Readings-The+History+of+News,+Stephens

Summary and discussion of //The History of News// by Mitchell Stephens
Chapter 1

In chapter 1 of Mitchell Stephen’s “A History of News,” he explains the obsession and for news that all of mankind share regardless of culture and era. This obsession is described as a “thirst” or “hunger” as if it was a basic necessity for human life. When there is an absence of news, people though out history have felt deprived or anxious. In India of 1975 newspapers were censored under the prime minister, Indira Gandhi. Once he was defeated in the next election and the censorship stopped newspaper circulation increased by 40%. This impulse to be updated on news is similiar to the people of Tikopia and the village of Faea. Raymond Firth, who lived in Tikopia, traveled to Uta from Faea to meet with the Chief. When he arrived, the first thing the Chief asked was if there was any news from Faea. Stephen’s also writes about how there is gratification in being the bearer of the news. Spreading news brings attention to a person and can give them a sense of pride when they appear to be well informed. I think that in today’s society this is why many people blog, twitter, or just gossip. This can sometimes be a problem because this gives the person a chance to put their own spin on news, and people will usually believe a fabricated story if it sounds more interesting.

Stephens discusses how humans have always needed to receive news and also to deliver it using examples that date back centuries. One of the recent examples was a newspaper strike in 1945 in New York. This newspaper was the most relied on news source for a majority of New Yorkers and what they missed most were the stories that affected their lives directly, opposed to world news. It's not surprising that only one-third of the people missed keeping up with important news. Many people are only concerned with what will affect them in the near future. Someone living in a war zone would be much more desperate to hear news about it because their life could depend on the information in contrast to someone simply following a story. Despite the degree of separation, Stephens states "It does not matter whether we are used to following news across an island or around the world; when the news flow is obstructed-depriving us of our customary view-a darkness falls. We grow anxious." It may be more than curiosity that causes one to feel this "anxiety" when the news stops. The further the news travels, the larger our community is. News allows us to expand our borders across oceans and continents and to connect with the people we read or hear about. Stopping the flow of news is like having a good book taken away from you--consequently you're dying to know what's going to happen next.
 * "The Need for News-A Social Sense"**

A brief anecdote in the beginning of this section conveys a strange system of haggling for news; a Palestinian tradition and a strange anomaly in the world of news. Stephens goes on from this anecdote to present his arguments for why most people in other parts of the world are more than happy to give whatever new they may come across for free. Most people give away news out of something almost akin to selfishness. If one hoards their news for too long, someone else might have the chance to share it first a reap whatever social rewards (personal happiness, esteem in the community, etc.) may come from sharing the news. In some societies, such as the Lapps in Norway, one who failed to share news with others would even be looked down upon. News-bearers can seem more knowledgeable than their peers and immediately attract attention while simultaneously allowing them to insert their own bias. In some ways, it seems that people want to share news and the desire to be a religious leader start from the same basic desire while obviously branching off into vastly different areas. Both paths seek to be the mouth that delivers otherwise unobtainable and arguably invaluable knowledge.
 * "The Urge to Tell"**

In this chapter, Stephens begins by stating how in 1712, England had become news-obsessed. A newspaper described the situation as "...fatal to families;...whilst wives and children wanted bread at home," deeming the negative effects that an abundance of news had amongst the English population. What caught my interest was the similarity I noticed between this era and our own. Storytelling and the desire to pass on tales about culture and life have been evident since humans discovered a method of communication. What that desire has led us to is an age of advances in both technology and communication, leaving the sky as the limit to what people want the world to know. However, how much is too much? Have our advances made us too dependent on information from other sources for us to know what news or information is under our noses? Stephens' opening statement made me wonder if the information age is becoming a poison apple to society. Shiny and appetizing, the never ending hunger for more is luring more consumers to bite into the juicy information obtainable at our fingertips. What is it that is so alluring about knowing information, varying from local news, to entertainment and sports, even news obtained from social networking sites. This chapter made me wonder what lies in the future of news and to what extent it will become. Perhaps the comfort of knowing new gossip, or learning about events occuring across the world has led humanity to this news-crazed state. I am anxious to see to what will become of news in the future.
 * "The Thirst for News"**

