PGM Special Edition: If It Bleeds

THE GRAPHIC

Table of Contents Letter from the editors

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NEWS The news cycle: more than meets the eye

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Former Graphic journalists reflect on controversial reporting

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Pepperdine students wrestle with news bias

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The news: hurting instead of helping?

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The double-edged sword: social media as a news source

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History of the Graphic stresses responsibility of student journalists

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News junkies describe what keeps them hooked

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PERSPECTIVES ‘If it bleeds, it leads’ — the modern implications of an outdated phrase

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Throughout the decades reporters remain steadfast

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The Graphic must take responsibility for educating its readers

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Combat misleading information by seeking factual accuracy

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LIFE & ARTS What does it mean to be part of the visuals team?

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Entertainment journalists discuss ‘beneath the fluff’

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Inside PGM Pepp community voices opinions about today’s news media, PGM

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SPORTS Sports journalism evolves in the age of social media

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Under the microscope: College athletes embrace public status

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Toeing the line: perspective of a student-athlete and student journalist

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Contributors Executive Editor Makena Huey

Managing Editor Rowan Toke

Digital Editor Brianna Willis

Copy Chief Tiffany Hall

News Editor

Ashley Mowreader

Perspectives Editor Anitiz Muonagolu

Life & Arts Editor Sofia Longo

Sports Editor

Paxton Ritchey

Writers

Joe Allgood Sarah Best Miles Campbell Annabelle Childers Beth Gonzales Kayla Kahrl Austin Hall Tiffany Hall Alice Han Natalie Hardt Claire Lee Sofia Longo Lindsay Mase Anitiz Muonagolu Christian Parham Paxton Ritchey Emily Shaw Samantha Torre Justin Touhey Addison Whiten Karl Winter Grace Wood Sawa Yamakawa Stella Zhang

Copy Editors

Ryan Bresingham Yamillah Hurtado Alec Matulka

Photo Editor Ali Levens

Assistant Photo Editor Ryan Brinkman

Staff Photographers Leah Bae Ashton Bell Dane Bruhahn Caroline Conder Muriel Lee Keonabella Paniagua

Art Editor

Ally Armstrong

Assistant Art Editor Samantha Miller

Staff Artists

Leah Bae Madeline Duvall Autumn Hardwick Nicole Wong Brian Zhou

Lead Designer

Isabella Teague

Designers

Kaitlyn Davis Nathan Huang Rachel Marek

Advisers

Elizabeth Smith Courtenay Stallings

The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

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Letter from the editors Dedicating so much of ourselves to the news at a time when it is distrusted more than ever before is difficult.

As student journalists, we must learn not only how to run a news organization but also how to cope with constant accusations of “fake news” while doing our best to improve the industry.

“If it bleeds, it leads” — a phrase that suggests sensationalized stories about violence are more successful — is a philosophy many journalists used to live by. But journalists are human, and humans make mistakes.

We cannot and will not defend “the media” because we are not “the media,” but we can share our values with you — values that are very different from the journalists who subscribe to this phrase.

We are involved in the Graphic because we care. We care about understanding, informing and empowering our community. We care about making others care as much as we do.

As student journalists, we are committed to relentlessly pursuing the truth in the context of public service. We are in the unique position of covering the community we are a part of, often serving as the primary source of information. During adversities such as the Borderline shooting, the Woolsey Fire and the COVID-19 pandemic, we have intimately experienced the lasting implications of the news.

Our staff chose to explore the implications of this harmful phrase because, as journalists, we want to better understand the heart of the world, and as students, we want to better understand the heart of journalism — because it does have one.

This special edition not only provides an inside look into Pepperdine Graphic Media — who we are and what we stand for — but also elucidates the expectations, assumptions and stereotypes surrounding journalism. With this special edition, we aim to shed light on the role and responsibility of both the Graphic and the news industry at large because journalism does not need to be admired or appreciated to be needed.

In this issue, you will find stories that examine instances of news insensitivity and emphasize the importance of news literacy; you will find stories that explain the relationship between sports journalism and social media and stories that explore how the community views current news media.

On the surface, this topic may seem like a hopeless one, but, as student journalists, we are nothing if not hopeful about the future.

We have to know the stories of the world to make the world better, and we wrote these stories to raise awareness, provide solutions and inspire conversations. We hope these stories challenge your perceptions of journalism and help you understand what journalists do and why. Because it is only when individuals understand journalism that they can begin to trust it.

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The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

“It is only when individuals understand journalism that they can begin to trust it.”

MAKENA HUEY | EXECUTIVE EDITOR

ROWAN TOKE | MANAGING EDITOR

The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

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NEWS

The news cycle: more than meets the eye JOE ALLGOOD | STAFF WRITER

The news cycle is a household American phrase. It seems that every minute is occupied by this endless cycle of information, especially in today’s media landscape. But what exactly is it?

Technically speaking, a news cycle is the time that passes between the release of news editions, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. By this definition, that could be the time between editions of the newspaper or the few hours between television broadcasts. Now, it seems like there isn’t a moment that news isn’t breaking, and that changes the cycle, and what goes into it, according to an article from the New York Times.

“It’s hard to add a formula to it or any set of parameters,” said Stefan Holt Pepperdine alumnus (2009) and news anchor for NBC 5 Chicago. “I think the cool thing about a newsroom is that it’s a team; we all work together and talk about issues and each one of us, as a member of the team, brings a different perspective.”

Typically, journalists use eight values to guide their decisions as to what is newsworthy and what isn’t. These eight values are impact, timeliness, prominence, proximity, bizarreness, conflict, currency and necessity, according to the book “Melvin Mencher’s News Reporting and Writing.”

In an anonymous April Graphic survey of 24 students, 19 said they believed impact was the most important of those eight principles, with timeliness and conflict coming in second and third.

“These eight news values do not exist in a vacuum,” Mencher wrote.

The values help but do not have final say over what makes the final cut, Holt said.

“I think what’s really been interesting the last couple of years is trying to figure out those shades of gray as to what makes a news story — what becomes part of the news cycle and what does get left out,” Holt said.

The process is ongoing, which is why newsrooms are full of conversations and debates as to what should be included in the next day’s edition, Holt said.

For some journalists, the right story is a little bit off the beaten path.

“What’s on the front page of the newspaper really isn’t something that I want to follow,” said

Madeline Duvall | Staff Artist

“What’s on the front page of the newspaper really isn’t something that I want to follow,” said Mark Jacobs, Journalism and Screen Arts professor and a television journalist of over 30 years. “What was compelling to me was the news stories that the newspaper wasn’t doing — the ones they weren’t paying attention to.”

Sometimes, with a little more digging, more stories can be found off the front page. Jacobs recalled his time at Fox 6 News in San Diego, when on Sept. 11, 2001, he and his team dug a little further and found that a local aviation company had trained the terrorists who flew into the World Trade Center. Jacobs’ reporting also focused on what mattered to San Diegans, which highlights how important consumers are to the news cycle.

“A news organization has to understand who the viewers are,” Jacobs said.

While journalists are ultimately making decisions on what stories should be covered, there are outside factors that impact those decisions.

“Application depends on those who are deciding what is news, where the event and the news medium are located, the tradition of the news medium, its audience, and a host of other factors,” Mencher wrote.

Demographics differ from place to place, and what may apply to one place may not apply to another, Holt said, adding that NBC 5 broadcasts all across northern Illinois and Indiana, and the city of Chicago itself is very diverse.

“We have to make sure that we are inclusive in our coverage — that the people care about what we’re talking about,” Holt said.

A good journalist should know their audience and consider how their stories are relevant to that audience, according to the American Press Institute. Eleven of the students surveyed said consumer demographics should be considered most of the time, according to the Graphic’s survey. Only one said demographics should never be considered.

In the age of digital media, the cycle is ongoing. The 24-hour news cycle has been around for over 40 years now, which popularized live coverage of events as they happened, according to CNN’s website. Consumers have become familiar with breaking news and reporters receiving updates an

I think the cool thing about a newsroom is that it’s a team; we all work together and talk about issues and each one of us, as a member of the team, brings a different perspective.

STEFAN HOLT ALUMNUS website. Consumers have become familiar with breaking news and reporters receiving updates as an event unfolds.

“When I say spot news, you know those incidents that happen that become the forefront of our thought process because we saw smoke, we heard a gunshot, there’s been a commotion,” Jacobs said.

Nowadays, breaking news is easily printed and broadcast; the internet aids in that process, Jacobs said.

“News doesn’t have a time constraint — people do,” Jacobs said. “It’s going to happen around the world, around the clock, and so the internet is 24/7. You can access it anytime.”

In the end, the news involves both journalists and consumers in a cycle that requires time, deliberation and dedication, Holt said.

“I wish people could see the team effort that goes into each and every newscast or each and every periodical or news article,” Holt said. “It really is a team effort behind this, and we’re hard on ourselves. I think we’re genuinely passionate about what we do.”

joe.allgood@pepperdine.edu

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Former Graphic journalists reflect on controversial reporting NATALIE HARDT | ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Controversy permeates modern news, and the Graphic is no exception. Over the past 10 years, the Graphic faced criticism for a variety of articles, from reporting on student DUI arrests to sharing video content of a crash on PCH to a special edition on drugs.

Three former Graphic journalists break down the controversial stories they reported on and emphasize the importance of including opposing perspectives while remaining objective. The reporters also provide advice on how to broach traumatic topics with sensitivity and fairness.

“Now more than ever, us, as journalists, need to think about being more objective because that’s really what gives us credibility, especially when you’re talking about controversial issues in controversial times,” former Graphic journalist and 2015 Seaver alumna Maria Prada said.

Two Sides to (Almost) Every Story In 2014, the Graphic reported on student Jacob Norte’s arrest on suspicion of a DUI following a

car crash. Members of the community accused the Graphic of spreading rumors and not being compassionate or fair to those involved, according to a follow-up opinion piece by 2015 alumna Breanna Grigsby. The controversy culminated in the theft of 275 copies of the Graphic.

“As members of the Pepperdine community, we always strive to be sensitive and compassionate toward our fellow community members,” Grigsby wrote. “However, while being compassionate, we cannot abandon our job to report the news. We neither intend to teach a lesson by publishing this story nor to make an example of those whose actions came under scrutiny.”

Following the controversy surrounding the DUI article, Prada wrote an in-depth profile exploring Norte’s experience.

“Rumors began,” Prada said in an interview with the Graphic. “People started saying that it was because he was drunk when really there was a story that was much more profound behind this boy and the mental health issues he was dealing with.”

Prada said she reached out to Norte with the

Ali Levens | Photo Editor

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The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

(right)

Ali Levens | Photo Editor

It’s your obligation to tell the other side of the story because if you know something and you don’t say that to the person reading it, you lose your credibility.

MARIA PRADA PEPPERDINE AND GRAPHIC ALUMNA

desire to tell his story and raise awareness of mental health issues and the role they played in what happened — an aspect of the story not widely known across campus.

Through telling Norte’s story, Prada said she learned valuable lessons about reporting on sensitive or controversial topics.

“Empathy is the most important starting point for any journalist wanting to tell any story,” Prada said. “Understanding what he felt and not judging him was a really important thing that I learned from this.”

The key to maintaining readers’ trust is remaining objective, Prada said, which requires telling both sides of the story.

“It’s your obligation to tell the other side of the story because if you know something and you don’t say that to the person reading it, you lose your credibility,” Prada said. “If they find out, they’ll think that you’re just [sharing] the narrative that you feel like is going to work for you.”

Another former Graphic journalist and 2020 alumna, Kayiu Wong, said she agreed that including opposing sides is essential to reporting fairly and objectively.

Wong’s profile on Kenneth Starr, the former dean of the Caruso School of Law who served on Trump’s impeachment defense team in January 2020, drew criticism on social media.

“Hey Pepperdine Graphic, this is not someone you want to promote as associated with the university,” wrote one Facebook commenter, 1995 alumna Darin Campbell. Another user, Christine Humphrey, wrote, “Not something to be proud of.

He’s a scumbag.”

In a follow-up staff editorial, the Graphic staff defended the publication of the piece.

“These comments reflect a common misconception about the media: that when we report on a given topic, we are offering judgment, or in some cases, sponsorship and promotion,” the Graphic staff wrote. “However, the Graphic’s entire journalistic process is crafted to do exactly the opposite.”

Wong said she agreed with this sentiment.

“Just setting out making sure that your purpose in your reporting is driven not by editorial reasons or sponsorship or promotions but really based on facts and truth,” Wong said.

Although it’s typically imperative to report on all conflicting sides of an issue, ensuring equal coverage to both sides should not apply if a certain side is “rooted in falsehoods or unsupported arguments,” Wong wrote in a text message to the Graphic.

“Journalists have a responsibility to prevent misinformation from being spread and part of that means dismissing falsehoods and being careful to separate fact from falsehoods,” Wong wrote. “So as we as journalists do work and strive to fairly represent diverse viewpoints in their stories, it’s just as important to place them in context and to focus on provable truths, rather than solely on featuring conflicting perspectives.”

Reporting On Trauma: Ethical or Not? A video released alongside a 2019 Graphic article about a crash on PCH drew criticism from students who viewed it as unethical and potentially triggering to those involved in the trauma, according to a follow-up article by the Graphic explaining the decision.

“Many people who reached out to us wanted the video to be taken down,” the Graphic staff wrote.

“The Pepperdine Graphic Media staff faced an ethical dilemma: withhold information on the crash to respect sensitivities or portray the truth of the incident in the best way possible.”

The Graphic ended up removing the audio from the clip due to traumatic sounds in the background but left up the visual aspect because it illustrated the severity of the crash, Wong said.

Reporting on controversial topics as a college

journalist can be especially challenging, Wong said, because it often involves peers and friends on campus.

“One of our reporters, her friend was in the crash and her friend had DMed her directly about the video, requesting it to be removed,” Wong said.

“And when it wasn’t removed, because we republished it, this friend stopped talking to our reporter.”

Wong’s experience reporting on the 2019 crash still influences her to this day, she said. Working as a desk assistant with the “Today Show” has led to several other instances of reporting on controversial and traumatic events, such as the recent shootings in Boulder, Colo., and Atlanta.

Deciding which images and videos to include in reports on the shootings brought lessons Wong learned during her time at the Graphic to the forefront. Straddling the line between sharing visual elements and being sensitive to how traumatic media may impact readers can be challenging, Wong said.

“I thought a lot about that car crash in 2019, and just being very careful of how we want to minimize harm and not show triggering images,” Wong said.

“I asked myself, do we need to show this for the sake of actually portraying the story? And if so, how do we best do that to minimize harm as much as possible so that it’s not insensitive?”

The Need To Cover Taboo Topics Objectively Channa Steinmetz, a former Graphic journalist and 2020 Seaver alumna, served as the editor of the Graphic’s 2019 special edition on drugs, which had strong potential to be controversial or perceived as taboo. Covering multiple sides of the issue and avoiding moral judgments was key to approaching the topic, Steinmetz said.

