hh997012@ohio.edu
In every area of journalism, there is a code of ethics journalists must follow. Following these guidelines enable them to keep their credibility and further the business of journalism as a whole. The truth, the number one priority in the codes, is of utmost interest to me.
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/brian-kennedy-returns-
to-abc-as-executive-director-of-newsgathering-operations_b73013
The Truth and Nothing But The Truth
Just like in the real world, the truth is the number one most important thing in journalism. In the Society of Professional Journalists' (SPJ) Code of Ethics as well as that of the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), their first point is about seeking the truth and reporting it.
I think this makes complete sense, for where would journalism be today without the truth? The public depends on us as journalists to report the truth to them. If we develop an untrustworthy, negative image for journalism, people won't want to hear what we have to say anymore, therefore, ruining the journalism world completely.
Journalism actually started as a way of getting the word out about what exactly was going on in the government. The First Amendment gave us the right of free speech and free press, and it is very important we use this privilege wisely by finding out the the truth about what is going on in the business world today and reporting it to the people of our country.
ABC- Did they violate the SPJ Code of Ethics?
Beyond the simple things like using reliable sources or giving accurate information from those sources, staying true to the SPJ Code of Ethics can become much more difficult than just that. Just ask Tony Horwitz, Wall Street Journal reporter. In "The Lying Game", by Susan Paterno, in order to get his job at a chicken-processing plant and discover the poor working conditions that exist there, he had to lie and say he graduated from Colombia University and worked for Dow Jones and Co., the publisher of the journal, to get hired.
Horwitz isn't the only one who has lied to get what he wants, however, for there has been a recent court decision against ABC's "PrimeTime Live" for their techniques that they used to prove unsanitary food handling and labor law violations going on at the Food Lion supermarket chain. A $5.5 million verdict was given against ABC that also consisted of certain guidelines for ABC to follow.
This all shows the issue journalists have with the use of deception and misrepresentation. The SPJ Code of Ethics does, however, say that "Deception should be used only when all other means have been exhausted; the story illuminated an extremely serious social problem or prevents profound harm to individuals; when the journalists reveal their deception to the public; and when the harm prevented by the information outweighs the damage caused by the deception."
I really think that what the journalists discovered outweighed the damage caused by their use of deception. As long as the truth is given, the way journalists got it should not be such a huge factor. The code of ethics were not violated, although they may have come close to being.
Thanks for the mention but FYI I did not lie, I am a graduate of Columbia University and worked for Dow Jones & Co. My deception, if you can call it that, was in not disclosing that I was a reporter, though I would have done so if asked, as instructed by my editors. No one did. Regards, Tony Horwitz
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