In chapter 1, Stephens uses the example of fisherman in Revsbotn Fjord to explain the economic advantages of hoarding news to one's self. If one fisherman knew where the fish happened to be feeding that day, he would have a larger catch that day. By not sharing that information, he would both limit the supply of the other fisherman and increase the demand of the fish he had caught, bringing him greater wealth. However, Stephens counters this seemingly likely scenario with the social obligation to help the other fisherman in the village. He mentions that any person who did not share findings on where the fish were feeding that day would be "regarded with disdain." So when a person obtains a piece of important news, they must choose between using the information to gain an advantage over their peers, or to share the information with their peers and gain an advantage for the community. The latter is generally chosen, which is why news is so widespread. Yet it is no secret that some news is kept from the general public, to the advantage of whoever keeps that particular piece of information. People will invariably seek out this information, which will keep news moving.
 * "Economic Advantage to Hoarding News"**

Chapter 2

News, in its most basic form, is simple information with the potential to travel from person to person and from village to village even in societies without access to printed material. For example, when several Zulu servants quit after a European broke a cultural taboo by using a pot to boil the fat off of a piece of crocodile, the European traveled to the next village over to find a replacement. Much to his dismay and surprise, he discovered that the news of his mistake had beaten him to it. This rapid word-of-mouth soon reached a point where even the eventual replacement located far away was nonetheless informed of the European's supposed misdeed. Another similar example involves the Zulu villagers' knowledge of bloody battles that occured days before the European settlers in Africa could find out about it in their newspapers. This event left the settlers throughly baffled, as they could not understand how news devoid of technology or writing could compare with and even outrun 20th century printed journalism.
 * "News in Preliterate Societies- in the Ordinary Way"**

In the case of larger societies with greater reach, the spread of news could not be relied solely upon common, embellishment-prone gossip. Specialists trained in news delivery were dispatched with the intent of conveying the news in a distilled, undistorted form. By sending individual "runners" to specific destinations, important information could be relayed rapidly and accurately. Government-employed "criers" were particularly renowned in this regard, as it was their duty to shout out sanctioned orders, planned gatherings, and other such political decisions, often in a dramatic and captivating fashion. Criers were typically well respected and were sometimes instructed directly by their respective leaders themselves, as was the case with the midwestern Winnebago Indians. The spread of news was also assisted through its tooling into verse. By utilizing rhyme and rhythm to convey events through song and poetry, certain preliterate societies were able to compensate for their lack of written language by expressing the news in memorable ways. The //griots// of west Africa were particularly notorious practioneers, having been described as "the channel by which all gossip and rumor passes." It should be noted however that the creative aspect involved with this particular spin of journalism is by nature time-consuming, and is more efficiently used for retrospective undertakings such as the //Iliad//. Regardless, western culture has been known to adapt similar means of news expression as well, most notably during during the Vietnam War. The songs exposed corruption and lamented upon events such as the Kent State shootings, and more importantly served as a voice of the public.
 * "The Amplification of News- Messengers, Criers, and Minstrels"**

Chapter 4


 * "News and Literacy- The First Story That Comes to Hand"**

"50 little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." -Thucydides

News and all forms of media are both growing in terms of new technologies and our new found ideas on how to use those technologies. Their alphabet was more than two centuries old before the Greeks jotted down the first histories and philosophies. More than a century passed after Gutenberg invented the printing press before the first novels and newspapers appeared. Just because we invent new technologies does not mean we grasp the full potential of the invention at the very beginning of its existence. We are still finding new ways to use the television to spread news in both innovative and exciting ways. The same can be said for any form of media.