Steinmetz said the lack of controversy following the edition’s publication surprised her.

“I’m pretty grateful,” Steinmetz said. “I thought that there was going to be a lot more pushback on that publication. But I think the Pepperdine community, at least to those people who I spoke to and interacted with, like President [Andrew K.] Benton, mostly had positive feedback.”

Reporting fairly and non-judgmentally on taboo subjects can also be rewarding, Steinmetz said.

One student approached Steinmetz following the edition’s publication to let her know the stories impacted them because they had been in rehab the previous summer.

“This person was very grateful that we were creating something like this [so] this person could bring it to their friends and talk — it kind of opens up the room to conversation,” Steinmetz said.

Steinmetz’s advice for approaching sensitive topics was to be sure to get all perspectives associated with the story and to make it clear to interviewees she isn’t coming into the story with any preconceived angle.

“I say I’m not trying to push any agenda,” Steinmetz said. “I just want to hear your side of the story to get more insight on the entire story.”

natalie.hardt@pepperdine.edu

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Pepperdine students wrestle with news bias SAMANTHA TORRE | NEWS ASSISTANT The reporter sits at their desk, hard at work writing an article. First comes the objective information: who, what, when, where, why. After, the reporter looks through their notes and listens to their audio recordings to find the best quotes.

Then, if it is clear, the reporter may add the possible consequences of the events.

The reporter checks for spelling and grammar and, considering their article a job well done, sends it to their editor. But the reporter added something else along the way. Intentional or not, this addition threatens the validity of their story and the trust of the community. What is it? News bias.

This bias can appear when a reporter leaves out a crucial source or uses a specific descriptor or when a newspaper chooses to highlight one story over another. These factors all contribute to the overall bias of a newspaper.

News bias, Communication Professor Colin Storm said, can be divided into actual bias and perceived bias. It is the responsibility of the reporter to provide as unbiased a report as possible. Actual bias is the measurable bias of the newspaper, while perceived bias is subjective based on the view of the consumer.

“Its original source is the idea that media have tendencies to lean one way or another and not be objective when it comes to a certain topic,” Storm said. “That could be a range of topics from political to sports to whatever — so the idea that they just are not acting as neutral arbiters of news.”

Storm offered information on how experts examine news bias, while Pepperdine students shared their perspective on news bias and how it affects their reading of the news.

What is News Bias?

Software observes the amount of time spent on a topic or the phrases a newspaper uses to track actual bias, Storm said.

To rate bias, web resource AllSides Media Bias Ratings uses surveys, editorial reviews and third-party analysis, which can include academic research or data.

A news source that shows a mixed bias shows many different perspectives, according to AllSides.

In contrast, a center-biased source, such as the BBC, does not express perspectives that favor one side of the spectrum predictably.

“A media outlet with a Center rating may omit important perspectives, or run individual articles that display bias, while not displaying a lot of predictable bias in its content overall,” wrote AllSides in its Center section.

Sources AllSides rated left-leaning, including the New York Times, are more likely to show favor for liberal policies, while Fox News, which AllSides rated as right-leaning, is more likely to show favor for conservative policies. Opinion sections for these sources are rated farther left and right respectively.

The mixing of perspectives and news reporting pieces can contribute to the perceived bias of a newspaper, Storm said.

“Perceived bias is what we the consumers think about the content that we see or hear or read or lis-

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The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

ten to,” Storm said.

Though opinion pieces can contribute to perceived bias, sophomore Anitiz Muonagolu, Perspectives editor for the Graphic, said opinion pieces allow writers to share their opinions and create spaces for discussion. To write an opinion piece, it is necessary for the writer to both research the issue and provide a solution or “explain” why the issue is important.

“When formulating your opinion or even just being aware of how to make broader decisions of the world, you need opinion pieces because they would help put the news into certain contexts— contexts you need to make better decisions and understand why it matters,” Muonagolu said.

Opinion pieces, Muonagolu said, are a way to create dialogue with the surrounding community about current events, both local and international.

“Even though people can make their own decisions, there also needs to be a constant space where we can normalize changing it and gaining more information,” Muonagolu said. “And that only happens in opinion news.”

Students Utilize Different Sources of News Junior Nicolas Armenta, president of Pepperdine College Democrats, said his top news sources are Al Jazeera, CNN and newspapers such as The New York Times and The Washington Post.

“I definitely don’t just go to one source,” Armenta said. “I do what mostly every college student does now, which is looking at different sources, from both ends of the political spectrum, from different countries, in different languages, different opinions. It’s really important to get different perspectives.”

Armenta said he became more aware of false news and media bias due to his role in providing information through the Pepperdine College Democrats.

“I will never put anything out that is false, and I only use sources that I trust and the e-board trusts and we all go over it,” Armenta said. “I hold that really highly, and I’m very, very proud of my club for continuing to do that because it’s upsetting when I see other Pepperdine clubs not doing the same thing.”

It can be easy, Storm said, to read one source

Nicole Wong | Staff Artist

I think it should be the job of media to not necessarily mitigate their bias but be open about it that way, at least consumers understand that on top of the news as it happens JACOB ZANCA SOPHOMORE

of news and become trapped in an echo chamber, and it is important to search for news sources that have different biases or are freer from opinion.

Sophomore Jacob Zanca, a member of Pepperdine College Republicans and a writer for the Pepperdine Beacon, said some form of media bias is inevitable because everyone has an opinion.

“I think it should be the job of media to not necessarily mitigate their bias but be open about it,” Zanca said. “That way, at least consumers understand that on top of the news as it happens. They’re also getting spin because that spin is inevitable.”

After becoming aware of bias, Zanca said it is up to the reader to consume a wide variety of sources; his top news sources are CNN, Fox News and Twitter.

“It’s not a bad thing to hear from people who you agree with, but I do you think it’s sub-optimal to only hear from people that you agree with,” Zanca said. “You limit your perspective in doing so, and it makes dialogue significantly more difficult.”

“I think students on campus are allowed to write news pieces with their opinions on it, especially when it’s labeled an opinion piece,” Armenta said.

“So, you know, students will have their individual bias but I think the paper as a whole doesn’t.”

News and Inclusive Language Senior Mary Buffaloe, president of Crossroads Gender and Sexuality Alliance, said while she is open to a variety of sources, she is more likely to continue reading the newspaper if the language is respectful of minority groups.

Being a member of Crossroads has given her the ability to engage in dialogue about how different news sources portray minority communities, making Buffaloe more aware of the words people use, Buffaloe said. When a news source speaks about a minority community, it will sometimes do so in an abstract way or use slurs and offensive language.

“I’m starting to become very conscious of when people that are not a part of a group are the ones writing about them, and then they completely just disregard the group’s intentions and they just try to make a nice cover of what it could be and then they just don’t talk to them,” Buffaloe said.

A 2019 Journal of Media Psychology article found when journalists referred to racial and ethnic minorities in biased ways — such as using race as a noun rather than an adjective — it can create harmful stereotypes and a link between crime and race.

“While newsmakers might be under pressure to color and sensationalize their news reports, the present findings plead for a more factual-based and neutral language when reporting crimes in the media, especially when the crime suspect is a member of a racial/ethnic minority,” according to the article.

The Effect of News Bias A consequence of media bias, Storm said, is polarization. The Theory of Cultivation Effect states that what readers consume or what people watch on television affects how they see and interact with the world around them.

“If you’re getting messages that are telling you one thing, one thing, one thing, one thing, over and over and over again, that’s going to affect how you see the world,” Storm said. “So, it’s not that all media bias is bad. It’s just that it does have effects.”

Bias and the Graphic Within the Graphic, Zanca said, while there is a separation between news and opinion in the paper, bias can be seen in Perspectives articles.

“I really do admire the steps the Graphic is taking to give a platform to more perspectives,” Zanca said. “But I think especially I guess since I’ve been at Pepperdine, it’s sort of been viewed as more of a liberal outlet.”

Armenta said while the students who write for the Graphic have their individual biases, he does not think the Graphic as a whole is biased.

sam.torre@pepperdine.edu

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The news: hurting instead of helping?

MILES CAMPBELL | STAFF WRITER

Although journalism’s primary goal is to inform readers of the news, sometimes reporting on traumatic events harms those who experienced such events.

From the Borderline shooting in 2018 to several severe car crashes, Pepperdine is no stranger to events that inflicted hurt and suffering upon the community. These tragedies resulted in extensive local and national media coverage that did not always put survivors’ emotional and mental well-being first.

“There was this new world of being put in the spotlight and not really knowing how to navigate that,” said junior Alicia Yu, who survived the Borderline shooting. “We didn’t really know that we didn’t have to talk to [reporters].”

Borderline Shooting Sixteen Pepperdine students were present at the Borderline Bar and Grill shooting, which occurred Nov. 7, 2018 in Thousand Oaks, Calif. The shooting received extensive media coverage, and national media outlets sought many of the Pepperdine students who survived the shooting for their personal accounts of the night.

“It took us forever to get out because everyone was trying to talk to us,” said junior Janie Souza, a Borderline shooting survivor. “I understand the need to hear from those who were just there, but for us, we just wanted to be gone and leave that scene.”

Although reporting on a tragic event such as a shooting is necessary to provide accurate information, Yu and Souza said they wished the journalists they spoke to demonstrated more sensitivity toward the traumatic impact the

event had on their lives.

“One of the [reporters] that interviewed me put me on hold and instead of playing elevator music they played the news, which was talking about Borderline and that was really triggering,” Yu said. “After a few minutes, I just couldn’t do it anymore and I hung up.”

Souza also noticed reporters were more concerned about publishing quickly rather than checking to make sure those present at the shooting were able and willing to share what happened to them.

“From what I heard from other people, the media wasn’t asking, ‘Hey, would you be willing to talk about this?’ It was more, ‘Hey, what just happened?’” Souza said. “Just asking, ‘Would you be willing to tell me your story?’ would be a better way to go about it.”

Borderline shooting coverage insensitivity continued when news outlets interviewed and told the stories of Thousand Oaks residents or Pepperdine students who weren’t actually present at the shooting, Souza said.

“I’ve seen [Borderline shooting] stories where the reporters ask people who have basically no real connection to the shooting and I would wonder why that person was chosen to be interviewed,” Souza said. “Not that their opinion or story isn’t valid, but there were people I felt like who had a more valid story to tell.”

Although she acknowledges reporters had deadlines and may have been nervous to speak with survivors, Souza said she wished there was more diversity in terms of personal accounts from the night of the shooting.

“It can be frustrating to hear limited reports of victims because it makes me wonder, ‘Does my story not matter?’” Souza said. “That’s frustrating when there’s only one recount of the night to share how we all feel when that’s not true.”

When it comes to reporting on mass shootings, the news must report on the issue of gun control and the shooting itself while also on the stories and lives of those present at the shooting. Yu agreed that making sure accurate accounts are heard is crucial to the reporting process.

“For some people, their humanity gets taken away in the stories, especially with tragedies like mass shootings,” Yu said. “Everything becomes a statistic; when anything bad happens, people always look at the numbers of deaths, but

Photo Illustration by Ali Levens | Photo Editor 11

The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

every single one of those is a person who had a life, had family, had friends, had goals.”

Only one day after the Borderline shooting, tragedy struck the Pepperdine community yet again in the form of a wildfire. National media coverage swiftly shifted from covering the shooting to the Woolsey Fire.

“That was the second-biggest mass shooting in the country of the year, and we talked about it for two days,” Yu said. “People just stopped talking about Borderline because it was just easier to talk about Woolsey, but as a survivor, I felt really pushed to the back.”

PCH Car Crash On Feb. 19, 2019, just months after the Borderline shooting and Woolsey Fire, a major car crash involving 11 Pepperdine students took place on Pacific Coast Highway.

The Graphic reported on the crash but received concerns that a published video of the aftermath could be viewed as unethical and insensitive due to its graphic content and traumatic nature. The Graphic staff acknowledged the concern in a staff editorial but stood behind the publication of the video after deciding to mute the audio.

“The Graphic decided to republish the video without the audio to add an informative visual story, show what happened and educate its audience,” Graphic staff wrote in the staff editorial. “We believe the video tells an aspect of the story that only moving images can.”

The Graphic kept the video up to educate readers on the potential dangers of driving on PCH, as well as to try to prevent similar crashes from happening in the future, as discussed in the staff-ed.

Junior Jacob Resendiz, a Graphic reporter at the time of the crash, filmed the video that would later be published.

“My first instinct as a freshman reporter, what I had been told was to turn my phone sideways and record,” Resendiz said. “Reflecting on it, it was a pretty traumatic scene, but I think it was still the right thing to film and publish it to people; I don’t think the video takes advantage of peoples’ privacy.”

News insensitivity always remains a possibility when reporting on traumatic events.

When reporting on emotionally intense events such as a shooting or a car crash, empathy and patience play a big role in appropriate and respectful reporting, according to the American Press Institute.

miles.campbell@pepperdine.edu

The double-edged sword: social media as a news source ANNABELLE CHILDERS | NEWS ASSISTANT

Today, anyone with an internet connection can access news. Social media users can share articles and follow specific news accounts, consuming information rapidly. It’s a seemingly perfect development for journalists and consumers alike, but can using social media as a news source really be that simple?

While social media can provide an efficient way for users to learn about current events and news stories, social networks can also aid the spread of misinformation. The duality of social media and humans’ growing consumption of news on social platforms has led to increasing conversations about the need for news literacy.

“I think the challenges are that for the average person, and rightfully so, you do not have four or five hours a day to consume the news, nor do you want to,” said Elizabeth Smith, news literacy researcher, professor and Graphic adviser. “Social media has become such an easy place to have some mindless entertainment but also see what your friends are doing and then see what your friends are sharing.”

How Pepperdine Students Consume News In a March 2021 survey of 41 Pepperdine students, 95% self-reported they were familiar or very knowledgeable of current events. The survey revealed 90% of the students used social media as a news source.

While senior Charlotte Lang uses social media as a news source, Lang said she makes an effort to go to multiple sources for her news, understanding that many outlets report on news from a specific angle.

“I try to get a wide smattering of perspectives, so that I can hopefully pick out the true story underneath all of the different lenses,” Lang said.

Lang said she likes to pursue news on her own and keep social media as a place for social engagement.

“I try to use it to detach from everything that is happening in the world, so I don’t follow many news sources,” Lang said. “I don’t follow many celebrities. I like to check in on some politicians’ accounts but just because that’s what interests me.”

Coming from a journalistic perspective, senior Brianna Willis, digital editor of the Graphic and executive producer of NewsWaves, said she believes each social media platform reaches a different user demographic.

