excellent journalism: truth, context, and independence (2008).
Truth, addressed more completely in the next question, is an effort to encompass all of the facts necessary for a story, and to verify those facts. Being able to quickly gather accurate information is the hallmark of an excellent news service. When facts are wrong, the consequences can be grave.
Context involves more of an explanation of the news, and connecting it to larger instances in recent and more distant history. This aspect of journalism introduces much of the likelihood of accusations of bias. Especially reputable journalists can present the context of a news story in a way that both captures the attention of the public and earns their trust.
Independence is perhaps the most interesting aspect of new journalism, especially bloggers and other internet-related journalists. Good journalism is free from partnerships that would otherwise compromise their ability to report critically and accurately on any topic. This is especially possible in new media, especially blogs. When bloggers are able to specialize on a certain aspect of government, entertainment, or the media itself, they are able to more easily investigate and report on their subject. Even the advent of video sites like YouTube have completely changed the way that people communicate and that companies and government are responsible to their constituents.
KHOU.com provided excellent coverage of the city of Houston, most notably during Hurricane Ike. The New York Times even commented on how people all over the United States and all over the world were tuning in to Houston news websites to see live coverage of the effects of the storm. In today's media, KHOU is not only performing for its immediate constituents, it is performing for every single person with a computer or a cell phone. While there were no other large stories, it seems that KHOU had a rather balanced coverage of the city. KHOU consistently wins awards for its coverage.
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