The ability to speak is part of our genetic inheritance; the ability to write is not. Writing is the same as any craft in that must be taught to a newer generation. Writing is a powerful tool that can turn armies and nations to new ideals and different mindsets. Today that race is being won by broadcasting and the Internet. Gone are the old days of newspapers in that they report yesterday's news, which to many is old news. They substituted with a more analytical view than most "instant" news sources can bring at the time. As new ways are found for technology so does it for the old. Adaptation is a major part of journalism as the news is a constantly changing thing that will always find new ways to reach people.

-Alex Nichols

I found the first chapter of the reading the most interesting, more specifically the first section- **The Need For News**. I enjoyed how it explained different time periods and cultures, and their reliance on the news, as well as their reasoning for the "thirst". In the case of the people of Tikopia, they were mostly so curious of the recent happenings for entertainment purposes, and the same can be said about the Zulu's, who had no occupations so consequently spent their days exchanging stories of news the had heard. However, as time progresses and more disasters occur throughout the world, people become more news-hungry, not just for entertainment, but because they worry about the things directly related to them, such as their loved ones, who may be fighting in a war, or near a dangerous area. As a result of this, their interests peak at word of the conditions. The reliance on news has changed drastically over the course of history, and will be interesting to see where it goes next. -Ashley Espinoza

During the reading there was a few points that caught my eye and stood out among the others. This section was when Stephens was discussing the newspaper strike presented in the 40's found in **The Need For News**. I know the person below me also touched on this topic, but the quotes that Berleson collected were very interesting to me. To see the lack of news actually causing these people pain is extremely terrifying to me and brings up the thought in my head, what would we do as American's today if Twitter, Facebook, New York Times, Television, and all other forms were stripped away? We would have a global meltdown. It was rather eye opening to see the effect and importance news plays on everyone. -Jeremy Sawri

The section that caught my eye in //A history of News,// was **The Need For News**. It explains that in New York on June 30th 1945 for 17 days there was a newspaper strike which almost shut down the media. They didn't handle that too well, mostly because the fact of the matter was that they desperately needed to hear the news about the end of World War II and the beginning of Truman administration, they would get anxious not knowing what was going on, or what was supposed to be happening. They learned that they did not only use the newspaper for their own knowledge, but they would use the news as sources to have conversation starters with other individuals, also for the weather and even movies. "The news makes people feel secure."

The section that interested me the most was not that news is mostly spread by the internet and broadcasting these days, but the Greeks used to publish news on the walls of their public buildings. Not necessarily news, but laws. The Greeks were aware that if they were to publish laws or anything else that needed to be heard by other greeks, not to put it on stone or wood considering nobody would look at it. They decided that the public buildings would be a good place to set up laws. Which in reality is smart because they had the idea that if one person could read the laws, whatever was read even if by one person, would be spread throughout the population. Therefore, everyone would know the laws by word of mouth.

-Molly Moser
 * The Need For News** was the section that I learned the most about journalism and how much it means to the public. It's amazing how back in the 1940s that people in New York were so dependent on the news before the strike to hear what was going on with certain events, as the article describes, World War II and the beginning of the Truman administration. I do not blame these people from during that time for being so anxious without having news for 17 days straight; people wanted to know what was going on with the country and who was injured from the war and if the troops would ever come back to America. It made me think about what if the newspaper strike situation happened again in today's time: how would we deal and what would people do to get their relied news back? There is a mass of newsworthy events happening in today's time i.e. the immigration laws, the oil disaster, health-care, and the troops in Iraq. If the country lost all of it's news, people would be completely lost and in chaos; everyone deserves to know what is going on in this world.