“I know Twitter is where a lot of newsies are going to get their news,” Willis said. “And then, of course, Instagram is just more of a likable platform, so we’re going to see [news] there out of convenience because most of our age group is on it. And then Facebook, is where a lot of older people are.”

The Graphic: Social Media Engagement As digital editor of the Graphic, Willis is responsible for publishing all content to the website and creating and managing the social media content across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Willis said the Graphic social media team has seen more engagement this year on social platforms than years prior.

“We’ve had really good media engagement that we’ve never had in the past, and, of course, I think that’s due to being remote this semester,” Willis said. “It’s the only place people are coming to find some of the content, whereas we used to have the print pieces on the stand.”

Willis said she also believes isolation due to the pandemic attributes to the increased activity on the Graphic’s social accounts.

“People are just coming to talk,” Willis said.

“They don’t have a lot of people to talk to, and the

Autumn Hardwick | Staff Artist comment section is one place that they can talk to each other and just get out their opinions.”

The Duality of Social Media as a News Source Pointing out specific advantages of social media, Willis said the Instagram comment section acts as a forum for dialogue on current events and news pieces.

“It definitely provides a platform for people to respond,” Willis said. “Of course we have other ways that they can do that like letters to the editor or being a guest contributor, but I think it’s just a lot easier and more accessible for people to engage with social media.”

In addition to opportunities for engagement, Willis said she relies on social media, specifically Twitter, for quick updates on current events and is grateful for the ability to get news at her fingertips.

Smith said she sees advantages in the way social media serves as a tool for users to bring awareness to important topics.

“There’s some great things about social media: People can have a voice, you can share and talk about things that you never would have had a place to do that,” Smith said. “I think the Me Too movement exists largely because social media gave people a place to speak out. All of those things are really good.”

Alongside the advantages of using social media as a news source, Smith said there are other disadvantages, such as the exchange of misinformation.

“I think as a society, we’ve kind of woken up to like, ‘Oh social media can be really not helpful in terms of spreading credible information’, and people have very low trust in the credible information that’s out there,” Smith said. “Then we have this introduction of the accusation of ‘fake news’ and all of the layers of that.”

Only 15% of surveyed Pepperdine students self-reported they always fact-check the news they see on social media.

Lang said she fact-checks every news story she sees on social platforms. She believes there is rarely malicious intent when users spread misinformation.

“I think that everyone who posts something truly cares about it and wants to raise awareness, and I think that’s awesome,” Lang said. “I think the problem with posting a snapshot of a huge event is that you just see so little of the actual event that’s happening in the news stories.”

To combat the spread of misinformation, Smith said she firmly believes in the importance of news literacy.

Social Media and News Literacy Research In 2017, Smith partnered with Theresa de los Santos, journalism professor and NewsWaves adviser, and The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library to research news literacy.

“President Trump was elected, and shortly after he was elected, we really started to see the term ‘fake news’ show up in our popular vernacular,” Smith said.

In spring of 2017, Smith and de los Santos held an event for Pepperdine alumni, journalists and stakeholders to sit on a panel to discuss the idea of “fake news.”

Employees of the Reagan Library attended the event as audience members and decided to hold a similar event at the library in May. Smith spoke as the keynote speaker and de los Santos sat on a panel of journalists.

“It was really interesting to hear directly from community members just how much vitriol they had toward the news,” Smith said.

After hearing the audience express a lack of trust in the media, Smith said she asked them where they got their news. She then discovered many of the people in the community consumed their news from social media.

Following the events, Smith and de los Santos began a study of news literacy in high school juniors and seniors. As part of the study, students would take a survey before and after participating in The Reagan Library’s situation room simulation, which assigns students to act as either presidential cabinet members or the press in a hypothetical breaking news event.

The study measured the students’ perception of the news and the impact of the experience in the Situation Room. Smith said the results of the study emphasize the importance in understanding the work of journalists and news media.

“I truly believe it; I kind of think everything is at stake here,” Smith said. “Because what news literacy is trying to teach us is how can we be more critical. News literacy is not saying just believe the news, it’s all good, you should never question and you should never have a negative opinion. News literacy is saying bring a critical eye to the information that you’re consuming.”

annabelle.childers@pepperdine.edu

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History of the Graphic stresses responsibility of student journalists to the community EMILY SHAW | PIXEL EDITOR

Although the Graphic newsroom in the Center for Communication and Business building lies mostly empty, the space holds a long, meaningful history of students dedicated to providing news for their community.

Former editors, a former adviser and a current adviser of the Graphic share the challenges and accomplishments they experienced; they discuss Pepperdine’s history of student publications, the relationship between the paper and its audience and journalistic principles, providing a glimpse into the inner workings of the student news organization.

“It’s a lab in the sense that it’s OK to make mistakes, and you have kind of this umbrella of protection, so you’re not totally just jumping into something scary unprotected,” Pepperdine and Graphic alumna Falon Barton (2015) said. “But at the same time, it’s a real job with real tangible consequences with real tangible results.”

The Birth of the Graphic On Oct. 30, 1937, the “GraPhiC” — reflecting the initials of George Pepperdine College through its capitalization — published its first edition.

It listed three individuals as part of the staff: Editor Bobby King, Business Manager Mac B. Rochelle and Faculty Adviser Hugh M. Tiner.

The following bullet points are the objectives of the Graphic at the time of its first edition, which come directly from the Graphic’s first print issue: • To reflect in an unbiased manner the campus news and such outside news as appears especially related to the college.

• To help anything that helps George Pepperdine College.

• To give religion a prominent place in these columns.

• To help build up college athletics and all other beneficial extra-curricular activities.

• To encourage sound scholarship.

• To help build school tradition.

• To offer constructive criticism, and to give praise where due.

• To represent what we believe to be the best standards in college journalism.

Students could obtain an annual subscription to their weekly campus news by mailing $1 to the Graphic.

The first issues contained a News section, editorial page and Sports section, including many stories about the college’s firsts such as a record of the college’s first week, the first weekly fellowship forum, the first track team and the first chorus and orchestra rehearsals.

“It is all-important that those who are here now shall realize that they make up the small stream that is shaping the course of the mighty river,” the Graphic staff wrote in its first edition. “It is so very important that each one here appreciate the part he must play in the molding of this school in its infancy.”

Other Student Publications on Campus While the Graphic has always been Pepper-

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(previous page)

Photo Illustration by Ali Levens Photos of Graphic students from various years appear behind the letters taken from old editions that make up the name of the student newspaper. The Graphic has been around for about 84 years since 1937, when George Pepperdine College began its first semester.

(left)

Photo Courtesy of Pepperdine Libraries Special Collections and University Archives The front page of the Graphic’s first edition, published Oct. 1937, covers the launch of George Pepperdine College’s first semester. The Graphic is Pepperdine University’s oldest student organization and has evolved since then, while staying true to its original mission to inform the Pepperdine community.

dine’s dominant news source on campus, other publications have appeared to serve different needs of the Pepperdine community over the years.

Due to an unknown conflict between the Graphic and the Association for Black Students during an ABS meeting in 1968, the Graphic suspended its Nov. 21 issue, which led some Black students to start their own newspaper, the Black Graphic.

There are only three known publications of the Black Graphic.

the first edition of the Inner View, the staff wrote an editorial titled “Urban newspaper” about the newspaper’s debut and the LA campus’ adoption of a new urban identity.

“The unveiling of the Inner View marks a new dimension for the fall at the Los Angeles Campus,” the Inner View staff wrote. “No longer will this campus be thought of as ‘the small, quiet campus on 79th St.’”

In spring 1969, the Black Graphic wrote about Larry Kimmons’ death and the University’s response, the perspective of an Asian American student involved with the Black Graphic, the importance of teaching Black studies and the phenomenality of African American women, among many other topics. The Graphic also covered the death of Kimmons but not to the extent that the Black Graphic did.

In a 1969 newsletter, the Black Graphic wrote to Black Student Union members that they created the Black Graphic to amplify the voices of Black students.

“This media will serve the function of providing us Black Students with details of real happenings from the too real world..... [sic] as they relate to Black people,” the Black Graphic wrote. “This paper is not intended for those who are cowardly of heart, weak of mind, frail of body or sick of stomach. Although some of the material used in these pages may seem harsh, it is aimed at the liberation of the oppressed mind from the enemy — the racist pig.”

In 1972, Pepperdine opened the Malibu campus, and the Graphic relocated there. In the Graphic’s place, students remaining on Pepperdine’s LA campus started another student newspaper, the Inner View.

The Inner View, advised by Clint Wilson, provided news covering not just Pepperdine but also the surrounding LA community. While separate from the Graphic, the newspaper is a part of the history of Pepperdine student publications and supported the role of student journalists at the University.

The LA campus distinguished itself from the one in Malibu by embracing its urban location. In

Covering the Surrounding Community

Photo Courtesy of The Malibu Times In its 46th edition, published Feb. 14, 1969, The Malibu Times features a photo of Larry Averill of the Union Federal Savings and Loan holding a special issue of the Graphic, which tells of Pepperdine’s proposed new Malibu campus. The Graphic relocated to the Malibu campus in 1972, which prompted students in Los Angeles to form the Inner View.

In 1972, the Inner View also interacted with the surrounding community, while focusing primarily on covering news affecting the LA campus.

After the Graphic moved to Malibu, Wilson said many of the juniors and seniors wanted to stay in Los Angeles and form the Inner View because of their pride in the LA campus and desire to cover the bustle of the city.

“They saw it as quite a journalistic challenge to cover the campus, as it was evolving in Los Angeles and in terms of working on covering the inner city,” Wilson said.

Wilson said he and others also revised the journalism curriculum and called it the Urban Journalism program, reporting on in-depth stories and taking on topics such as poverty and homelessness.

“The students really loved it,” Wilson said.

“They just felt that it was a program that was preparing them for the real journalism world.”

During the Graphic’s 84-year history at Pepperdine, the paper and its connected publications have remained committed to serving the Pepperdine and surrounding communities.

While serving as reporter and editor of the Graphic, alumnus Tal Campbell (1961) also worked as an LAPD reporter at a newspaper in Los Angeles called Angeles Mesa News. Campbell said it was common for Graphic staff to work part-time for other local newspapers in the area.

Changing with the Times Moving forward to 2012, Pepperdine and Graphic alumni Nate Barton (2016) and Falon Barton (2015) each joined the Graphic as first-year

The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

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Photo Courtesy of the Graphic The front page of the “Sex Issue” of the Graphic features the Dolores statue that stands near the Tyler Campus Center on Pepperdine’s campus. The Graphic published the “Sex Issue” in 2014.

students.

Now married, the Bartons said they both loved the community and sense of belonging they had at the Graphic. Falon Barton held multiple positions, including News editor, managing editor and Advertising director, and Nate Barton worked as creative director and executive editor, as well as other positions.

In 2014, the Graphic published its “Sex Issue” special edition. Special editions are issues of the Graphic that feature in-depth reporting on a topic or theme relevant to the community. This 2014 edition tackled a rather controversial topic, especially at Pepperdine — sex.

The Graphic staff had many thoughtful debates and conversations about the sex edition when putting it together, Falon Barton said, as she was managing editor at the time of the edition’s publication.

“One of our really good friends used the sex edition of the Graphic to come out as gay, and that was a big moment,” Nate Barton said. “It was really an honor to be a part of that.”

Elizabeth Smith, Journalism professor, Pepperdine Graphic Media director and faculty adviser to the Graphic, said the “Sex Issue” reflected a sentiment that things were changing socially on Pepperdine’s campus, especially with a bigger, more vocal push for an official LGBTQ+ student club.

Despite the controversial nature of the topic, Falon Barton said they did not receive any harsh or negative feedback.

Another major change for the Graphic was the shift to a digital-first model in the 2010s. “Digital first” is the idea of publishing content online first and then moving some of the stories into print editions.

Smith said the transition was two-fold: wanting students to get a more professional newsroom expe-

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The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

rience and wanting to better serve the audience by making content accessible online in a timely manner.

“Part of the reason why we do ‘digital first’ was because that’s where the industry was going,” Nate Barton said. “We’re trying to train the next generation of journalists.”

Falon Barton said becoming digital first also helped streamline things to be more efficient.

Today, a sign that reads “digital first, story first, audience first” sits in the trophy case in the Graphic newsroom.

Part of Pepperdine, Not Run by Pepperdine Although the Graphic is a news organization at Pepperdine and is not financially independent, it is student-run and editorially independent from the University.

While Campbell was editor of the Graphic, the organization was self-supporting through its advertising sales, which he credits to the advertising director at the time.

“We never cost the University a dime,” Campbell said. “I was so proud of that.”

Campbell’s year as editor was atypical. The Graphic has received funding from Pepperdine through various means throughout the years. Smith said although the University partially funds the organization, the administration does not have a say in publications.

In providing essential news, student publications have had varying interactions with University leadership.

Campbell said during his time at the Graphic, the paper had an amicable relationship with administration, as Campbell knew President Norvel Young personally before becoming a student.

I think there is something really unique about working for a newsroom — working for the Graphic, specifically — that I got work experience and life experience and relational experience.

FALON BARTON PEPPERDINE AND GRAPHIC ALUMNA

“When anything between the newspaper and the administration occurred, I would get a call,” Campbell said. “If I had to go to the office, I knew it was serious. If it’s on the phone, it was no big deal.

I can hardly even remember the issues, but it was kind of fun to have that access to him.”

The Inner View, however, did not escape backlash from administration during its short tenure on campus. For instance, the Inner View would often include advertisements of local businesses — a notable example being a nightclub called Whiskey A Go Go — that would receive criticism from administration, Wilson said.

“Those are the kinds of things you have to be very careful even unknowingly that they would object to, would call me in, so there were things like that that you wouldn’t normally think twice about,” Wilson said. “But they were very sensitive at the administrative level. So it was a very, very conservative environment.”

Smith said the Graphic today has an advertising policy that does not accept advertisements from bars, night clubs or other businesses that promote alcohol or drugs.

Wilson said the administration during his time as adviser also frowned upon the newspaper from reviewing certain movies.

“We’re not talking about X-rated movies; we’re just talking about regular theatrical releases,” Wilson said. “And word would get back that the administration is upset about this movie, and [say], ‘We don’t advise or recommend our students go see those kinds of movies.’”

Wilson said, in his role as adviser, he had to find a balance between protecting students from administrative backlash and not acting as a censor.

“You’re operating in an environment where the parameters are narrower than in other places, so it was a very interesting time,” Wilson said.

There were certain things not worth “going to the mat” over, but there were also stories that were worth standing one’s ground on, Wilson said.

One story, in particular, involved Norvel Young, Pepperdine’s third president and chancellor at the time, getting into a car crash. While driving under the influence, he got into an accident that killed two women Sept. 16, 1975, according to an LA Times article.

One of the administrators called Wilson and told him the Inner View could not run the story about the crash, Wilson said. Pepperdine’s fourth president William Banowsky also threatened to fire Wilson if he didn’t pull the article.

