
6. Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What do you want to be when you grow up?
7. If we went to your favorite restaurant, what would you order?
8. Finish this sentence. On Sunday mornings, you can usually find me…
9. How do you want people to remember you?
10. What do you think are the best skills that you bring to a job?
11. Name three words that you describe you.
12. How do you think your friends would describe you?
13. What do you want to make sure you do before you die?
14. What’s a goal you have for yourself that you want to accomplish in the next year?
16. What publications do you regularly read?
17. What are you happiest doing, when you’re not studying or working?
18. What are some causes or issues you care about?
19. What is your current college major? What is your desired future career?
20. What would be your personal motto?

21.  What social media (or other news feeds) do you follow or use?