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The idea that really caught my attention was in chapter one's The Need for News. Their was this sidebar story called The Thirst. It caught my eye because it described how America was in fear the day of the tragic World Trade Center attacks, September 11th 2001. That day the stomach of every American was full of anxiety, wondering what would happen next. I stood in front of the T.V. watching CNN talk about what happened. All I could see was smoke coming out of the tower but I was confused in what was actually going on. I tried to turn the channel and my mom snapped the remote from me because she needed to hear what was going on. That day my parents watched the T.V. nonstop and needed to hear the reporters and actors discuss what happened, why it happened and how it happened. My parents, along side most of the Americans, were glued to the T.V. needing clarification on just about everything. The side note concentrates on the thirst for the "need for news" when a tragedy or breaking news story happens and it's right. When hurricane Katrina hit people were googling the disaster and tuning into local or national news. The recent swine flu break had television stations, newspapers and magazines coming out with safe techniques to keep you "flu free" and people had a "thirst" to relinquish this knowledge. As a whole, society does thirst facts and information but only when a major or interesting story is introduced. ===== -Danielle Christenson

It was fascinating to read about the evolution of news in all different types of cultures. What interested me the most about Stephan's ideas is simply looking at the huge advances news has made over time. I'm amazed at the fact that news used to be something that had to travel through a country by word of mouth rather than twitter or facebook. Everyday we take for granted the easy access we have to current events on the internet, television, etc, and don't think how isolated we would feel if that was to be taken away from us. Stephans gives a thorough explanation of this in //The Need For News// and truly opens the readers eyes to how much everyday life revolves around news//.// -Isabella Sleister

The first section starts out by describing how important news is to people, and how different cultures at different times thought that they were at the "height of news" and as Stephen points out, 275 years ago the English thought they were "obsessed with news," although now that we are in the digital age news is passed faster than ever. As the author compares societies particularly the men in Cambridge and the Tikopia he demonstrates the need for news whether it was through word of mouth or written. I found it interesting when he pointed out that the need for news is not environmental, but that it is a quality that humankind shares. Entering chapter one the author describes a difference in the demand for news, while people were dying to know what was happening overseas in WWII, socialites simply used news to be able to have conversation at dinner. One quote that caught my eye was," //More than specific information on specific events, the great gift a system of news bestows on us is the confidence that we will learn about//

any

//particularly important or interesting events//." I feel like this is the definition of the human instinct for news. The author concludes chapter one describing the power of news and how the " //Newsmongers have that power to invest validity and importance, to transform the happenings they have experienced or witnessed into events with the stature of news//."

-Ashley Follmer

As I read through the chapters, I began to find a similarity between each culture listed, whether from the past or the present. In today's society, it is difficult to sort through the evidence provided by any news provider simply because it often times is presented through biased eyes and explanations. This was also true for many of the cultures that spread news by word of mouth; emotions and ideas cast a cloud over the cold, hard facts. Unlike the villagers, modern journalists are given the tools of technology and the consumer is still not getting the very facts of the matter. Is it okay to present news through opinions or should the consumer retaliate?

During the reading there was a few points that caught my eye and stood out among the others. This section was when Stephens was discussing the newspaper strike presented in the 40's found in **The Need For News**. I know the person below me also touched on this topic, but the quotes that Berleson collected were very interesting to me. To see the lack of news actually causing these people pain is extremely terrifying to me and brings up the thought in my head, what would we do as American's today if Twitter, Facebook, New York Times, Television, and all other forms were stripped away? We would have a global meltdown. It was rather eye opening to see the effect and importance news plays on everyone. -Jeremy Sawri

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Overall I enjoyed reading Chapter 1. It brought up many ideas and things that I had never thought of. For example, I had never realized what a huge part news is for any society. I have always enjoyed reading the news and keeping up to date on current topics however I didn’t realize that long before the television, radio and printing press were invented news was a vital part of life. The author brought up the newspaper strike of 1949, in which people were actually in pain because they could not receive the news. Another thing I found particularly interesting was the Palestine example about the how the person delivering the news was seeking compensation before delivering the news. Generally in our society people talk about news without seeking compensation; although this did make me think about celebrities. Remember back to when all of the women Tiger Woods allegedly had an affair with sold their stories to magazines. From what I have heard and read these women made decent money by selling this news. This chapter has really made me stop and think about how news or the lack of news does impact societies. =====