“He said something to the effect — this is Banowsky — that ‘Well, I don’t need to tell you what will happen if you run this story,’” Wilson said. “And I said, ‘Well, I’m prepared for that.’”

Wilson said he told the Inner View editor to publish the story because of his and the paper’s commitment to journalistic integrity.

The Graphic, on the other hand, did not run the story, Wilson said.

“As a consequence, from the standpoint of professional journalists in the area, the fact that the Graphic did not have the story, and we had the story in the Inner View, and everybody else in the United States had the story, made the Graphic look very bad,” Wilson said.

The Inner View set a precedent for Pepperdine student publications through its commitment to journalistic integrity, emphasizing the administration does not have a say in student-run news organizations.

In more recent controversy, the Graphic published a story on alleged hazing within Pepperdine’s Water Polo team in 2016 that received attention from administrators.

“We were treated like journalists, and an administrator came and kind of had some thoughts for us and sat Falon down and was very upfront about those thoughts,” Nate Barton said.

Falon Barton said although the conversation

was serious, she thinks it was a productive and respectful one, and she and the administrator became friends after.

In 2012, when LA County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested President Andrew K. Benton’s son after alleged threats against his family, Smith said the Graphic decided to publish the story the next day because the staff did not want to publish anything until they could confirm the information.

The Graphic often reports stories that University administration might not like, but much of Smith’s ethos as an adviser is to ensure the Graphic is never inaccurate, illegal or unethical in its reporting, Smith said. In the event of missteps, the Graphic will be transparent about it by publishing corrections or updates.

Falon Barton said she felt very grateful to have Benton as part of the administration during her time at the Graphic, especially after hearing stories of what other college newspapers endured from their administration.

“He responded to every email; we shot an email, and he would always respond to us — just spectacular and phenomenally supportive of student journalism at Pepperdine,” Falon Barton said.

Benton shared with Smith how the Graphic’s careful reporting on the situation with his son gave him new insight into student journalism. Smith said she thinks it showed him that the Graphic wasn’t out to get him but rather out to do a job and do it well and with ethics.

A Sense of Duty Campbell said the Graphic gave him the background of making a newspaper of interest and of value to its audience. What kept him going was knowing there were always better ways of getting the word out and keeping the community informed.

Especially when he wrote for News, Nate Barton said he felt a strong sense of duty to inform.

“I think there is something really unique about working for a newsroom — working for the Graphic, specifically — that I got work experience and life experience and relational experience that no one else I knew of, especially during their early years,” Falon Barton said.

Smith said she thinks the Graphic’s present readership is strong, especially now, because many people look to the Graphic for information first.

For example, in fall 2018, the Graphic covered a nearby shooting at Borderline Bar and Grill in Thousand Oaks and the Woolsey Fire.

“During the Borderline shooting and the Woolsey Fire, we were truly the only news that was coming out from inside the Woolsey Fire,” Smith said. “The media couldn’t get in and out, and so that was a moment where we were very aware that every word we were putting out about this, the world was watching.”

emily.shaw@pepperdine.edu

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News junkies describe what keeps them hooked CLAIRE LEE | STAFF WRITER

News is an important part of the lives of both junior Finance major Grant Richardson and Great Books Professor Tuan Hoang. Although neither were born with a zeal for news, their different experiences and interactions in life led them to value and keep up with the news every day.

Richardson and Hoang’s perspectives and methods in navigating the world of news look different, but both have faithfully remained committed to tuning into the news.

“I think, being a citizen in the United States, it’s important to remain involved, so you can help positively transform and directly guide your community to a better and more prosperous tomorrow,” Richardson said.

News Routines and Journeys Richardson said he has listened to both “The Journal” podcast by the Wall Street Journal and “The Daily” podcast by The New York Times every weekday over the past four years. On top of this, Richardson reads The Wall Street Journal about twice a day and frequently reads The Economist for international, national, political, financial and economic news.

After waking up and taking a shower, Richardson said he typically listens to news podcasts while getting ready or driving to work. If Richardson has free time when the day’s work is complete, he said he goes through The Economist and The Wall Street Journal in the evenings and then occasionally CNN for quick headlines.

“There’s a lot of influence with what happens in the news in the world that impacts my career since I want to go into finance,” Richardson said.

Richardson said his interest in news began in middle school when he joined a Model United Nations team and realized the importance of being knowledgeable about news cycles, global events, injustices and events influencing daily life and trends in society.

Photo by Ali Levens

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The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

Hoang, however, said he started his news journey as a young boy in post-war Vietnam.

“Government news was unreliable because they edited heavily and so on; so it was very much controlled between 1975 and 1990,” Hoang said.

Hoang said people who owned radios covertly tuned into Vietnamese channels on international stations such as British Broadcasting Corporation and Voice of America.

“Because the news was so controlled in Vietnam after the war, I think it was a cultural — a societal phenomena; it’s not just personal,” Hoang said.

“People really wanted to get the news. Even though I did not become really interested in the news until later, that atmosphere made me be very alert to the significance of news and how it impacts people.”

From ninth grade to his early 30s in the United States, Hoang said he consistently read hard copies of the newspaper with the exception of his busy college days. Now, his main news source comes from digital platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Google News as well as from his family group chat.

“What people post on Facebook and Twitter — oftentimes friends and acquaintances and even strangers — a lot of times, my news interest comes from that,” Hoang said.

Personal Insights From the News What happens halfway across the world has a tremendous influence on our day-to-day lives, Richardson said.

“For example, right now we are trying to just completely overwhelm the US population with vaccine supplies and get every single person vaccinated,” Richardson said. “I think we purchased more vaccines than we need; and the WHO, the World Health Organization, they have said that.”

Richardson said this demonstrates an ethical crisis between not being able to provide vaccines to developing nations who are in need of them versus quickly distributing the vaccines in the United

States to decrease the chances of mutation.

“It is important to understand how things are happening overseas and how that could potentially impact us five to ten years from now,” Richardson said. “In a way, looking abroad is almost our best way of looking into a globe to see our future.

Being aware and careful of what passes as news is important, Hoang said. He said the phrase “fake news” has been around for a long time, but it has become a part of daily discourse in recent years.

“I think the question ‘What is news?’ has changed,” Hoang said. “People have different definitions of what is news and, in my opinion, that is a very complex question to think about.”

Advice From News Junkies Hoang and Richardson shared their best advice for handling and navigating news in the modern day. hyphenate-TH -- I thought it was only hyphenated as an adjective? -MH should I leave it as is? -CL -- i think it’s only hyphenated as an adj, so leave as is -RT “It’s important to keep up with the news, but I also think it is important not to be overwhelmed by the news,” Hoang said.

Hoang said he understands it is hard to avoid the news today because of social media.

“Believe it or not, I actually have admiration for students who deliberately decided not to have Facebook or Instagram or Twitter or all of them for at least a period of time,” Hoang said.

In a time when news can distract and divide society, Richardson said he believes it’s important to listen to “both sides of the aisle” to seek the truth.

“If I consumed exclusively New York Times or stuff that was left-leaning, I would see my entire perception or worldview based on that lens,” Richardson said. “But then looking through Wall Street Journal, The Economist or other more right-leaning sources — that would influence me in a different way.”

Richardson said he has been able to see the news spectrum more clearly by listening to both sides but acknowledges that humans inherently have biases.

“I’m still a student, so I’m still trying to figure things out on my own; but from my understanding, I think the best approach is trying to understand, be empathetic and see where other people are coming from,” Richardson said.

claire.lee@pepperdine.edu

PERSPECTIVES

Samantha Miller | Assitant Art Editor

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‘IF IT BLEEDS, IT LEADS’ — The modern implications of an outdated phrase SARAH BEST | STAFF WRITER

As a problematic phrase with dehumanizing connotations, “if it bleeds, it leads” represents the reality behind why the most gruesome stories get breaking coverage and front-page news.

Are people being subconsciously desensitized to death, violence and pain with constant exposure to the worst parts of humanity?

The issues of this phrase imply that the most shocking and horrendous events get the most attention in the scope of news. “if it bleeds, it leads” must be left out of newsrooms and replaced with a greater emphasis on exercising more compassion and empathy.

Popularized at the end of the 1890s, William Randolph Hearst began using it during the first “media war” alongside Joseph Pulitzer, according to PBS. During the same time of the Spanish-American War, Hearst ran a newspaper that relied on sensationalizing stories of drama and violence. Once he began realizing what caught the audience’s eye was showcasing a horrific incident, he developed the phrase “if it bleeds, it leads.”

A phrase like this may have been warranted during the 1890s because of the pressure to come out on top of the media war. However, it is no longer the 1890s, and the impact of its precedent established an unethical and seemingly unsympathetic baseline of how reporters should tackle stories with difficult subject matters. Rather than taking the phrase literally, stories about violence and death should be approached more humanely and with greater sensitivity.

Cumulative exposure to traumatic events, such as what’s reported in fear-based news, becomes the subconscious lens through which people view the world, according to a 2008 Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy article.

Seeing excessive amounts of death and violence inherently creates rifts in people’s capacity for empathy since we begin to look at society as innately bad and inherently “replacing optimism with fatalistic thinking,” according to the same article.

Looking at the world today, a rise in traumatic events toward members of the Asian-American Pacific Islander community has been a result of xenophobic sentiments surrounding COVID-19.

Anti-Asian hate crimes increased 149%, according to a 2020 study from the Center for

the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. A plethora of violent acts toward the Asian community consistently populate recent headlines, but are people taking the time to process the implications of such brutalities and how they affect us? “if it bleeds, it leads” is standing between a viewer’s ability to understand the extremities of the violence and death they are consuming and a reporter’s ability to cover a hard topic free of the confines of this phrase.

Aspiring and veteran journalists should be encouraged by their editors and publishers to be more compassionate and to not always prioritize the most heinous stories. Not all reporters ascribe to the phrase, but newsrooms should make an active effort to denounce its presence in the workplace.

Newsrooms and editors should educate journalists on how to show greater depths of compassion and to comfort the afflicted rather than simply covering a gruesome headline story of an “it” that “bleeds.”

For the past five years, Alma Fausto of the Orange County Register has been reporting crime and public safety, subject matters that allow her to understand what a violent incident can look like from the perspectives of the victim, the suspect and their respective families.

The implications of “if it bleeds, it leads” is reflective of the popularity of crime reporting that stems from how it appeals to a person’s morbid interest as well as their desire to stay informed with what’s transpiring in their community. However, with the rising popularity of true-crime series like “Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel,” horrible things happening to good people is a concept that production companies have glorified.

“I think that if TV didn’t exist, if newspapers didn’t exist, people would still be interested in an occasion of violence,” Fausto said.

“Social media, Netflix crime series, documentaries, everything really, appeals to people’s voyeuristic tendencies because so many of these productions, and stories, and papers and magazines make especially things like murder seem interesting to try to solve.”

Director and Journalism Professor Mark Jacobs covered countless events of violence during his time as a former photojournalist, including the War in Iraq, the War in Bosnia and the Columbine shooting in Colorado.

“We all carry a TV in our phones now, and it actually goes off and reminds us when something bad happens,” Jacobs said. “We’re never out of touch with all the bad things that happen in the world, and then when we read what’s happened. I think there’s a lot of desensitizing that happens, especially for our youth, because once you start to see bodies and death and blood, you become numb to it.”

Though the circumstance of “if it bleeds, it leads” has evolved from its 19th-century origin, the implications of it remain the same. Not only does it no longer belong in newsrooms, but its effects are inadvertently harming the viewers who are absorbing the same stories about death and violence that reporters are instructed to cover.

“None of these crimes hit home until they hit home,” Fausto said. “Everyone feels like they’re desensitized until something horrible happens in their backyard, and then it hurts because it’s real.”

There is a fine line between the desire to stay informed while maintaining one’s mental health. Though it’s important to be up to date about what is happening at both the local and national levels, knowing when to turn off the phone and take some time away from the chaos in the world is equally as important.

“If it bleeds, it leads” should be a phrase of the past, as it forces journalists to subscribe to the false narrative that death is what people care about most. Reporting on death and violence will always be important and likely continue to dominate headlines, but the phrase that enables this content should be entirely abandoned.

sarah.best@pepperdine.edu

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Throughout the decades reporters remain steadfast ALICE HAN | STAFF WRITER

CHRISTIAN PARHAM | ASSISTANT PERSPECTIVES EDITOR From the emergence of jazz journalism in the 1920s to contemporary reporting, the media continuously helped shape the world by reporting news and stories from around the globe. The past 100 years remain crucial to understanding the world of news, and the sole unchanging factor throughout the history of journalism is the critical role reporters play in keeping people informed.

Each decade is essentially marked by ingenuity, tragedy and scandal in the media sector as unprecedented national and global events presented many opportunities for journalists and the press to report urgent and significant news.

Although the techniques of a reporter have changed drastically over the years, two unchanging features of journalism are the level of commitment reporters show and the impact reporters have on societal advancement.

Without their hard work, many important pieces of American history would have never been revealed to the public. This information led and will continue leading to socio-cultural movements, accountability and ultimately much-needed reforms within American society.

The 1920s to ‘40s Journalism in the early 1900s was dynamic as it expanded and evolved nationwide. Although press reporting technology remained limited, reporters stayed committed to delivering any incidents and extraordinary stories that were happening around them.

The 1920s to the present day highlights this commitment, as well as the gradual changes within the role of a reporter.

Journalism in the 1920s is often referred to as “jazz journalism” because news stories during this era were provocative, glamorous and adventurous. Reporting in this decade generally reflected the rebellious and free-spirited energy of the Jazz Age. Media coverage concentrated on crime, sex, celebrity affairs and social scandals, as people yearned for gossip and entertainment — a dramatic change from the previous somberness that characterized most news stories from World War I. Reporting primarily focused on allowing readers to catch a quick glimpse of the glamor and grandeur of the 1920s since the majority of people could not attain these luxuries in real life.

Consequently, journalists primarily em-

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The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

phasized society’s rich and famous. Typical news stories either glorified or stigmatized celebrities while escalating messy events into national sensations.

Similar to contemporary reporting, jazz journalists occasionally overstepped the boundaries of today’s journalism ethics to sell the most papers. The most lurid sensationalism was based in New York. In 1928, Daily News photographer Tom Howard secretly photographed Ruth Snyder as she was electrocuted at an execution chamber after being convicted of murdering her husband.

Both newspaper editors and readers sensationalized the picture as it ran under banner headlines on the front page of the New York Daily News for two days in a row, attracting much criticism, according to the New York Daily News.

Many newspapers began to take on a more modest and thoughtful tone after being criticized for disrespecting human morality and privacy. As the Great Depression began to promptly mark an end to the Roaring Twenties, sensationalism quickly died down — marking the end of jazz journalism, according to the History of American Journalism.

