Reporters Are Not Our Friends

Hailey Hrynewich

hh997012@ohio.edu

Yes, I Care....But I Have to Hide It

One of the most difficult things about being a journalist is not becoming the friend of those we interview and write stories about. This, creating close ties with the people we cover in news, is what the SPJ Code of Ethics calls, "conflict of interest." It seems like an easy code to follow, until we are actually put in the situation that calls for this code to be followed properly. 

    

Anna Song, a journalist from the small town of Oregon City, is one of many who did end up breaking this golden rule. When two young girls in the community went missing and were later found to have been murdered, she gave a sincere and noticeably compassionate speech to the community along with other family members of the girls. This, however, was wrong. 

The SPJ Code of Ethics specifically states, "Journalists should avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived. This falls under the code that says to act independently, and it can even be considered the most important code due to the fact that "the highest and most primary obligation of ethical journalism is to serve the public." 

I really don't agree with this part of the code. It shouldn't be wrong for the journalist to show her compassion for the families involved in such a harsh crime. It would almost be strange or rude for a journalist who was so involved in the case not to speak out about it and wish the best for all whom were involved. 

Under the Minimize Harm code, it clearly states to "Show compassion for those who may be affected by news coverage. Use heightened sensitivity when dealing with juveniles, victims of sex crimes, and sources or subjects who are inexperienced or unable to give consent." Are these families who were directly affected by this horrible incidence not considered victims to use heightened sensitivity to? Well, I sure think they are. 

Regulation of Close Family Ties

The Obama Administration has close family ties with the news media. Since "thou shalt not have a vested interest in the story you're covering," the news media organizations have worked out the conflicts in order to stay true to this code of journalism ethics. 

One of these reporters is White House press secretary Jay Carney's wife, Claire Shipman, who reports for ABC. Another one is Gali Huff, a reporter who is the wife of Scott Brown, who was recently elected to the Senate. Brown made the decision to keep his wife away from coverage of the federal government in order to protect her reliability and trust as a reporter.

I think what Gali Huff and her husband Scott Brown decided to do in terms of the media and federal government relations was the right thing to do. In cases like these, a reporter must do whatever they have to do in order to protect their honest reputation as a reporter.