Journalism: Lost Morals?

Anne Campolongo
ac332310@Ohio.edu

All forms of journalism these days are quite different from what journalism was way back when.  There are many new and different aspects to this very popular subject manner.

Critics of the media have bashed on journalists.  Some examples are because it is "shallow" or "biased."  Do all journalists think of the moral side of their decisions?  In our world today, money is a big deal to anyone trying to seek a job.  In today's society, people will do a lot of bad things to get what they want; whether that means doing the wrong thing or not, it still isn't right.  Ratings for TV stations are all the rage now, and journalists can sacrifice ethical decisions for better ratings.  Does money actually bring happiness, though? Is it worth it to be unethical in your job to receive a higher paycheck? Maybe it is for some.  Being unethical in your professional job is one's own decision.  

Tabloid journalism and words such as "infotainment" to describe journalism have become more mainstream.  This probably was never thought of when the world's first journalists began their missions to search out the news.  Have journalists always been giving out honest information? That is a question that varies from century to century.  

Today, technology has made a HUGE impact in our day to day lives. Social media has increased dramatically and news outlets have used these sites as outlets to get their news across the globe. Are we forgetting that we need to still keep moral and ethical news?

In an article by Steve Buttry, he says, "Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information." I think journalism should always be an honest field, and I think for the most part it is. We just need to look harder for the more substantial news and information.  If a publication wishes to be unethical, it has moral standards that it will have to live up to.  The ethics code has always been in place, it is up to each individual to actually follow it.  

There are always norms for journalists to follow.  It only takes one slip for someone to purposefully ignore their morals.  If you are expected to do a job, I think it should be done morally, correctly and fairly.  Good journalists have a code of ethics they follow.  Serious consequences can follow if ethics aren't taken seriously.  Everyone has morals; why not listen to your inner morals?  It isn't hard to follow ethics.  

Ethics is like a fork in the road, you can follow which ever route you like, but will you pick the right one?  Ethics in journalism is a very personal issue.  We all know what is right, but we don't always pick the choice that is the right one.  When placed in a tough decision, it can be hard to do the right thing.  We always must try to keep the news as a very professional and honest matter.  When journalism is moral and ethical, many viewers will want to trust it more and will know that it is not some joke or unprofessional publication.