-Kelly Goff
The section that caught my eye in //A history of News,// was **The Need For News**. It explains that in New York on June 30th 1945 for 17 days there was a newspaper strike which almost shut down the media. They didn't handle that too well, mostly because the fact of the matter was that they desperately needed to hear the news about the end of World War II and the beginning of Truman administration, they would get anxious not knowing what was going on, or what was supposed to be happening. They learned that they did not only use the newspaper for their own knowledge, but they would use the news as sources to have conversation starters with other individuals, also for the weather and even movies. "The news makes people feel secure." -Shelby Hayden

The section that interested me the most was not that news is mostly spread by the internet and broadcasting these days, but the Greeks used to publish news on the walls of their public buildings. Not necessarily news, but laws. The Greeks were aware that if they were to publish laws or anything else that needed to be heard by other greeks, not to put it on stone or wood considering nobody would look at it. They decided that the public buildings would be a good place to set up laws. Which in reality is smart because they had the idea that if one person could read the laws, whatever was read even if by one person, would be spread throughout the population. Therefore, everyone would know the laws by word of mouth. -Devyn Kinard

-Molly Moser
 * The Need For News** was the section that I learned the most about journalism and how much it means to the public. It's amazing how back in the 1940s that people in New York were so dependent on the news before the strike to hear what was going on with certain events, as the article describes, World War II and the beginning of the Truman administration. I do not blame these people from during that time for being so anxious without having news for 17 days straight; people wanted to know what was going on with the country and who was injured from the war and if the troops would ever come back to America. It made me think about what if the newspaper strike situation happened again in today's time: how would we deal and what would people do to get their relied news back? There is a mass of newsworthy events happening in today's time i.e. the immigration laws, the oil disaster, health-care, and the troops in Iraq. If the country lost all of it's news, people would be completely lost and in chaos; everyone deserves to know what is going on in this world.

Reading these articles, it was very interesting to see how society's excessive use of technology connects to the evolution of news distribution. In chapter 4 **"News and Literacy- The First Story That Comes to Hand**, Stephen explains the process in which written news is becoming a thing of the past. In a world where people want instant gratification, written publications are forced to keep up with the constant demand for news. With the internet hosting sites such as facebook and twitter, information has the capacity to travel anywhere within minutes. Why wait for the daily newspaper when you can just check your internet homepage? Technological developments have caused society to become fast- paced, making news almost like an obsession. So, to satisfiy this need, mankind has created numerous media and electronic sources to make news more readily available. Stephen makes a great point in saying that news satisfies cravings for entertainment, awareness, safety, and solidarity. Personally, I find it sad that our culture has become so impatient, causing a growing lack of desire to read print publications. While its great that you can use your iphone to check the NY Times, there is also something rewarding about opening a newspaper. And I feel that as time progresses, we will begin to lose a style of journalism that is so much apart of our history. - Shelby Wilburn

What i found extremely interesting about the SOCIAL SENSE of news is how people react to the lack of or absense of news in their daily lives. I never realized how much news really surrounds our lives and how it alters they way we look at and interpert the world around us. During the second World War, many broke out into panic because the newspapers where on strike and unable to print out the valuable informationthe public needed. After reading about this occurance, it made me begin to think about the ways news spread hundreds of years ago and how far we have come through technology. Word of mouth was the only way in which news spread across towns, possibly altering the actual story(almost like playing telephone). The news is more than just reports of occurances around the world, but actually a link to the entertainment world, where the social aspect comes into play. What i found most interesting is that some of the New Yorker's who went days without their newspaper back in 1945, described their feelings as being lost and deprived of their daily needs. The news is more then just stories and information being thrown out into the world for those to read, but rather its meaning goes beyond its simplicity. As Stephens said, "And perhaps the news is best seen as one of our sense.." News has a greater connection with people than i had ever imagined. -Aubrey Weber