Reporting in the 1930s and ‘40s took a sharp turn from the daring and mischievous tone of jazz journalism when many publishers struggled to keep their newspapers afloat during the Great Depression.

The majority of journalists proceeded to make the shift from an excessively scandalous to a more conservative and management viewpoint by prioritizing labor news coverage.

As the public began to scrutinize the press for downplaying the effects of the Depression, many newspapers sought to divide themselves from the hardships of the 1930s and ‘40s and minimized their presence until the Depression passed.

Consequently, print journalism became less prominent as radio journalism turned into the dominant form of entertainment and news because it catered to a single audience, regardless of race and social status. Radio programs also gained massive popularity since they would entertain, inform and help distract the audience during the hard years of the Depression.

The popularity of the radio further grew when President Franklin D. Roosevelt started his “fireside chats” in 1933, elaborating on his actions and reassuring citizens over the broken economy. Many journalists and commentators even utilized the radio to help Americans

understand the new policies Roosevelt implemented.

One of the most famous commentators to emerge during the 1930s was Hans von Kaltenborn. He appealed to larger audiences with his perfectly pitched voice and never-ending talent for ad-lib — the ability to speak or perform in front of an audience without rehearsing or preparing one’s words. Another popular commentator was Walter Winchell, who strongly supported Roosevelt while educating Americans on Germany’s actions.

During the 1930s and ‘40s, women also began to take more prominent roles in the field of journalism. Although newsrooms generally banned women from reporting on politics and economics, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt encouraged the inclusion of female reporters throughout newspaper services by hosting press conferences exclusively for women.

With the beginning of World War II, women occupied at least half of the staff positions in newspapers since many men left their jobs as reporters or commentators to serve in the military. Although most newswomen covered local stories, some female reporters such as Tania Long, Betty Wason and Martha Gellhorn became foreign war correspondents.

The 1950s to ‘90s As television began to dominate households during the 1950s, radio and print journalism transformed to include a mix of music, news, sports and weather to keep up with the new competition.

As the decade witnessed the growth of the Civil Rights Movement, the Chicano Movement and various art movements, the world of journalism started to reflect this progress through the mass coverage of the Little Rock Central High School integration as well as the emergence of the magazine Playboy.

Both society and journalism in the 1950s began to push the boundaries on numerous topics such as race and sex. This essentially allowed journalists to easily adopt the counterculture movement that encouraged them to report on and scrutinize the government during the following decades.

Moving forward to the 1960s and ‘70s, a term called “new journalism” came to describe much of the work reporters Tom Wolfe, Truman Capote and Gay Talese were doing at the time. New journalism combined narrative creative writing styles with the skills of investigative journalism and began this shift. It neces-

Leah Bae | Staff Artist sitated more thorough reporting skills to truly tell a non-fiction story. This could be considered similar to some of the work the Perspectives team does on the Graphic.

In light of a rapidly changing socio-political climate, this shift allowed reporters to adapt to the stories of the time. Civil rights protests, wars, unrest, assassinations of many prominent political leaders and the counterculture movement were all prominent events of the era, requiring intensive investigative reporting skills in an easily digestible format. Nightly news anchors such as Walter Cronkite became household names and faces as families gathered in front of their radios or TVs. In the midst of this important shift, reporters received more negative scrutiny than ever, especially from the Nixon administration. However, this didn’t stop reporters from breaking one of the largest scandals of the era — Watergate. The New York Times, The Washington Post and the Pentagon Papers contributed to exposing one of the largest presidential scandals in American history. Without the hard work and investigative skills of reporters, this wouldn’t have been exposed. A huge strength of this form of reporting is its ability to dive into the heart of an issue — and captivate the American people in the meantime.

The 1980s and 1990s introduced cable news conglomerates, such as CNN and Fox News, which offered the promise of 24/7 news coverage, requiring reporters to always be oncall. It then became imperative that reporters had consistent availability to cover breaking news, whenever it occurred. Worldwide audiences were interconnected in ways like never before, which in some ways increased the pressure and responsibility within the reporting role. This created a weakness — reporters were forced to be even more careful and accurate within their research because misinformation spread more rapidly than ever before.

This era also contributed to the rise of

daytime talk shows becoming a form of reporting. Oprah Winfrey ran her talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which casual, informal discussion-style of reporting with many highly investigated pieces. This style is seen in a variety of other shows from the period, including the show “Barbara Walters Specials.”

Journalist Barbara Walters interviewed various influential figures, revealing insightful stories.

This opened the door for present-day reporters having shows completely dedicated to entertainment and lifestyle reporting, such as “The Wendy Williams Show” and “The Real.”

The changes television reporting brought seem minor in comparison to the huge changes internet access created.

The 2000s to Present Day Since the 2000s, access to the internet has been easier than ever before due to phones, computers and other electronic devices. Therefore, digital media provides reporters with new platforms and resources to create better stories.

Journalism Professor Christina Littlefield was a reporter for the Las Vegas Sun from 2003 to 2007. She said the internet played an important role during her work as a reporter.

“Reporting is so much easier now,” she said, laughing. “Reporting is more exciting today. Before, there were so many limits on what I could do visually for my stories when they were just going into print.”

But with more opportunities comes more challenges. Reporters have to be cautious when investigating through the internet.

“You do have to be careful you’re getting good information — I think there’s a digital literacy that journalists have had to learn,” Littlefield said.

But more than ever, reporters are essential for capturing the stories that make up America — the good and the bad. To do this, many risk their own health and safety — especially

reporters in the field during a global pandemic.

“The other thing I want to stress about reporting is it is so essential to our democracy,” Littlefield said. “They go to the meetings the rest of us don’t have time to go to, they make sure the government does what it says it’ll do and they watch taxpayer money.”

Our democracy is extremely fragile, and journalists have the important role of protecting it by holding politicians accountable.

Many of the striking events from the past year — from protests to the pandemic to an insurrection — would not have been covered without the bravery, heart and resilience of reporters.

From the 1920s to now — even as the world changes — the need for reporters dedicated to displaying the truth for all to see will remain.

christian.parham@pepperdine.edu alice.han@pepperdine.edu

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The Graphic must take responsibility for educating its readers TIFFANY HALL | COPY CHIEF

ANITIZ MUONAGOLU | PERSPECTIVES EDITOR News literacy: a concept that requires readers to be somewhat news literate to understand in the first place. It seems to be the ever-present punchline to the frustrating joke of why the news audience doesn’t seem to care to learn about the intricacies of the news cycle.

As an organization, the Graphic has begun to place a good deal of emphasis on news literacy, but what does that mean? How does it succeed? How does it fall short? The best way to analyze all of these questions is to start at the beginning.

News Literacy Project defines news literacy as “the ability to determine the credibility of news and other content, to identify different types of information, and to use the standards of authoritative, fact-based journalism to determine what to trust, share and act on.”

In an age of increasing claims of “fake news” and the like, this seems to present a challenge to the reader to determine what is real for themselves.

Yet, there is an intrinsic problem with putting the onus of discernment solely on the reader. With no clear incentive to educate themselves on complicated journalism ethics in order to read a simple news article, readers may skip the step and just trust their assumptions — a practice that seldom ends well.

While there are organizations like News Literacy Project that help empower the individual to educate themselves, there is also value in taking ownership as a news agency to provide that education to readers.

The Graphic has decided to take the latter approach.

With behind-the-scenes blurbs in the Pixel, an intense focus on fact-checking and diversity of sources and editors’ notes to add clarity, the Graphic truly tries to go above and beyond to be news literate. But even with all that, there are still improvements to be made — both internally and externally — to better promote news literacy.

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The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

News At the Graphic, it seems like the News team is always on the search for the next great story or development on the Pepperdine campus and beyond.

Yet, with this vast network of stories, there is considerable work to be done to verify all the details. To ensure all information is properly reviewed, junior News Editor Ashley Mowreader said a collective effort to fact-check is fundamental.

“It really does come to a lot of trust in my News team and affirming in them news values and making sure that they’re fact-checking things as they can,” Mowreader said.

Mowreader acknowledges that beyond this effort, there are ways in which the Graphic can improve its relationship with news literacy and its readers.

“I think, in some ways, we assume a lot [about] our readers,” Mowreader said. “There’s some things about a newspaper that the general person doesn’t understand. [...] One thing that I would like us to do is just to really get back into the community. Whether that’s through surveys or focus groups or interviews, just sort of asking, ‘What do you want to know more about us?’”

Life & Arts Housed midway through the physical paper, the Life & Arts section seeks to share the heart of the Pepperdine campus, so to speak, sophomore Life & Arts Editor Sofia Longo said.

“Life & Arts really goes into the culture and community here at Pepperdine,” Longo said. “We love to highlight students and just make our student body shine, whether that’s through profiling like our student business profiles, professor profiles or through, covering events like plays, Dance in Flight [and] stuff

like that.”

Giving back to this same community in the form of accurate reporting, Longo said her staff focuses on fact-checking, adding in context when necessary, extensive editing and finding reputable and diverse sources.

“I push for a really strong emphasis on diversity this semester, just to make sure that everything is well rounded and we are trying to represent the Pepperdine student population as fairly as possible,” Longo said.

Sports Every buzzer hitting three-pointer to record-breaking track run eventually finds it way to the sports section of the Graphic. The Sports section connects to the community through sports and feats of athleticism.

“I think the information in your average sports game story is usually pretty verifiable, but, we do take a lot of pride in getting the score right, getting spelling right of last names, getting quotes right,” senior Sports Editor Paxton Ritchey said. “I think we take a lot of pride in asking the right questions after the game, so that, our audience can see more of the game than what they just got on TV.” Sports also isn’t just backstage exclusives with players and game highlights. The team also covers important stories and conditions the players face. The biggest aspect of news literacy, especially for sports, is confirming pieces of information that players may not even be able to go on record about, such as the Sports section’s article titled “Pepperdine Cross Country/Track Athletes Describe Misconduct of Former Coach.”

“We didn’t print a single thing that was just hearsay — we got it all confirmed, and I think that’s really important for readers to know,” Ritchey said. “We’re not in the business of rumors, we’re not in the business of speculation.

Everything we report, we’re putting our name

Samantha Miller | Art Assistant Editor on it as the truth.”

Perspectives While most sections of the news focus on reporting, Perspectives pieces allow journalists to give opinions on how the news influences our changing world.

Perspectives not only has to be conscious of the news but also attached to the communities that are affected. While news journalists of course care about the community, empathy is not always a fundamental part because it’s mainly their job to report the facts. But, op-ed journalists write about topics that come from the heart, making their pieces a representation of their character and personality.

Unfortunately, op-ed reporting isn’t perfect, and in regard to news literacy, it’s still developing ways to make sure the public understands its difference from other forms of news.

For instance, at the Graphic, Perspectives articles now have the word opinion before the headlines and editor’s notes are used more frequently to help audiences understand new columns and article series.

Moreover, Perspectives is constantly expanding its opinions and tries to include diverse viewpoints. This section is meant to highlight all the ways society thinks and expresses itself, so that means no matter the race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or political affiliation, every opinion — supported with facts, of course — is welcome to be shared.

What Can Still Be Done?

It would be disingenuous to simply pat ourselves on the back for the work the Graphic has already done — and frankly, it wouldn’t make for a good Perspectives piece. From

where the Graphic is currently situated, there is only room to grow.

First and foremost, editors must improve the accessibility of resources to their readers.

This could look like a more consistent section in the physical paper where staff can address big ethical issues included in the paper, rather than limiting that space only to digital content.

Additionally, the Graphic’s social media accounts could initiate a social media campaign to promote more bite-sized literacy discussions.

Consistency of critique must always be a priority. It is the Graphic’s responsibility to address each and every instance of questionable accuracy before the reader. While the Graphic has been consistent in this pursuit for the past year, it must remain so even if it requires additional forethought.

Next, we must be proactive in educating our community, rather than waiting until a story is published. As a co-curricular organization registered both by the Communication Division and by Inter-Club Council, the Graphic has the same privileges as any student-led club and then some. Hosting public workshops for students to learn about news literacy, town halls to address student concerns and events to get to know the student population on a more individualized level is well within its ability.

As Pepperdine’s primary news outlet, it must be our responsibility to earn our readers’ trust and bring them into the light, lest we leave them in the dark.

Finally, there are still small in-house concerns that need to be looked at within the Graphic. Diversity in news is great, but it’s not possible without embracing and knowing how to accumulate and manage a diverse staff. This also consists of communication and conflict resolution: Good reporting and good media

require a good team that is capable of communication and resolving conflict as it happens.

This doesn’t just mean having diversity training for POC but having training on what effective communication looks like and how to confront uncomfortable topics and situations to resolve them — not to stir the pot.

The Graphic is an award-winning newspaper and has many admirable qualities when It comes to news literacy, but that doesn’t mean we are perfect. As a news organization, there are many things we can improve upon both internally and externally.

The best part of remaining news literate is that everyone needs to constantly be improving, and the Graphic is no different.

tiffany.hall@pepperdine.edu aj.muonagolu@pepperdine.edu

The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

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Combat misleading information by seeking factual accuracy SAWA YAMAKAWA | ASSISTANT PERSPECTIVES EDITOR Many say 2020 was a year full of misinformation and disinformation. With the evolution of journalism, the monetization of media is perhaps one of the main reasons why there is a lot of inaccurate information on the internet.

One of a journalist’s main duties is to hold those in power accountable. Investigative journalism, such as the coverage of the Watergate scandal, is an example of watchdog journalists using their platforms to call out actions deemed problematic.

Traditionally, watchdogs refer to investigative journalists who gather information by interviewing sources, reviewing articles and conducting research for months and sometimes years to deeply investigate an incident or an institution. Watchdog reporters usually report on the wrongdoings of people in power. They deliver that news to the public for accountability.

By exposing those in power, such as government officials and celebrities, the public is better informed about what is going on in their communities.

Ideally, journalists reveal the controversial actions of democratically elected officials to protect the citizens from their vexed actions — and essentially to keep democracy alive. This is a privilege reporters have in a democratic republic like the United States. In addition, the constitutional protection of a free press grants rights to journalists to report on these topics and monitor the government.

In the digital age, watchdog journalism is evolving. Many non-journalists are now acting as watchdog journalists.

Today, anyone can be on the lookout by simply sharing information online. For better or worse, the internet has allowed many to easily gather information about public figures. In addition, social media allows ordinary people to become paparazzi, as they can easily take a picture and share it just by simply tapping a button.

Some take this too far by stalking public figures, trying to find scoops at any cost. A famous example of this is portrayed through Britney Spears’ documentary, Framing Britney Spears, where she reveals her struggles with paparazzi during her earlier career.

Leah Bae | Staff Artist

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Despite the evident harm caused by such immoral coverage, people like paparazzi continue to engage in uncovering celebrity scandals because their motivation perhaps goes beyond accountability to citizens. Most of the time, their motivation comes from the notion of monetization.

