Peirspictiochtai Ar An Saol
Zero-Based News
Part One
"Truth is a series of facts placed in context."
It's a simple sentence with a powerful message. Yet one that is lacking in much of today's news media.
The concept of zero-based news is based on following that motto.
Previous news columns in this news series have detailed The Grandmother Rule, the Ethics of Lying, Setting an Example, and other philosophies that could and should be employed in journalism.
To best be able to understand zero-based news, the next set of news columns will focus on specific aspects of journalism as it is practiced today in much of the United States.
When people read, hear, or watch news presented by a journalist, they may not realize or recognize that that individual – and the people behind that individual – may be providing that news based on their specific function.
Not all journalists have the same function. The word "journalist" means different things to different people.
There are at least thirty types of journalists, with each type having a different function. Some may consider all journalists to be the same. Others will recognize there are different types of journalists that have different functions, but they may have different ways to designate those types of journalists.
An advertorial writer is someone who writes and prepares copy that appears to be similar to what many would consider news content, but is actually an advertisement for a product, a service, or an issue. Advertorials can appear in different formats, but are usually found in print publications.
Typically, the word "advertorial" or similar wording is displayed above the copy. The typeface – the way the words are displayed in print – may be different from the typeface used for news content. Some wording may be displayed in lighter shades so as to not bring attention to qualifiers.
The intent of an advertorial is to advertise without appearing to be an advertisement. An advertorial is usually designed in such a way that a reader won't notice the difference between news content that they may consider objective and the advertorial.
Some journalists do not consider an advertorial writer to be a journalist. Instead, they would consider an advertorial writer to be an advertising copywriter.
An advocate journalist is someone who strives to advance a specific point of view through news content. In some cases, an advocate journalist is identified as such so that readers, listeners, and viewers are informed of the advocacy. In many cases today, though, an advocate journalist is not identified as such. For many, an advocate journalist is considered a journalist – without any qualifier.
An aggregator is someone who takes the works of others and puts them together in one place. That one place is usually a website on the internet. In many cases, an aggregator doesn't reprint or rebroadcast an entire piece of news content, but instead highlights snippets of news content. Those snippets are then typically linked to the actual news content.
Aggregators may sell advertising on the page where the snippets are initially displayed by the aggregator. In some cases, aggregators may also sell additional advertising by linking an initial snippet of a piece of news content from another source to a separate page highlighting that specific snippet and then linking that separate page to the actual news content.
Aggregators don't necessarily ask or seek permission from those whose news content is highlighted.
An analyst is someone who provides their perspective on a subject. An analyst may advocate a specific point of view, but more typically presents multiple points of view. In some cases, an analyst is identified as someone who is presenting an analysis of a subject. In other cases, an analyst is considered a journalist – without any qualifier.
An anchor is also called a "news reader." This is a person who typically is presenting the news that has usually been prepared by someone else. They may also have other functions beyond being an anchor. For many, an anchor is seen by the public as a personality representing a specific news organization.
The next news column in this series will focus on additional types of journalists.
Peirspictiochtai Ar An Saol – Gaelic – Irish – for "Perspectives On Life" is a column focused on aspects of accountability and responsibility as well as ways people look at life.
Contact Richard McDonough at
© 2025 Richard McDonough