"The literate can separate themselves from words and therefore from situations; they stand back and mull them over. We owe science, and the myriad of technological wonders it has spawned, to writing - this most revolutionary of technologies." (chapter 4) I found this small passage in chapter four to be very intriguing, since it shows how important writing, especially in the news, is to people and shows news and writing's profound impact on our society. Basically, this passage shows that without writing and the passing of information between people, our world would still be caught in the dark ages. Without the news of new ideas, or new advances in technology, there would be no way for our society to improve upon what we currently possess, and our problems would almost never be solved. It truly fascinates me to see how important and powerful the english language can be, along with the importance of spreading knowledge to others. Passing down information through speech can only get a society so far, due to its unreliability and inability for people to sit down and analyze a person's words. Through literacy and words, people can sit down and actually think about and ponder certain ideas brought about by others, and therefore improve upon anything that has previously been written down. Writing was revolutionary in the development of modern civilization, since people could share everything by way of writing it down. News is what created modern society, since without the passing of news, we would not be able to move forward as a country, or as a people, or even as a world. The field of journalism probably has the greatest impact on the world over every other working field available to study, and I never realized how much news has shaped the course of humanity over the ages. This quote sums up the importance of the field of journalism in one simple sentence. -Eric Wilkinson

 A Craving for News Then and Now.  What really caught my attention was in the first chapter. The line, “Why do we ask such questions? What motivates us to search for news?” It made me realize how important news was and still is today. Although many things have changed in society over time, the craving for news has not left people. News has become easier for people to receive today through the internet, radio, television, and papers delivered right to one’s door. Whereas in the early nineteen hundreds, men retrieved their news from local towns and coffee shops and presented it to their families. Out bursts of newspaper strikes in New York caused many to go without the usual available media informing them about the last of WWII and other important events, resulting in a large crisis in 1945. Although this sort of outburst may not be as likely to happen today, our society would be as devastated and upset as many were in 1945.  The availability of news has become more convenient and I think that has to do with the almost obsession people have with being formally updated with what is going on in the world around them, if it is something such as a death of a distant relative or the outcome of the latest election. Media is still relied on for information about the world surrounding us today as it was hundreds of years ago.

There was not one particular section or chapter that particularly caught my attention, but all three of these reading that struck an interesting cord in my brain. More specifically, I could connect many of the examples from the past to today's current society and our innate sense to be informed of the world we live in, and of the events that impact our lives personally. Previously, I hadn't put much thought towards the idea that although the way we receive news has dramatically changed, human "thirst" for news, as Stephens describes, has not diminished. On another note, I can agree with Aubrey W. I feel that society as a whole has become immersed with countless ways of sending and receiving news. We don't pause to realize that we are constantly listening, watching, or consuming mass amounts of news media subconsciously. For instance, if one was to be taken from traditional society today, and put into complete isolation, soon they would feel the need to know events that were happening in the world they had left. I believe this sense of obligation one feels towards being informed stems from personal need. It is a known fact that humans are animals, and most of us know that all animals have a survival instinct. For the most part, we want to be informed on events that may affect us //personally//, and we tend to search more for news that has an emphasis on those aspects. It will be interesting to learn more about //how// people receive their news and the ways in which they use the information they are given. -Breanna Kingery

