CD - Journalism a**ignment 09062014 lyrics

We have been conditioned to think in one dimension: good or evil; right or wrong; black or white. We think of drug dealers as bad people, fueling an unhealthy habit. But do the families for whom the dealers' money provides food think of them as bad? In order to have a fully informed opinion, one must consider all angles before coming to a conclusion. Good journalism should provide an objective view of a topic so the reader can make the decision. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is portrayed as the new monster that is hiding under our bed. Why are almost all the stories we read about ISIS one dimensional? “ISIS'S GRUESOME IRAQ PROPAGANDA INCLUDES SEVERED HEADS, MUSIC VIDEOS” shouts a headline on breitbart.org. To me, it's clear that this article is biased. There is no nuance or objectivity evident in the piece. The author does not support ISIS or anything that the organization puts out. The article says, “…the takeover of much of northern Iraq has triggered a bizarre inclination on the part of ISIS sympathizers online…” But is it bizarre to everyone? This piece hasn't explored the views of the Jihadists. The Jihadists take—what the journalist calls gruesome images—and put them on their propaganda. On the Islam State News, pictures of men laying bloody on the ground with the caption “MALIKI'S FORCES HUMILIATED” This motivates the people who support ISIS to k** the soldiers they see. Pictures of the Jihadists retaking the Koniko gas field shows the people how far ISIS has come. This story shows the other point of view, but it too is biased. These stories clearly don't emphasize the same information. The story saying ISIS is using gruesome pictures in their propaganda, is saying that these pictures shouldn't be used as propaganda, or that a music video shouldn't be made. But the ISN (Islamic State News) is advertising this propaganda because there are people who support ISIS and it gives them a sense of pride that the Jihadists have humiliated forces and have retook certain areas. Supporters interpret these pictures as good deeds, whereas people who don't support ISIS would see them as pictures that should never be released. These pieces are not examples of real journalism. Opinions have their own section for a reason. Stories should not have copious amount of bias. The readers should be left to decide where they stand on their own. There should be pieces that have all the sides of the story. It is important to show all sides to get a full understanding of the story and often times in journalism that is not there.