1. William Cobbett
2. Benjamin Franklin Bache
3. Philip Freneau

Katherine Graham

Ida Tarbell

Walter Cronkite

In class Wednesday, we will discuss in detail an in-depth environmental series I proposed last April that was published in the News & Observer in Raleigh in early January in a 3-part series. As I will explain, the company at the center of the series, came after Saul and me when our reporting started in May. But the industry, and the company, got more focused after the series published.

There’s a lot here, but not overly so. First, please get a good sense of what Part 1 (by Saul Elbein) and Part 2 (by me) are about. The stories are written for a general audience with no previous knowledge of the issues. After that, please read the industry-sponsored reaction to the series and how they describe Saul and me (this is a sampling, not all of it.)

Assignment for class: I don’t want an essay this time. Instead, in bullet points, list 8-10 items (or so) from the our two stories that were surprising to you, concerning, or confusing. Given what we’ve discussed about what distinguishes real news from misinformation, do you believe the stories are fair? If you see what you think is bias in either story, please include that among your observations. Lastly, summarize your reaction to the three online stories that industry advocates posted about me (before the series ran) and Saul and me, afterwards. What impact did the criticism have on your view of the two stories. What questions did they raise?

Wood pellet stories:

Part 1 — Slow Burn: Europe uses tons of NC trees as fuel. Will this solve climate change?

Part 2 — Slow Burn: From Poland to NC, activists plea for reduced carbon dioxide

Industry response:

Mongabay’s Anti-Bioenergy Advocate: Justin Catanoso

Meet The Activists Masquerading As Reporters Attacking Bioenergy

Failing a Basic Test of Integrity in Journalism

Thousands of North Carolina trees stacked like cordwood wait to be turned into wood pellets for overseas shipment, mostly to the UK and EU, at one of three pellet-making plants in North Carolina. Photo courtesy of the Dogwood Alliance.

Two readings for Tuesday’s class, plus a one-to-two page typed and printed essay with a few simple prompts: what do you find concerning about these stories and why? And what, if any, threats do you believe these two issues pose to governmental legitimacy and fairness in the electoral process?

What Happens When QAnon Seeps From the Web to the Offline World….story linked here. 

The Billion-Dollar Disinformation Campaign to Reelect the President…story linked here.

Before we get into our Part 2 discussion on Verification, Independence and Accountability in class Feb. 4, I want you all to consider a raging controversy in the US that is not going away: vaccines.

Our public health is at stake — as China and the rest of the world is learning all too painfully with the runaway spread of the coronavirus. Here in the US, anti-vaxxers are fighting against vaccines requirements and taking to news outlets and social media to make their case. The Centers for Disease Control is fighting back, but not nearly as aggressively.

Please read this story on a news site called Full Measure: http://fullmeasure.news/news/cover-story/the-vaccination-debate

And read this New York Times editorial around the same time: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/19/opinion/vaccines-public-health.html

No essay is required with these readings, but please come to class with some questions and notes from the readings so that we can have detailed discussion. We will dig into the Full Measure story and who is behind it, discuss the public health implications and hear where you stand on what news neighborhood this all falls into.

Given our robust discussion last week about whether or not Facebook should bear responsibility for the fake news and and misinformation that is prevalent on its site, and its recent decision to not take down knowingly false political advertising, I offer these three readings from last October:

Inside Facebook: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/28/technology/facebook-mark-zuckerberg-political-ads.html

Aaron Sorkin, writer of The Social Network, in an open letter to Mark Zuckerburg: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/opinion/aaron-sorkin-mark-zuckerberg-facebook.html

Twitter decides: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/30/technology/twitter-political-ads-ban.html

FOR CLASS: Using these three pieces as your guide, as well as your own social media experience, please craft a short essay (500 words or less) that explains whether you agree with Zuckerburg’s policy, and what you make of Sorkin’s and Twitter’s response. Finally, what would you recommend Congress do regarding regulating social media political ads or controversial content, if anything.