In chapter 4 I found the small exert "How Will Television, Like Writing Change Us?" very interesting because it pointed out a few good points. Now-a-days people are so involved with the television that many of us don't even realize the type of impact it has. During the 14th and 15th century when writing became a way to do commerce, there was no way they knew what writing was going to become and how journalism was going to come. Now we have the television that our generation is growing up with and our journalism is slowly transferring from newspaper rooms to Internet. I think it's interesting to think about how television has grown in hand with the Internet and how many of us take advantage of it. We have also become very trustworthy of the news that is fed to us. Truth, in news and journalism, isn't the truth that we are always looking for and many times is bias to the company that is delivering the information. Television is changing us, just how writing changed our world, but that doesn't mean that the truth is anymore clear. -Giovanna Pecchenino In the **Need for News** I found it very relevant to Stephens' point to bring up the Word Trade ﻿Center attacks. The way he described the need for a television for people to receive their news is a very accurate portrayal of how the events of that day happened. I remember coming to class in the morning and people were already talking about it. I had no idea what was going on, so to gather news I used the most primitive form of news disbursement and employed "word of mouth". We were let out of school early that day, and when I returned home my dad was in the living room, standing, not sitting, in front of the TV, completely and utterly absorbed. I also think that memory shows why it is important these days to have more than one source for media. As Stephens said, television was the most reliable source at the time because newspapers were too slow, the internet back then was no where near what it is now, and word of mouth is hardly reliable at times. -Brian Mann I was thinking about the power point we reviewed in class about how America has become less informed about the world despite the amount of information coming our way while I was reading the first chapter of "A History of News." I've been comparing the two together and have come to the realization that America hasn't necessarily become less informed, America has chosen to become informed about something else. I think this Chapter is right about people //needing// the news in order to "survive." America has possibly become disinterested in the political side of the news for the reason that someone mentioned in class, because they don't think that it effects them directly (even though it does, tremendously). However, this doesn't make sense when you think about how many people waste there time reading about or watching celebrities' lives when the celebrities also don't have a direct impact on most American's lives. American's still want their news, daily, but it may not be the news that is on CNN, Fox, etc. American's have become more interested in news that is immediately tangible to them, news of family, gossip of friends and co-workers, etc. American's are still news hungry, just not for the New York Times and other such reports. -Sarah Phillips In chapter two Stephen's talks about the role of messengers and criers. Never before had I realized how vital these people were, nor did I know that they were workers of the Kings. What I found most interesting in reading about this was the fact that the messages delivered to people were only what the people in charge wanted the public to know. Even Stephen states that this is in some way what everyone in power wants; control of the information their people are receiving. He goes on to talk about the different slants that people can give to a story by leaving out information or overdramatizing, and I realize this is a practice that still effects us to this day. As a society we must always be wary of the source we get our information from in order to interpret the facts. When news is constantly changing and is only verifiable from one source to the other it can be easy to manipulate to your advantage. -Brandi Christian The so called "Thirst for news" is talked about in chapter one and it seemed very interesting to me. It talked about how men would spend all day at the coffeehouse talking about news. They would neglect their duties at work and at home just so they could hear the latest news/gossip. Although this was a long time ago I think it still rings true today. With the technology we have today people are constantly getting news updates on their computers, phones, televisions, etc. People are obsessed with what is going on around them. Not always though is it important things. Many people just want to know what the latest hollywood gossip is or what celebrity is having a baby this week. As we discussed in class, people even in third world countries have cell phones. Everyone wants to feel a part of something in my opinion, and when the world is in constant motion and you don't know what's going on you feel left out. It's like the feeling of being on vacation for two weeks in the bahamas. It awesome to relax on the beach and not have any worries, but by the end of the week you are craving to be a part of something again. For example, your work, your community, your friends, your world. People want to be informed, end of story, and its upsetting that with all the technology we have today that information seems to become lost in translation. All our news technology today seems to be like a big game of telephone. Everyone is getting told something different until the end product is misconstrued completely from the original message. -JIllian Bennett Mitchell Stephens describes the process of giving and receiving new information as "explosive" and with "certainty and celerity" in his book, The History of News. By understanding how the modern reader obtains their news (generally via the internet, email, or text message), Stephens is able to make quite a few drastic comparisons to the preliterate practices of spreading information, which were mostly differing forms of verbal communication. The author explains how ancient cultures defined news; for example, the death of a villager, the "fertility of a pasture", or even scandals of cooking crocodiles. All these examples qualified as crucial and cutting-edge information to the tribes, villages and societies of the past. Nowadays the same examples hold true, but in a modern sense. Obituaries are printed in the newspaper, the //Farmer's Almanac// (or a quick hop on the internet) provides useful information regarding weather pattens, and entire magazines are now dedicated to providing the most current news about the latest scandals, although most don't include crocodiles. Looking back at the history of news causes someone living in today's "plugged-in" society to appreciate the near-constant flow of information that is available at the simple press of a button or tap of a screen. Whether it's the latest Hollywood gossip or simply an exchange of "What's new?", news is in high demand and has been for thousands of years. -Emma Hearn

