Ethics.

To be a good journalist, you have to be know what ethics you need to follow and stick to them. The most difficult ethical challenge faced by journalists today is to get the facts right and tell the story fairly.

First, journalists must make sure that their facts are completely accurate. You can't just assume something or trust anything anyone says; you need evidence. You need multiple sources. You need to double-check your facts.

Second, you must present those facts fairly. This is where objectivity comes into play. We've talked about objectivity a lot before, but basically, journalists should best go about reporting issues by keeping their views to themselves and remaining impartial.

However, other concerns relating to the ethicality of journalism are also debated. For example, is the under-cover role acceptable? What counts as "crossing the line" in order to get a story?

This is a tricky question. Going under-cover could be the only way to get a story, but at the same time it could also cause harm if others feel violated when they find out. The under-cover role has been a source of both good (Nellie Bly) and bad in the past.

I don't have a solid view as to whether or not going under-cover is acceptable. However, if there is another way to get the same story, take it, even though it may be more difficult. If you go under-cover, you need to be very careful. If your actions are for the good of the general public, and you wouldn't feel guilty revealing your motives, then maybe it is all right. But don't just do it because it is the "easy way out" or because it will get you a really good story while harming many.

Another subject relating to ethicality is diversity in the newsroom. Should newsrooms be diverse?

Diversity in the newsroom gains numerous advantages, such as many different opinions, increased objectivity, and appeal to the masses. The more diverse people you have, the more people will be able to relate to what your publication has to say. If your newsroom contained people of all the same race, around the same age, with the same political views, then it is likely that you are going to come across as extremely biased.

However, problems could arise while trying to achieve such a diversity. For example, do you choose between the more diverse, or the better journalist? Quality or diversity? Personally, I would pick quality. If I can achieve both at the same time, that would be great. However, good journalism is more important to me than diverse journalism. If I hire quality journalists, they will know how to remain ethical and unbiased without having to be completely diverse.

The Society of Professional Journalists provides a list of ways that journalists can remain ethical. A few examples are:
-Be honest, fair, and courageous.
-Treat all with respect.
-Be accountable to your audience.
-Be free of obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know.

The Journalist as an Ideologue

What is an ideologue, you ask? According to dictionary.com, it is "a person who zealously advocates an ideology." It is a person and the beliefs and values that lead their life. So how does this relate to journalism?

Let me ask you a question: can a journalist be completely objective?

I do not believe so. Each journalist is going to have their own set of beliefs and values that they follow, and it is going to come out in their writing whether they mean for it to or not. That doesn't mean their writing is going to come out biased. It just means that it is going to come out different than it would if you or I wrote it, because each person has a unique view of the world.

So when it comes to choosing a story, there are 8 values that journalists go by to determine if it is actually newsworthy. They are:

1) Altruistic Democracy
This is when the leaders of the nation pose a threat to the idea of being liaisons for the people. Citizens like to know when their leaders are acting out and what state their nation is in. One example of this would be the Watergate Scandal.

2) Responsible Capitalism
This is a capitalism in which the whole of the country becomes better. The public likes to hear about positive changes made to their country.

3) Order
Crime would fall under this category. This is because it is a threat to the order of our society. When something out of the ordinary happens, the public is going to be intrigued and want to hear about it, especially when it concerns their safety.

4) Moderation
Since most Americans consider themselves moderate thinkers, extremist thinking tends to be covered more because it is different than what most people are used to.

5) Leadership
Poor leaders and great leaders will be featured more prominently because leadership is a basic value in American culture. Citizens like to know who is leading their country and what decisions they are making.

6) Small-Town Pastoralism
Even though they center around cities, Americans love to hear small town stories. This could be because it is different than what they are used to and provides a sense of comfort and unity.

7) Rugged Individualism
This is when an individual or group stands up for a good cause, especially when it is freedom or liberty. Citizens like it when fellow citizens stand up for things that they also believe in and want.

8) Ethnocentrism
This is the belief that one's culture is superior to another. Ethnocentrism in journalism can be dangerous; you could come across as biased. People could see you as being insensitive to other cultures, ideas, or nations. Here is one example when ethnocentrism in the media came across as a problem.

Journalism of Verification

I feel like this post goes right along with the previous one on truth, but a little more in depth on how to get there.

Verification. What is it? Basically, it means that you make sure that everything you say is the absolute truth.  Never add anything that is not there, never deceive the audience, and rely on your own methods and reporting rather than others'.

Three points of verification were brought up in class this week:
-Objectivity
-Transparency
-Originality

Let's start with objectivity. This means that you remain completely unbiased and report the straight facts. This helps keep your writing accurate rather than saying what you think needs to be said.

But why is it so important to remain unbiased? First of all, if you only report one side of a story, you are going to have a lot of people upset at you for not representing the other side. In addition, when you insert your opinion, you are automatically going lose all of your audience who disagree. Second of all, people don't like being told how to feel about something. Give them the information and let them decide for themselves.

Here is an article written by John Stossel called "The Double Standard About Bias in Journalism." He talks about how when he got to the national level of reporting, he got criticized for not being objective and stopped winning Emmys - consequences for inserting personal opinions into writing.

Let's move on to transparency. This is when you disclose as much as you can about your sources. Use anonymous sources sparingly and only when you absolutely have to. The more you tell about your source, the more believable your information becomes. When you cite your source as being anonymous, it could have come from anywhere and anyone, including yourself.

It is also important that you use a variety of sources. If your story only has one source, the information is not going to be as believable as if you had three or more. In addition, people will realize that you did not make the effort to present multiple sides of the story, which could definitely cause them to lose all interest.

The last point is originality. This means doing your own work, finding the facts on your own, and not looking to other media. All of these things take away the credibility of your writing.

I think originality is the most important but also the most difficult of the three points of verification. You must be original to keep the attention of your audience. People don't want to read something they've read ten times before. Come up with new ways to look at a situation. Present facts that not many people know. Tell a story that's never been told. And it's not only what you say, but how you say it.

All three of these things - objectivity, transparency, and originality - contribute to the accuracy of your writing. And accuracy is extremely important when it comes to journalism. Not only is your reputation on the line, but so is your job.