Should Journalists Be Part Of The Story?

Makenzie Piatt
mp689012@ohio.edu

With the recent events occurring in Ferguson, journalists are finding it hard to be transparent while delivering news. In the article on Aljazeera America, Malcom Harris stated how journalist’s involvement during the reporting of a story could make the situation more dangerous. In the article, Harris states, “Just because journalists can legally get away with something doesn’t mean they should”. While it is not every journalist’s intention to become part of the story, it is sometimes hard to avoid depending on the situation. While involvement in a story should be avoided at all costs, some situations leave no choice. If journalists somehow find themselves beginning to become too involved, they need to remember their ethical obligations while reporting on the story.

 

http://www.salon.com/2014/09/29/ferguson_officials_charge_exorbitant_unnecessary_fees_for_information_related_to_michael_browns_death/

Seek the truth and report it

Society of Professional Journalism tells journalists to “Report the story, don’t become part of it.” This ethical value has to do with reporting and seeking the truth. Reporters are not at the scene to discuss things about themselves, they are reporting to relay important information that most likely happened before they arrived. While journalists and television reporters are more recognizable than an average person and have a voice to be heard, they should not abuse their power and still remain truthful about the events. While many journalists don’t intend to be involved in a story, some can accidentally find themselves in a complicated situation. For Wes Lowery’s situation, he was sitting in a McDonalds trying to produce content about Ferguson and the Michael Brown case when police officers abruptly entered the restaurant and arrested him without giving valid reason. He was able to record some of the encounter and participated in multiple interviews discussing the situation. Lowery unintentionally became part of the story about the forceful police officers in Ferguson, and provided video to prove it. Although he should not have gotten involved in the case, he still reported the truth about what happened. It should be an ultimate goal that journalists become the subject of news as infrequently as possible.

Act Independently

In an article for The Washington Post written by Alyssa Rosenberg, she said, “ The treatment of journalists in wartime or at scenes of protest and civil unrest is a test of whether the people they are covering share some basic values and views of what is taking place.” While anything can happen while reporting a dangerous or unsettling news story, journalists should always remember to try to act independently and remember their main obligation of serving to the public. Considering the people affected by the news and staying unbiased toward the situation at hand is key to ethical journalism.

Minimize Harm

Journalists should always avoid any conflict of interest and focus on whom their story could potentially affect. In a video by Big Think, journalist Kurt Pitzer, was reporting in Iraq when he met a man who needed to get his family out of the country and decided to help him. The man from Iraq, Mahdi Obeidi, was a nuclear scientist who worked for Saddam Hussein and wanted to turn in the remaining pieces of hidden software in exchange for leaving the country. There was no way Pitzer could write the story because the man would be targeted and killed. Although Pitzer made a mistake of becoming too involved in the story, he still remembered the ethical value of minimizing harm. He put the stakeholders of the story into consideration and wanted to protect what he could.