==== As a student working towards a future as a journalist, these readings, especially Chapter 1, were intriguing and encouraging to me. Recently, I have worried about the future job market in the journalism field, but the point proven many times over in this chapter, that there is some kind of innate thirst for news, comforts me. Because this desire has been a part of the human nature for so long and the “social scale”, as Jay Rosen put it, is only increasing, it proves that journalists, as long as they evolve with the times, should always be necessary to society. ====

 In addition, another section that was interesting to me was the the section titled //Newsworthiness// in Chapter 2. The seven traits (impact, emotional appeal, proximity, prominence, unusualness, timeliness, and conflict) that make something “newsworthy” have basically remained unchanged over time; the only difference is that now news has to be a more extreme version of these traits to make the cut. This was especially enlightening to me because it proved even further that this longing for news is natural human behavior. It also caught my attention because in my past experience writing for newspapers, these were the exact traits I looked for in my stories and in other reporters' stories prior to them being printed. The fact that I had used these as guidelines for deciding what was newsworthy in my journalism experience seemed to make the readings even more interesting and memorable to me.  -Sage Leehey Reading "News and Literacy," I find it interesting how in ancient times people used to travel news strictly based on word of mouth. With time and travel, news can be altered and in the end not be the exact news brought out in the first place. In order for humans to get to the point of todays news, people came up with the concept of literacy. Alot of the way we work today has alot to do with how we write, without writing communication among the human race is impossible. Writing helps us keep track of what we're doing instead of leaning on the fact of our minds and memory.With time our minds accumulate more info through that of reading. When facts are written down, we can then study and accumulate all of the information, then regain our knowledge. The transformation from word of mouth to written word of mouth was not possible with out knowing how to write and study certain news facts or history. -Amanda Maczala

I found the entire concept of how people have been so infatuated with news and what's going on in the world, even in centuries past, absolutely intriguing. Even with the much different scenarios that people from years past have faced, they still dealt with them in the same ways that we have, in today's day and age. The never changing concept of living in such a news thriving world, is what entices me the most. People have a need, to know what's going on around them to feel secure in the world that they live in. Without this, they feel that they've have been living under a rock. Not to foget, with the technology that we have at our finger tips, with Iphones, television, magazines, and radio, the news we need and want to know is only a mere click away, just as it was only a word away, back during centuries ago. -Chelsey Schauer

After reading the different chapters provided by Stephens, the part that interested me most and pulled me in was the sub-topic titled,"The Thirst." The short reading was so easy to relate to, because it occurred in my life-time, and explained my feelings during 9/11. I remember exactly when the twin towers were hit by the planes, along with the Pentagon. It was early in the morning, right before I left for school, the shocking news was delivered by the local television station. Anxious and confused, I begged and pleaded with my mom to stay home to keep track of the breaking news. Even at that young of an age, I had the "thirst" for news in a time of devastation. It also talked about how internet sites crashed due to the high traffic. This forces websites such as those of CNN and MSNBC to constantly work towards better technology, in case of another event which will leave people scattered and confused. -Branden Williams

What amazes me is that how we get news has not just changed from twenty or so years ago, but even just five or ten years ago. It has progressed, but with this progression has kind of led us down a pathway that stops us from progressing. I mean this by saying that we have so much access to what is going around us with all of our technology, but at the same time, it could potentially be a big downfall. However, it is important that we all feel the want to know what is going on around us, and that keeps us more in touch with our world. It is also important to keep our eyes peeled for those stories that do not just impact us personally, but also us as a whole. -Kylie Sesto