ABSTRACT
Because video journalism is such an integral part of many school video production programs it is important to look at some of the issues it raises. Even though many of the subjects raised are important to any video program, they are especially important in video journalism. Dictionary definitions of journalism talk about reporting, writing, photographing, and broadcasting the news. Good journalism goes beyond that and places the facts in context. A news report might say that the art department at a school is being cut back. A better report might say the cutbacks in the art department are because of budget cuts, which are due to a decline in school enrollment. To be worth telling a story must be informative in the sense that it tells audience something they do not already know. Liberals think the media is dominated by conservative, corporate interests; conservatives think the media is run by a cabal of left-wing liberals.
