9 essentials stories and developments identified by my Demystifying the Media class: journalism and the power of emotions, Amazon delivers to your car, security of sources, Macron's visit, Metric fixation, Disneyflix, Facebook guidelines for deleted posts, BuzzFeed's Netflix show.

1. Week 4, Spring 2018
J408/508: Demystifying the Media
What you need to know this week

2. Journalism and the power of emotions
Summary
• The article signed by three journalists, analyzes the power of emotions (specifically
empathy) and shows how journalists can effectively change something in the society
by writing a more narrative and detailed article. Thus, while being transported to the
emotive life of the main character in that story, the public may feel a sense of duty.
Via Columbia Journalism Review: https://www.cjr.org/analysis/journalism_and_the_power_of_emotions.php
What surprised you/why this matters
• Digital vs. printed Journalism
• Narrative vs. non-narrative
• The transportation theory
www.tiagocosta.photography

3. Amazon Delivers to Your Car
Summary (AdAge: http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/amazon-s-stop-backseat-car/313254/)
• Amazon announced “Amazon Key In-Car” service
• AdAge.com
• Prime member and have a Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick,
GMC, or Volvo with OnStar and be a 2015 or newer model
• What surprised you/why this matters
• Privacy - sticky note over webcam, but allow stranger access
to your car?
• How efficient is too efficient
• Glitches?
• Volvo has been doing it since 2015 in Sweden and Switzerland
Elise Lee

4. Journalists, it’s unethical to ignore your
online security
Summary (Poynter: https://www.poynter.org/news/journalists-its-unethical-ignore-your-online-security)
• This article details the importance of online security for journalists
when communicating with sources and colleagues about stories and
sensitive information.
• “...even if I’m not reporting on national security stuff, people
actually are targeting journalists.” -Ryan Pitts, OpenNews
• What surprised you/why this matters
• online security is something not regularly discussed in newsrooms (until recently)
• in a time when the President regularly targets the media and trust in news is low,
it is important that we maintain a balance of transparency and protection of
source information
Rachel Wagschal

5. France's President Macron addresses Congress
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-macron-state-visit/index.html
• The first state visit: French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit marks the first of
Trump's presidency.
• Macron believes the US will come back to the Paris agreement, which Trump pulled out of in
2017
• Macron: "We must fight against the ever-growing virus of fake news"
• Macron: “We cannot get rid of the Iran deal”
• What surprised you/why this matters
• Trump’s “America First” policy
• The U.S. and Syria are currently the only two countries in the world who are not part of the agreement
• It is vital that the U.S. participates in the Paris Agreement
• Macron feels that in a democracy, a leader must not deem news as fake or attack news credible news
sources
Julia Teitelbaum

6. How to Cure a Bad Case of the Metric
Fixation
Link: https://www.strategy-business.com/article/How-to-Cure-a-Bad-Case-of-Metric-Fixation
• When a company prioritizes metrics, they shift their focus from “judgement informed by experience and talent” to “numerical
indicators.”
• Numerical and performance indicators aim to promote efficiency in the workspace, but the idea of pay-for-performance can
have the opposite effect.
• Metrics aren’t inherently bad, but there are flaws in how people interpret and use metrics. Some flaws include: “creaming
(excluding anything that will lower the numbers), lowering standards (to make the numbers seem higher); distortions or
omitting data; and outright cheating.”
• What surprised you/why this matters
• When companies fixate on metrics, they use external factors to interpret internal matters. Companies measure what can be
easily measured, which leaves a lot unaccounted for. The most essential information can't always be converted to a statistic
or percentage--its meaning is much more complex than numeral figures can represent, and that's what companies should
fixate on.
Emily Poole

7. Diagnosed with a bad case of metric
fixation:
We can all agree that person B sold the most
and person C sold the least
A company using fixated on metric would give
more financial rewards to person B and
person c would either experience cuts or fired
However: Looking at the same data, we can isolate
other factors that aren't included in the sales
metric
Person A had customer retention rate of 35%,
person B had 18% and person C had a
retention rate of 55%
Person a kept: 17
Person b kept: 11
Person c kept: 19
Last note: Person B might have sold the most but his customer retention was really low, showing he may be good at selling but not maintaining. These factors are just
as important as the number of sales, but gets overlooked because more simple metrics, like profits, are easier to understand.
Emily Pt. 2

8. The Disney- 21st Century
Fox Deal: A timeline
Summary - https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/20/17258454/disney-21st-century-fox-acquisition
• Within the last week, Disney filed papers with the SEC to acquire 21st
Century Fox
• What we need to know that this plan Disney is putting into action has
been in the works since August
• Verizon and Comcast were also interested in buying 21st Century Fox
What surprised you/why this matters-
• This shows that powerful mega companies are fighting for
new property to own
• Important for us to be in the know about these deals because
there is ripple down effect to other small companies...film,
journalism, Television, etc.
Maddie Groh

9. Facebook finally reveals how it decides to
delete posts
Summary
• Facebook made their Community Standards public. Their policies
are divided into five sections that outline the specifics of their
standard for content.
• These sections are violence and criminal behavior, safety,
objectionable content, integrity and authenticity, and respecting
intellectual property.
What surprised you/why this matters
• Facebook is trying to become more transparent, which they have
always been criticized for lacking.
• Now people can understand the exact regulations of Facebook.
• You can now appeal your content that was taken down.
https://thenextweb.com/facebook/2018/04/24/facebook-finally-reveals-decides-delete-posts/
Savanna Puccinelli

10. Netflix has ordered Follow This, a short-form
documentary series from BuzzFeed
Summary + The Verge
• The Verge announced that Netflix will be producing a 20-episode weekly
documentary series. Each episode will feature a journalist from BuzzFeed and
follow them in the reporting process.
• What surprised you/why this matters
• Trust is vital: In 2016, 32 percent of Americans trusted mass media.
• Transparency is necessary: Giving the public a peek at how stories
are created and reported can help rebuild trust.
• Accuracy: BuzzFeed is the producer; trailer seems accurate.
• BuzzFeed: listicles →News→Transparency→?
• Is Netflix trying to produce more news-based content?
• Vice Media: producing film and short videos
Cecilia Siauw