When money becomes the priority, some of the content online lacks factual accuracy. In the age of social media, consumers must be careful with how they interact with content online, especially when the content challenges public figures.

Professional watchdog journalists typically have education or experience in the area of journalism and knowledge in ethical practices and legal considerations. On the other hand, those who solely focus on creating sensational pieces tend to lack the ethical aspect of journalism in their reporting.

It should be noted that, to a certain extent, all content on the internet is monetized. What differentiates between a site like latimes.com and thedirty.com comes down to whether they respect ethical journalism or not. The Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics can indicate if a website contains quality journalism or content just for money.

With an intent to monetize content, people have begun to generate clickbait.

Clickbait is content created specifically to gain “clicks.” From videos to infographics and interviews, anything on the internet can become clickbait. Often, clickbait websites contain misleading information that is purposely created for the sake of clicks. For people with a lack of news literacy, these websites can be dangerous as they feed misinformation.

Jon Pfeiffer, communication professor and entertainment lawyer, said there are many clickbait websites because they generate a lot of ad revenue.

While investigative journalism is time-consuming and requires monetary investments, clickbait requires neither.

Today, misinformation and disinformation are prevalent on the internet. Misinformation refers to information that is factually incorrect,

regardless of its intent to mislead. Contrarily, disinformation refers to deliberately falsified information.

People must understand the difference between legitimate pieces of journalism and monetized content that is oftentimes inaccurate.

Since anyone can be a journalist today, setting a clear boundary between the two is very important.

To evaluate ways to maintain appropriate control over watchdog journalism, there are two approaches to help understand how consumers can become more news literate.

First, consumers need to be mindful of the definition of journalism and its legalities, such as libel laws. In a case where the exposed content has a malicious intent to negatively affect the targeted public figure’s image, the creators responsible should be challenged for defamation.

When it comes to libel cases, private citizens have more protection from libel than public figures and officials do. Public figures and officials must prove actual malice — reckless disregard of the truth — if they are to collect damages. Consequently, public figures have a higher burden of proof. For such cases, truth is the best defense against libel.

Second, consumers should be aware of who is considered a public figure and who is not.

Nowadays, anyone can self-describe themselves as a “public figure” on social media. These public figures influence their audience, and therefore they are typically referred to as “influencers.” While someone like Charli D’Amelio is an example of a successful social media influencer, there are also nano influencers — those with between 1,000 to 10,000 followers on social media.

“If there is income involved with your social media activity, then you should be considered a social media influencer,” Public Relations Professor Klive Oh said.

Since essentially anyone can generate money on social media, there is no legitimate border that separates well-known celebrities from self-proclaimed public figures. Although the size of their influence may be different, having this knowledge can help consumers understand more about defamation and libel cases and how trumped-up stories can damage an individual permanently.

For reporters who are hungry for money, almost every news event is a chance for them to create clickbait content, often involving misinformation. For this reason, it is crucial for the audience to acknowledge that some of these unsupported claims can be manipulative and create division.

It is time we, as consumers, start realizing how news literacy can help eradicate misleading information that defames an individual. Perhaps the ability to determine factual accuracy and human decency are two of the elements that people need today.

sawa.yamakawa@pepperdine.edu

LIFE & ARTS

What does it mean to be part of the visuals team?

GRACE WOOD | STAFF WRITER STELLA ZHANG | STAFF WRITER Visual media — photos, digital artwork, videos and interactive graphics — are the dominant art form in current culture and are an essential part of Pepperdine Graphic Media. Comprised of photographers, artists, video editors and designers, PGM’s visual teams strive to make content more visually appealing to their audience while helping communicate the stories being told, as well as the data and emotional context behind them.

In a digital age where distractions are everywhere, keeping readers entertained and focused is challenging. While writers and editors play important roles in newsrooms, visual teams are equally indispensable because the thing a reader sees when engaging with the news. Although print journalism is becoming less common, photos, art and design still play key roles in keeping readers engaged with online news.

As Art editor, junior Art major Ally Armcreates weekly art assignments for each team with writers who express any ideas for their direction of the art.

“I think the artwork is really important for the story because it sets the tone,” Armstrong said. “When someone looks at the article, the artist has a unique take on what the article is about and what they want to highlight in the art, so I think it adds a unique perspective on the article when you have interesting and eye-catching art to go with it.”

Armstrong said readers may not recognize dia that both informs and resonates with the audience.

“It’s easy to take for granted — it looks like we just whip something up really fast,” Armstrong said. “I hope people know that we go the writer wants and what’s going to go with the article.”

Gary Metzker, a lecturer at California State University, Long Beach and the adviser for its newspaper, the Daily 49er, said strong

and photographer Leah Bae, a junior Biology and Art double major, said she enjoys the process of communicating with writers and conceptualizing ideas to create a piece.

“I love being in PGM because I want to support those who voice out their opinions and the ones with whom I share opinions,” Bae said. “I view topics through arts.”

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, PGM photographers had to make adjustments to their included socially distanced photoshoots, Zoom photoshoots and using photos taken before the are grateful for the photos she and the other photographers produce.

“Everyone in PGM knows working on visuals takes quite a bit of time, but I know that everyone in PGM really appreciates the work artists and photographers put into pieces, so

in the story they are reading.

“We, as designers, acknowledge that content is king, and what we do gets the readers’ eyes onto the content,” Metzker said. “Headlines, pictures and captions are all ways we can

Senior Economics major Marisa Dragos is the head video producer at PGM who produces weekly video segments for the Graphic’s video news show, GNews. Dragos said video helps audience members connect the news by being able to recognize a familiar face, as well as see the stories they read in a visual format.

Due to COVID-19, much of the footage Dragos used is recorded by GNews crew members scattered all over the country. During the February snowstorms in Texas, Dragos and her crew incorporated video footage from Pepperdine students who were there enduring the storms.

“I think stories like that you can read, but

into the content, how do we keep the reader entertained? How do we keep their brain focused? Everything is interrupting your focus of reading the story unless we as designers can

happening,” Dragos said. “Instead of a journalist far away writing the story, you have somebody who is sitting there in a house that’s like 50 degrees, telling you how they feel.”

a reader engaging with an article or skipping over it entirely. Members of the visual teams must compete with distractions like social me-

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keep you visually entertained as well.”

The visual teams constantly respond to breaking news events with compelling images, artwork and page design. Graphic Photo Editor Ali Levens, a sophomore Journalism major, is responsible for the photos that go on the pages and website. tographers, edits the photos once they are uploaded and creates captions. Her job, however, goes much deeper than that, and Levens said she takes great care to curate photos that catch the reader’s eye and the emotion behind the story.

“Photos are the gateway into the story,” Levens said. “As photographers, we don’t just show up and take the pictures: There is lots of preparation to do, like understanding the context of the article and think about how to capture the scene and what position to stand.”

Artists and designers said they collaborate with writers to brainstorm ideas for the visuals

The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

Ally Armstrong | Art Editor Sometimes photos, videos and art are not the only way to tell a story visually, Metzker said. Infographics, especially when supplemented with informative captions and a key, can help break down data referenced in a story in a more digestible way for readers.

“When you have a graphic, you don’t have to repeat the information in a story — you’ve given the people a visual they can see and they can comprehend what you’re talking about,” Metzker said.

Lead Designer Isabella Teague is a senior Advertising major. She designs the front page — called A1 — of each Graphic issue, closely working with the News section to highlight the important reporting done on that week’s breaking news stories.

“When designing, I try to look at how to bring the story to life,” Teague said.

Teague spends time reading the LA Times, other schools’ newspapers and magazine layouts to gain inspiration before designing. She said she thinks a functional design serves an important role, conveying the mood of the reporting with an interesting use of the headline.

“It’s all about mood,” Teague said. “Everyone judges a book by its cover, it’s the same with newspaper.”

Armstrong said she feels the PGM visuals team works hard behind the scenes to make the Graphic exciting and informative for readers.

“I really enjoy working with my team; I think I’ve met a lot of really dedicated individuals,” Armstrong said. “We have a really great team of people who are committed to really good journalism.”

grace.wood@pepperdine.edu stella.zhang3@pepperdine.edu

Entertainment journalists discuss ‘beneath the fluff’ KAYLA KAHRL | STAFF WRITER ADDISON WHITEN | STAFF WRITER Within the field of journalism, there are many unique subfields, but only one involves reporting live from a red carpet, surrounded by stars: entertainment journalism.

Entertainment journalism includes coverage of the entertainment industry, the lives of celebrities and reviews of different art forms.

Entertainment journalist and Pepperdine alumna Gabby Gonta (2018) said although some people may look down on the types of stories she writes, they can be just as important as typical news stories.

“There are so many times when the entertainment world intersects with these more prominent issues like sexual assault, as we saw with the Me Too movement that was so powerful and promoted some real change,” Gonta, a former Graphic staff member, said. “Underneath the fluff that some people think entertainment news is, there are actual real important stories that need to be told.”

After graduating from Pepperdine, Gonta earned a master’s degree in entertainment journalism from the University of Southern California. She now works as a full-time entertainment journalist at Shared News, an entertainment news show on YouTube.

“As an entertainment journalist, our job is basically to bridge the gap between the glitz and the glamour of Hollywood to the average person,” Gonta said.

Entertainment journalists get to interview creatives and find out what is at the heart of their work. Kristin Vartan, a Pepperdine alumna (2018) and former Graphic staff member, said she often does this in her own work. After completing the same University of Southern California graduate program as Gonta, Vartan now works as a broadcast journalist for 23ABC News in Bakersfield, Calif. While she mainly focuses on local news, she sometimes gets to

Photo Courtesy of @gabbygonta Alum Gabby Gonta poses for a selfie in front of her microphone in a Jan. 15 Instagram post. Gonta said the entertainment world intersects with prominent issues in the world.

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Photo Courtesy of @kristinvartan Alum Kristin Vartan recaps the 2021 Oscars on 23ABC in an Instagram Reel on April 26. Vartan said entertainment journalism brings people relationships with the people they see on the screen.

cover topics related to entertainment, and said she loves working in that space.

“Entertainment journalism is a story within a story,” Vartan said. “You’re essentially conveying what the writer, the actor or the musician put onto a page or put onto a screen, and your job is to do that story justice but also put your own taste and spin on it too with the way you write the story.”

In addition to stereotypical entertainment journalists who cover red carpets or celebrity news, Gonta said critics of film, TV and music are also entertainment journalists. People like famed film critic Roger Ebert and Anthony Fantano, a music critic who posts reviews on YouTube to over 2 million subscribers, are just as much entertainment journalists as any red carpet interviewer.

“There’s a million movies, a million TV shows, so much music out there, and there’s just not enough time to go through it all,” Gonta said. “The person who has that job is basically saying, ‘This is worth your time, and this is not.’ So critics and music reviewers, those types of entertainment journalists, have a very important role.”

Within the field of entertainment journalism, there is a wide variety of niches for reporters to focus on. Gonta created her own niche in reporting reality television news, specifically “The Bachelor” on ABC. She said she started it in her bedroom during quarantine because she needed something to do.

“I’ve watched ‘The Bachelor’ for many years and I just realized one day I wanted to start my own show about doing entertainment news and I thought to myself, ‘What subject am I an expert on and what can I talk about while also showing my personality?’” Gonta said.

On Shared News, Gonta covers current events from popular reality TV shows like

“The Bachelor,” “Dancing with the Stars” and “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” For each show, Gonta said she has to research the story, which typically entails finding out which TV shows are renewed, what music is releasing or what the people in Bachelor Nation are doing.

She then writes a script and records video segments before posting the final 10 to 30 minute video.

Entertainment journalists not only conduct research when writing their stories but also before interviews or big events. Vartan had the opportunity to cover the 2020 American Music Awards and interviewed country singers Dan and Shay, who won three awards that night.

“I always like to ask [the] question that no one else asks because I did the extra digging,” Vartan said. “When you’re in entertainment, whether you’re a musician or you’re an actor, that’s what you do. You really study the sound or you study the character to their core, because you’re becoming the character or you’re interpreting the music, and I want to do the same thing.”

Entertainment journalists give the public the opportunity to learn about their favorite celebrities through reading stories and watching interviews about them.

“You get to know them as a real person, so it’s just a way to connect with people on a different level,” Vartan said. “We are bringing people relationships with the people that they see on the screen.”

kayla.kahrl@pepperdine.edu addison.whiten@pepperdine.edu

“I believe in the power of storytelling, and I value the creative freedom that we are given as PGM students.” - IVY MOORE, CURRENTS ASSISTANT EDITOR

“I am involved in the Graphic because I believe in the power of storytelling.

Every person, every voice and every quote makes me feel like I am living my purpose.” - BETH GONZALES, ASSISTANT LIFE & ARTS EDITOR

Graphic during remote learning, and never did I think I could meet a group of people so connected as the members of PGM.” - LEAH BAE, STAFF ARTIST

The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

“As a major sports fan, working for the Graphic also keeps me close to the action and gives me a window into players and coaches, and I love being able to share that with our readers and listeners.”

- PAXTON RITCHEY, SPORTS EDITOR

vidual, and I’d like to think I’m a bit of a news hound. So it was a natural choice to get involved, and not to mention the fantastic people that I’ve met and had lots of fun with.” - JOSEPH ALLGOOD, STAFF WRITER

“I have learned so much since becoming a member of the Graphic.

One of the most important things for me was about remaining true to what you write and believe.” - EMILY CHASE, PERSPECTIVES ASSISTANT

“The Graphic cares about the students and staff at Pepperdine and really does work hard to tell stories that make a difference.” - ABBY WILT, NEWS ASSISTANT “I’m involved with the Graphic because I’m passionate about writing, editing and leadership, all of which I practice in my role this semester.”

- ROWAN TOKE, MANAGING EDITOR

“In my four years on the Graphic, I have learned that it’s OK to not be okay after covering a difficult story, you can find family in the workplace and each project is a collaborative effort — you’re never in it alone.” - KAELIN MENDEZ, HEAD PODCAST PRODUCER 31

Inside

“I am involved in the Graphic because I wanted a meaningful way to share important messag the student body of Pepperdine.” - CHRISTIAN PARHAM, ASSISTANT PERSPECTIVES E

“My favorite part about being a part of the Graphic is getting to be a part of such a hard working team that really gets excited to get good work out the front door.”

- ISABELLA TEAGUE, LEAD DESIGNER

“I got involved with the Graphic because I’ve always been a curious indi-

“I first got involved in the Graphic the beginning of my freshman year. Coming into Pepperdine, I didn’t plan on joining, but after meeting staff members of the Graphic, I knew this was a group whose values and mission I wanted to be a part of, and that continues to hold true now.” - EMILY SHAW, PIXEL EDITOR

“I want people to know that the Graphic cares about everyone. We do what we do because we love Pepperdine University and the people at Pepperdine.”

