The Modern Journalist

John Carpenter
jc898610@ohio.edu

http://garciamedia.com/blog/articles/a_guide_for_the_modern_journalist/

What do we consider a modern journalist?  One with ethical values?  With media presented how it is today, you'd probably answer "no."  Journalism and journalists are profoundly criticized in the modern era due to the lack of the audience understanding what ethical behavior and moral reasoning the journalist is taking on the point of view.  Media is scrutinized and bashed daily in accordance to political enterprise.  The modern journalist, by this point, seems to act upon ethical values deliberately associated with the morals that bind them.

Steven Knowlton and Bill Reader express vast dimensions and logic among the world of ethical journalists in "Moral Reasoning for Journalists."  Throughout the reading, both authors describe journalistic behavior and how the simple rules of journalism, which have been so dismissed as of 2013, aren't enough.  The ethical code that defines our reason and understanding has far more limits than just a set of rules assigned by previous notions.

During this day and age, journalists and the media, ranging from vast varieties, have come to a common understanding.  People want to know the truth.  The modern journalist can address his/her work and understandings published in an ethical and moral angle, but if the audience argues it, their work will be maliciously attacked.  We as journalists attempt to stay composed with what we call ethics and values beyond the common thought, but it's difficult.  The Mojo was quoted in a blog titled The Modern Journalist that "it's the media's job to report the truth."  But doesn't someone's understanding of the word truth rely on their ethical beliefs and moral values?

I'd hope not.  Truth is black and white.  That's the problem with the modern journalist.  Ethical values ultimately cannot be applied with modern journalism.  People want the truth no matter how you came up with it.  You could have developed an epiphany of ethical spirit, of course being facetious, through which your journalism was designed yet the people only want what's published.  People nowadays are so set in stone on black and white.  The ethical dependency in journalism is that grey area.  The area where you've got to answer some questions regarding your moral standards to deliver the most efficient news.

So today I sit here and express how one sided the modern journalist has become, hardly being one to blame.  News media has become a blatant showboat.  Networks design their shows and products to adhere to a certain community, basically just to help their sales and ratings.  One of the biggest assessments in recent journalism is the keeping up on social media.  Social media has become an ocean of uncertain journalists, bias hotheads and your typical homers.  What's brilliant about social media is it gives everyone a voice and a chance to be heard.  In a discrete manor, everyone on social media is basically their own, "small-time" journalist.

Alyssa Kritsch published Four Ways Social Media is Changing Journalism and deliberately expressed how information isn't only being shared by news stations but by individuals themselves.  Ethical journalists almost don't exist anymore outside of the minds and manors of the journalist.  Social media has vastly created this notion and atmosphere where anyone can put words to paper (or should I say screen).  The ethical and moral values described by Knowlton and Reader are what drives the journalist to become who he is.  That's the real ethics behind journalism.  It's what you endure and decide upon, what you want to be published and in what sort of fashion.  Ethical values and moral standards are hard to distinguish in today's modern journalist, yet when they are, you know it's something special.