- SAWA YAMAKAWA, ASSISTANT PERSPECTIVES EDITOR

“I am involved with the Graphic because I wanted to create a podcast that cultivated a sense of community and provided a meaningful connection to other Pepperdine students.” - CELINE FOREMAN, PODCAST PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

“The Graphic works really hard to create quality informational content for the Pepperdine community.” - ALEC MATULKA, COPY EDITOR

“I like to know what’s going on in the world, and I’ve found the best way to do that and pursue my passion for art has been through working on staff.”

MADELINE DUVALL, STAFF ARTIST

Photospread by Ali Levens | Photo Editor Design by Nathan Huang | Life & Arts Design Assistant

“I am involved in the Graphic because I am passionate about journalism and I love being a part of a community that is so important to Pepperdine.”

- JILLIAN JOHNSON, SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM

“It’s so important for me to have this outlet so I can prepare myself for a career as a journalist and highlight the stories I think are most important for the Pepperdine community to hear about.”

- GRACE WOOD, STAFF WRITER

“I have learned to never go into an interview with a story in mind but to allow the interviewee to tell their own story.”

- KARL WINTER, PODCAST PRODUCER: SPORTSWAVES AND STAFF WRITER

“Currents Magazine is an incredible opportunity to tell deeper stories about the Pepperdine community. On production staff, we review all of the pieces many times and I feel like I get to know people as they courageously share often vulnerable stories.” - MARISA DRAGOS, CURRENTS ASSISTANT EDITOR

“I have learned just how united people can be despite being separated physically. I joined the

“I love Currents because of how deeply it allows us as writers to connect with our stories. They change and evolve so much over the course of the semester and the end product is always incredibly beautiful.”

- MARLEY PENAGOS, CURRENTS PRODUCTION ASSISTANT I

ges with EDITOR

“[People] should join the Graphic if they want to grow a heart for Pepperdine. After your many hours of interviews, writing and editing, you may come to more deeply appreciate all of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes at Pepperdine.”

- CLAIRE LEE, STAFF WRITER

PGM

“Working with the newsroom at PGM has been such a delight. Everyone is so warm and inviting, and they impress me daily with their commitment to the truth — particularly in the face of adversity (fires, power outages, a pandemic).” - BRYANT LONEY, MARKETING COORDINATOR AND SENIOR EDITION EDITOR The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

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Pepp community voices opinions about today’s news media, PGM BETH GONZALES | ASSISTANT LIFE & ARTS EDITOR

Pepperdine Graphic Media contributes to media at large by providing news for an entire collegiate community and the surrounding area. PGM is a media outlet for students who have consumed an array of news for most of their lives. While the way news is delivered continues to change and social media advances, sources speak about the criticism and hope for the future they see regarding news media.

The Pepperdine community shared their opinions regarding news credibility, PGM and how they think media will and should change. According to Gallup, 45% of Americans see a great deal of bias in news media, up from 25% in 1989 and a majority cannot name a source that reports news objectively.

Sources said they would like to see more diverse sources, credibility and thorough reporting across all news outlets.

“If mainstream media ceased to exist, people would find out how important it is, but I wouldn’t want to see the results of that,” Journalism Professor Ken Waters said.

Waters said journalism was created to hold the powerful politicians and world leaders accountable.

He believes with honest and accurate reporting, this shouldn’t be difficult.

“That’s the human dimension, where mainstream media is aware and saying, ‘Yeah, I’m making decisions, and they’re based upon my judgment, and my judgment has bias in it, but I am trying to be as accurate and honest to get as many viewpoints as possible and tell the story without interjecting my opinion into it,’” Waters said.

In 2021, when people say “news,” they can mean a lot of different platforms. Sources said while they scroll through their social media platforms, they are overloaded with stories daily, and choosing which is credible can be difficult.

Junior Alyssa Rabie said she mainly gets her news through online sources such as The New York Times and social media. When it comes to social media, Rabie said most people will re-post news and she will check the original source of other posts she sees. If the account is verified, she will usually trust it.

“I think social media is a really powerful tool to keep people educated these days, especially since our generation doesn’t read newspapers or watch news as much,” Rabie said.

People posting on their stories or feeds, Rabie said, helps spread awareness of current issues, especially social justice issues.

Rabie said she feels televised news is more generational because her parents and grandparents still prefer it. However, she said she only knows the world she was born into, which is the world of the internet.

All sources said they feel news is biased, and they think twice before believing what they are told. They also fact check while they consume their daily news.

Bias in the news might be heightened right now, Waters said, because of social media and the contest to produce and publish information. News occurs, and within minutes, stories from various news out-

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The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

lets are on Twitter. The reporting cannot be done as thoroughly as it should if the race to get content out and make the most money is on the forefront of most publications’ minds.

“Change is normal and natural; technology has forced change where people haven’t maybe wanted it,” Waters said. “One thing that technology has done is remove the gatekeeper. In mainstream media, you have your editors who supposedly are better educated and more experienced than the reporters, so they can ask questions and make sure that reporting is done in the most professional way possible.”

When it comes to deeming news credible, Waters said it has a lot to do with a publication and whether it has a reputation for being accurate, honest and ethical. This involves giving a voice to all different perspectives and information, which he said can be hard to do.

“Some of the ways we do journalism are a problem because then it’s ‘he said, she said,’” Waters said. “And who am I going to put first? Well, I resonate with this person’s viewpoint, so I’ll put their viewpoint first and then I’ll bring in a counter argument down toward the bottom and hope most people don’t even read that.”

Theresa de los Santos, communication professor and NewsWaves adviser, said she deems her news credible when it comes from professional, trained journalists who work for reputable, non-partisan news outlets.

“Consumers should examine multiple sources in the hope that diverse viewpoints shed greater light on a topic and help them identify misinformation,” de los Santos said.

Articles that include a variety of credible sources and provide necessary background information are more trustworthy, Political Science Professor Brian Newman said.

“I’m skeptical of stories that seem like I’m getting a single or simplified vantage point on whatever’s being reported, whether it’s because of a reliance on a single source or a thin or non-existent discussion of context,” Newman said.

Rabie finds broadcast news on television to be more biased, she said.

“I think there’s 100% of bias in modern media,” Rabie said. “People are so divided these days because it’s so easy for you to just read the information that you want and then you think everyone’s reading that.”

The world is in a cultural period where

Madeline Duvall | Staff Artist

people do not trust as much in general, Waters said, and people are deeming themselves as their only source of authority, while undermining truth, science and religion as sources of authority.

“We’re at a point where we don’t accept anything people say unless that reinforces what we already believe,” Waters said. “Why don’t we find a way to help people believe, a little more rationally, and then they can make better decisions and see what appears in the news and ask their own questions about whether they should believe that is truth?”

The news and constant access to all information, Rabie said, can be overwhelming; she often has to take a break.

“I stopped reading my New York Times emails and getting on social media because I couldn’t handle this much news — I didn’t want to know,” Rabie said. “But that’s not probably best for my duty as a citizen.”

When we did not have the internet, Rabie said, the news was localized to your area or country. But now, almost instantly, everyone knows about every issue going on globally, and she said this has caused an emotional toll.

There is an immense amount of news sources and in the social climate of 2021, Newman said people love criticizing the news, and he often wonders what people mean when they say “the media.”

“My sense is people have particular media outlets in mind when they criticize — not all media coverage,” Newman said. “I also sense people are quick to criticize coverage of something they don’t like — a story that makes their party or favorite public figures look bad — as biased. I try to remember that, just because I don’t like the information, doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”

When it comes to the future of journalism, Waters said he sees hope in college students and that society should be educating elementary and junior high students on news literacy.

“There’s always that hope that the next generation will say, ‘Well, the Baby Boomers screwed it up, and the millennials are screwing it up, so let’s see what we can do,’” Waters said.

De los Santos said she believes journalism is in a time of reckoning.

“The most inspiring sign to me is that the profession is really valuing and celebrating transparency and new ways of reporting and telling stories,” de los Santos said. “There’s no doubt that the news industry still faces major trust challenges. But, when you couple these advances with the fact that social media and other tools are forcing journalists to be more accountable to the public, there is reason to be optimistic.”

In regards to PGM, Rabie said it was not on her radar, but now she loves the stories covering Pepperdine-related news.

Including a wider range of student voices and finding more ways to interact and engage with students, Rabie said, would increase readership within PGM. “I think definitely having a variety of sources and viewpoints represented would increase readership and more exposure,” Rabie said. “Honestly, a lot of people don’t even know about it and that it is a news source they can go to that Pepperdine offers.”

Newman said he always enjoyed grabbing a copy of the Graphic at the entrance of the Appleby Center and he looks forward to reading new articles every week. During the pandemic, he has enjoyed the Pixel newsletter.

“I scan through the articles looking for articles by or about students,” Newman said. “I also enjoy reading student perspectives and getting a sense of what students are doing, thinking about, laughing at and upset about.”

Pepperdine Graphic Media is a source for students, staff and everyone who makes up this community, and de los Santos said she appreciates

PGM’s transparency when it comes to reporting on student life and the Malibu area.

“I like that PGM is already on the forefront of providing context for readers about the reporting process and your sources,” de los Santos said.

Makena Huey, senior and executive editor of Pepperdine Graphic Media, said she is proud of her team, but as with anything, there is room for improvement.

“We need to be inclusive in the sources we interview to avoid quoting the same student leaders or only speaking with people who look and think like we do,” Huey said.

Having a newsroom that is more diverse and representative of the students, Huey said, can help the community give voice to more student experiences and concerns.

“It is important we continue to increase transparency surrounding our policies and editorial decisions to help our audience understand what we do and why,” Huey said.

Nonetheless, Huey said she is excited for the future of PGM as leaders continue to engage with and earn the trust of the community.

With differing opinions on how to sustain the credibility of mass media throughout the nation, sources agree it is vital that the human race uses critical thinking to create an empathetic and loving world — through the power of news media.

“I hope that those media outlets that are trying to be honest and have integrity with accuracy and objectivity in how they report, will continue to do so, because it’ll drown out and mitigate one-sided information,” Waters said.

beth.gonzales@pepperdine.edu

The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

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SPORTS

Sports journalism evolves in the age of social media AUSTIN HALL | STAFF WRITER JUSTIN TOUHEY | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR The emergence of social media has changed the way many industries operate. From updates on scores to real-time highlights and postgame content that makes morning-after print stories look archaic, sports journalism is no exception.

Platforms like Instagram and Twitter have become an integral part of sports reporting and have started to take over many traditional platforms, including newspapers and television.

Kyle Cajero, a Pepperdine and Graphic alumnus who is currently the Pepperdine graduate assistant for athletic communications and social media, said the most important way to connect Pepperdine Athletics with the fans during the pandemic has been through social media.

“I would argue that social media presence is more important than traditional journalism, especially in the Los Angeles market,” Cajero said. “For sports at Pepperdine, social media is more valuable than ever because the LA Times is not going to come to campus and cover us, so getting the word out there any way you can on Twitter or Instagram gives us more traffic.”

How Social Media is Changing Sports Journalism Social media is now one of the most important parts of the sports experience and has changed the way information from games and athletes is expressed. People have access to hundreds of different sources of information, regardless of a person’s credentials. Platforms such as Barstool Sports and “The Pat McAfee Show” offer new content that utilizes social media apps to create content for their fans.

Jason Krutzsch, vice president for marketing, content and communications at the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, said more people can become content creators because of social media platforms.

“Everybody is a content producer now because they all have platforms and phones to create and distribute content,” Krutzsch said.

“Everything we do now from an event planning standpoint is focused on creating content for our channels to build awareness for our event.”

Alumnus Arthur Puu (2018), a former Graphic staff member, works on the social media team for ESPN. He said social media outlets cater to the consumer in a way the industry has never seen.

“All of these methods, in essence, help the average fan,” Puu said. “Growing up, we didn’t really have that. We would have to sit and watch a three-hour game or ‘SportsCenter’ after to know what was going on.”

Cajero said Twitter has been the most valuable platform for him, as it provides him with updates quicker and easier than other social media platforms.

The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

Potential Problems with Social Media in Sports With nearly every game, stat and story at the fingertips of a worldwide audience, social media in sports can lead to some minor downsides.

Puu said the abundance of coverage can sometimes take away from sports and the athletes.

“Now, there’s just so much information out there,” Puu said. “It’s not completely a bad thing but Art by Autumn Hardwick say, for example, you saw five straight posts about LeBron James; it can Puu said he sees a focal point in the ESPN get very repetitive and takes away from the social media department: availability of congame. It’s sometimes hard to sift through.” tent and reaching a worldwide audience.

Krutzsch said breaking stories is no longer “The biggest thing for the big companies is a niche and social media allows more people to how it will reach a further audience,” Puu said. participate.

“Not just other parts of the country but other “Everybody has the ability to break news at parts of the world. Think about how Twitter all times and we used to have specialists that Spaces and Clubhouse are trying to bring simwould chase stories,” Krutzsch said. “I can ilar interests together — maybe there’s a way only imagine that this will continue, and I am for sports to do that.” curious to see what kind of content develops Cajero said creating a strong following on when events return to full capacity again.” social media requires personality, and those When live sports returned after the that do not have one will struggle even if their COVID-19 shutdown, viewership did not pick work is good. up where it left off. The 2020 NBA Finals had “You need to sell yourself as a presence now the lowest recorded television viewership rat- more than a body of work,” Cajero said. “I ing in league history. Data from Forbes suggests feel like speed over accuracy is more importthe intertwining of sports and politics played a ant now. I don’t really like that this is the case significant part in the viewership plummet. right now, but unfortunately that seems the Puu said the fusion of politics with sports way things are headed now.” and empty stadiums contributed to the historiRavech said while the 2020-2021 sports cally low numbers. calendar had reasons for concern, sports and “Going to a game live is such a big part of how they’re covered aren’t changing overall. it,” Puu said. “Being able to see the players and “Regardless of anything that happened this sometimes interact with them gets so much year, live sports are not going anywhere,” Ramore engagement. And with the political situ- vech said. “There’s no substitute for it. There ations that were going on, from kneeling for the will always be people that may prefer to watch anthem or Black Lives Matter protests — right a three-minute highlight after the game, but or wrong — it definitely turned some people the live experience will exist forever.” away from it.”

Cajero said social media has affected sports journalism and has seen it first hand in the What’s Next For Sports Journalism places he has worked.

“I worked at a newspaper in Idaho for a Alumnus Sam Ravech (2017) is a college year, and the hardest part was that they were baseball and basketball play-by-play announc- not tech savvy and did not know how to break er for ESPN. He said ratings taking a dip news on social media,” Cajero said. “Working doesn’t skew his employer’s vision. within an organization like that taught me the “ESPN is trying to make their content es- gap between people who grew up in the digital sential to viewers,” Ravech said. “And they’re age and those that did not. One of the guys I doing their darndest expanding their platform worked with did not even have a cell phone.”

— just look at ESPN+. Numbers might be down, but I don’t think it’s a drought. People austin.hall@pepperdine.edu want everything immediately, so companies justin.touhey@pepperdine.edu like ESPN have the challenge of how to adapt.”

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Photo Illustration by Ali Levens | Photo Editor (left to right) Ashley Lahey, Trinity Watson and Jayda Ruffus-Milner

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The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

Under the microscope: College athletes embrace public status PAXTON RITCHEY | SPORTS EDITOR In an April 2 tweet, Pepperdine Men’s Basketball senior guard Colbey Ross declared his intentions to enter the 2021 NBA draft. For Ross, who earned a national profile for breaking numerous school records and producing heroic performances in the WCC tournament, the announcement brought a deluge of attention and well-wishes.

The tweet has been retweeted over 230 times and liked over 1,270 times, as of April 30. By comparison, on the same day, Pepperdine’s official Twitter account released a story about the first COVID-19 vaccine clinic on campus. That tweet has been liked 24 times and retweeted twice.

Star athletes like Ross are some of the biggest figures on campus, but with that spotlight can come scrutiny. Like professional athletes, collegiate athletes are public figures but ones who also deal with the extra stresses of growing up, going to school and representing both themselves and the institution they play for.

“I do feel like I am a figure that people might look up to,” said Trinity Watson, a junior and women’s soccer defender. “I think it’s important to be a role model and a leader that people will want to be like, ‘Oh, I want to be like her.’”

College athletes serve as figures and role models in a variety of ways. Die-hard fans start dissecting film of recruits in high school, trying to be the first to predict their sport’s next superstar. Younger players see Division I athletes as heroes and the personification of their own dreams and goals. And for students and alumni, the athletes are the catalyst for the pride that comes with their school’s success.

“Competing and getting to represent the school was a really, really special experience for me,” said Ashley Lahey, a graduate student and Women’s Tennis player.

For the more scholarly-minded, there’s evidence that athletic success can lead to academic prestige. Just ask fellow WCC school Gonzaga.

Since 1998, when Gonzaga Men’s Basketball began an unprecedented run of dominance that catapulted them onto the national stage, undergraduate applications are up 356% and the endowment has increased by 378%, according to a Spokane Journal article. The influx of money and students has in part allowed the school to hire an additional 171 faculty members.

The cyclical promise of sports tying into a university’s branding also prompted Pepperdine’s ambitious $250 million plan for a new arena and event center.

But in the age of social media, athletes aren’t always only known for what they do within their sport, and the branding the University seeks can sometimes manifest itself in ugly ways.

During a livestream of the April 5 NCAA Men’s Basketball championship game between eventual champion Baylor and the aforementioned Gonzaga, Barstool Sports podcaster Dan “Big Cat” Katz repeatedly name-dropped Pepperdine in an expletive-filled rant criticizing Gonzaga’s schedule, causing the Waves to

trend nationally on Twitter for over 24 hours.

In an even more sinister example, a Pepperdine Men’s Basketball player received death threats from a sports bettor during the 2019 WCC tournament.

Even when Waves athletes are doing the talking for themselves, they proceed with caution.

“You just have to watch what you post and watch what you do, too,” Watson said. “Obviously, people can get anything on camera, so I think having a good head on your shoulders is something that has good outcomes.”

While still in school, athletes are bound by strict NCAA regulations that maintain their amateur status. College athletes who have large followings on social media platforms such as Instagram can’t accept money for a sponsored post or an autograph without making themselves and their school ineligible.

“I just need to focus on playing and having a good time,” Watson said. “In the beginning, kind of, in high school I’d be like, ‘Oh, I wish I could be sponsored by this,’ or I would try and get sponsored by Pura Vida or stuff like that, lame stuff. But honestly, it doesn’t bother me.”

You just have to watch what you post and watch what you do, too.

Obviously, people can get everything on camera.

TRINITY WATSON WOMEN’S SOCCER As a tennis player, Lahey is in the rare position of being able to play in professional tournaments during the collegiate offseason. If Lahey wins prize money, she is allowed to reimburse herself for travel and food costs, since she must operate at all pro events separate from Pepperdine, but she is required to return the rest.

“It’s very biased, but I don’t like that we can’t make more than we spend,” Lahey said.

“I think that there’s a difference between – as an amateur, you shouldn’t be able to accept hundreds of thousands of dollars for wearing a certain brand or whatever, but if I’m going to go play a tournament and I get prize money, I think that I should be able to keep the prize money. That’s different from endorsements and stuff. I don’t like keeping track of my receipts.”

Even if prize money may not be on the horizon, the tide is turning on athlete money-making opportunities. Starting with California in September 2019, several states and now Con-

gress are challenging the NCAA on its name, image and likeness laws, arguing student-athletes should be able to “make money off their name, image and likeness with the fewest restrictions possible,” according to a February bill from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.

In a 2019 response letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom, who supported the first NIL bill in the state, the NCAA said in part: “The NCAA continues to focus on the best interests of all student-athletes nationwide.

NCAA member schools already are working on changing rules for all student-athletes [...] but not pay them to play. The NCAA has consistently stood by its belief that student-athletes are students first, and they should not be employees of the university.”

Even if the NCAA thinks of collegiate athletes as students first, the athletes know their potential outreach is far more extensive than the average college student. Although they can’t be actual influencers or endorsers while in school, many universities are encouraging their athletes to use social media after leaving.

The University of Nebraska has introduced a program in their curriculum that specifically helps student-athletes get the most out of their personal brands after college.

More often, athletes are using their platforms to speak out. Redshirt sophomore and women’s basketball player Jayda Ruffus-Milner serves on the Waves Leadership Council for athletes and took on a vocal role during this summer’s racial justice movement.

“One of the first things that we did was having certain panelists – I was on the panel – just speak about their perspective, their Black perspective of what’s going on,” Ruffus-Milner said in a podcast interview with the Graphic.

“I thought that was super important because if you don’t have that many Black friends — if you come from a very privileged background — it’s important for you to hear the voices of people it’s directly affecting.”

Watson said the past year has made her want to promote messages of “power, unity and positivity,” and that she’s growing more mindful of her impact and the opportunities that come with having a following.

“I never really thought about that, like I’m honestly just kind of here to play and do what I love, but I’ve been thinking about it lately,” Watson said. “I do have a platform where I can use my voice, and to have a voice and have a say and make change is something that’s really powerful.”

paxton.ritchey@pepperdine.edu

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Toeing the line: perspective of a student-athlete and student journalist KARL WINTER | STAFF WRITER

Among other titles, I am a Pepperdine undergraduate student, Pepperdine student-athlete, Pepperdine Athletics employee and Graphic student journalist.

Anytime I write a story for the Sports section of the Graphic, I grapple with the journalistic integrity of reporting on the successes and failures of my fellow student-athletes.

I would like to portray the school, athletic department and friends whom I love in the best possible light, but, as an aspiring journalist, I also must be true to my duty of seeking truth and accurately reporting the facts, no matter how unsavory.

Occasionally, the athletic department is not thrilled about what I write, and I do not want to jeopardize my relationships with the leadership of Pepperdine Athletics.

Kyle Cajero, communication graduate assistant for Pepperdine Athletics, has also been a student-athlete and student journalist for the Graphic, though not at the same time.

“While it is probably not the best, ethics-wise, to be a student-athlete and to also be a fan and also cover the sport, the flip side to that is that you genuinely care about everyone that you’re covering,” Cajero said.

This balancing act is unique to the experience of a student journalist in sports.

Handling Conflict of Interest As part of its editorial policy, Pepperdine Graphic Media does not allow affiliation with Student Government Association, but this policy does not bar athletes from joining PGM because athletics does not fall under the press’ role as a watchdog of the government. Other than SGA, the Graphic’s policies do not prevent its members from being a part of other student groups and organizations, but we exercise caution when covering things near and dear to our own hearts.

If a story pitch relates to my own team, I don’t write it; someone else on the Graphic’s staff takes it. In fact, we rarely use our own staff as sources on any story — this one is an exception.

But those basic rules are the easy part.

The difficult part is when my sources and subjects are my friends, classmates and fellow student-athletes, who sometimes share information that may not be fit to print. They may say something vulgar, share health issues of teammates or share information that would likely get them into hot water with the athletic department — things they would not say on the record if we were not friends.

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The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

Senior Sports Editor Paxton Ritchey, who also works for the athletic department as part of the video crew, said he occasionally feels obligated to tell a friend when a question is for a story or “just for me.”

“It’s a weird dynamic,” Ritchey said. “The way you text somebody, or email somebody, professionally versus just casually texting your friends is so different. It’s really weird to go through my texts and realize that I’ve switched back and forth.”

It really is a business at that point. We have to do a lot more masking of emotions than those seasoned industry professionals.

PAXTON RITCHEY SPORTS EDITOR When I text a fellow student-athlete and friend for the inside scoop on a team, I too often tell them outright whether I’m asking for myself or for a potential story. I also occasionally have to tell them I cannot grant them anonymity for telling me trivial inside information.

For example, telling me who’s pitching tomorrow might help me do my job, but it does not reach any journalist’s standard for granting anonymity.

Staff Writer Calvin Wood is in the rare position of exclusively covering his former teammates, who he said are good at “flipping the switch” between friend and source.

After three years of playing for Pepperdine Baseball, Wood joined the Graphic to cover the team. Wood said he garnered “snickers” when he first interviewed his friends on the team.

“They think it’s funny, but as soon as I ask a question to them — they’ve been asked all those questions before, so they know how to handle it,” Wood said.

At its core, journalism is about storytelling and building relationships, and in that sense,

being a student journalist in sports is not so different from professional journalism. We do not necessarily need to separate our work from our casual relationships and friendships because relationships and trust are part of the work.

“As long as you build trust with people, and not break that, then sure, it maybe could lead to an awkward conversation where you do have to clarify, ‘Can I use this for a story?’”

Cajero said. “Or, ‘Can I use this information at all?’ But generally, that’s better than not doing that.”

Wood, Cajero and I also can easily relate to our interviewees because we share, or shared, their college experience of being a student-athlete. Often, they’ll be kind enough to ask me about my own season and training before I can ask them about theirs.

Mitigating Fandom “No cheering in the press box” is a cardinal rule of sports journalism, and while we avoid literally cheering when covering a competition, there is no doubt which team we root for.

Sports are often emotional, especially when you want your friends and fellow Waves to succeed.

“I had such a hard time with that, just because, at the end of the day, you’re all on the same team,” Cajero said. “It’s more fun to cover a winning game than a losing game.”

Cajero and I have covered high school sports, where you cannot point out mistakes or errors since the subjects are children, but Division I athletics is a new ballgame. Collegiate coaches and student-athletes at the collegiate level are not afraid to identify points of struggle and needs for improvement, which helps us write the story after a loss without pointing out mistakes ourselves.

“It would make no sense, logically speaking, to lambaste your own team and then have to cover them day in and day out,” Cajero said.

Since we do cover the same teams, coaches and student-athletes throughout our time in school, student journalists toe the line between asking tough questions and being lenient for their own school.

We are not the athletic department itself, which does not speak to coaches and players at all after a loss, but we are also not a national media outlet without any personal connection to the student-athletes.

We know the pain of a poor performance, a gut-wrenching loss or a season or career coming to an end, and we must put it aside for the interviews.

Photo Illustration by Ali Levens Photos Courtesy of Ali Levens and Karl Winter (clockwise from bottom right) Junior Staff Writer Karl Winter smiles after running a school-record time of 3:45 in the 1500 meters at Azusa Pacific University April 10, 2021; Winter runs during a 5000 meter race at Westmont College Feb. 13, 2021; Winter prepares for an interview with a recording device April 27, 2021; Winter interviews Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Scott Wong over Zoom April 8, 2021; Winter poses with senior Sports Editor Paxton Ritchey (left) while anchoring coverage of Blue and Orange Madness Oct. 11, 2019; Winter and other members of the cross country team support Women’s Volleyball with signs at a home match Oct 24, 2019.

“In a lot of ways, it would be easier to just go to some random school or random team and cover them because you don’t have the same investment in your school,” Ritchey said. “It really is a business at that point. We have to do a lot more masking of emotions than those seasoned industry professionals.”

In a way, these emotions improve the story. We must allow them to show through the sources, but sharing them as a fan can allow us to better convey the story.

Earning Respect We are just that — student journalists.

We are still studying and learning to do our jobs by trial and error. But what does that mean for a coach or athlete? Do they respect our work less because we are not professionals?

“Youth is a pretty big obstacle for people to overcome,” Cajero said. “Especially within your first five or six years as a journalist, and I haven’t gotten there yet. It is so hard for younger people to get some of these more esteemed and older coaches on the record.”

For example, Duke Men’s Basketball Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski gave a snarky response to a question from a student journalist after a loss, refusing to put the loss in perspective.

Thankfully, the head coaches at Pepperdine give us the time of day and more.

The coaches are generally personable and receptive, perhaps because the Graphic is often the only outlet covering their team.

Head Coaches Scott Wong and Kristen Dowling said they and their athletes read the stories we write about their teams and other stories. I trust that they’re being honest because I’ve built a rapport with each of them throughout my time covering their teams, and I am confident my work

reflects their teams well.

“I think they appreciate that they’re being written about and I think it informs the school — the rest of the student body, who maybe doesn’t know,” Dowling said.

“It absolutely adds value.”

Though I’ll likely never know as much about volleyball as Wong, he answers my questions in ways that balance volleyball jargon with digestible information.

Ritchey said he wants the coaches to know he puts a lot of thought into his questions, so they will do the same in their answers.

“You show your knowledge in the question,” Wong said. “That gives you a little bit more credibility.”

Wong and Dowling said they’ve never been trained to avoid certain topics with the media other than personal information, but Wong said he tries to keep his interviews positive.

“I’d never want to humiliate any one of our players,” Wong said. “I always want to highlight the players that are really doing some great things.”

Dowling also said she tries to stay “even-keel” after wins or losses rather than getting too emotional about either.

That eternal optimism means we sometimes navigate cliches, but that’s true of all journalism.

If they respect our work, the Pepperdine coaches and student-athletes are much more likely to give us meaningful quotes. The student-athletes can often relate to us more effectively than the coaches because they too are learning and growing during a formative time in our lives.

“We’re allowed to have relationships with the people that we’re growing up alongside,” Ritchey said. karl.winter@pepperdine.edu

Photo Courtesy of Kyle Cajero

Pepperdine and Graphic alumnus Kyle Cajero sits in his office at the Bonner County Daily Bee in Sandpoint, Idaho in February 2019. Cajero moved to journalism after starting out as a cross-country athlete at Pepperdine.

The Pepperdine Graphic, If It Bleeds, May 10, 2021

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