Louis Baragona
lb699911@ohio.edu
It's hard to imagine what it would be like to be an embedded journalist. To be constantly on the scene of a report, always verging on an exciting development, must be journalistically stimulating. Journalists emphasize being on the scene quickly, reporting live is a must, and instant access is a major necessity for audiences. Embedded journalists must feel as though they are on the pulse of what we all want to be.
Being in an environment steeped in stories and action must be journalistically inspiring, but it also brings about ethical concerns due to the many stakeholders involved. An embedded journalist, after all, is not alone, but surrounded by people and things. A journalistic obligation to reporting and making news accessible, timely, and credible all bring about ethical questions.
Death
In reporting deaths, journalists must realize the amount of stakeholders involved and the deep sensitivity of the matters at hand. The death of a soldier affects not only his or her family but also his or her community.
Reporting the names of the dead before any sort of formal contact from the military leaves ambiguity and lacks sensitivity in a tough area. Nobody wants to question if the information they've just read or heard about, the possible death of a loved one, is true. Nobody wants to find out about death through a short news item, an unverified account. In the example from the article, the reporter was neglecting the feelings of many people and committed a cruelty, intentional or not, to those surviving the dead. Our journalistic obligation to the public in service is very strong, but in reporting deaths before any sort of official verification we are doing the public an emotional disservice.
In reporting deaths, journalists must realize the amount of stakeholders involved and the deep sensitivity of the matters at hand. The death of a soldier affects not only his or her family but also his or her community.
Reporting the names of the dead before any sort of formal contact from the military leaves ambiguity and lacks sensitivity in a tough area. Nobody wants to question if the information they've just read or heard about, the possible death of a loved one, is true. Nobody wants to find out about death through a short news item, an unverified account. In the example from the article, the reporter was neglecting the feelings of many people and committed a cruelty, intentional or not, to those surviving the dead. Our journalistic obligation to the public in service is very strong, but in reporting deaths before any sort of official verification we are doing the public an emotional disservice.
Safety
Embedded journalists must also be careful in their writing and reporting in order to avoid possible mishaps that could result in injury or death.
Any slip or error in secrecy and security puts not only the reporter at risk but also the people serving the country alongside the embedded journalist.
A duty to those accompanying people is of the utmost important. Not all news or information, even some details that seem minute, is worth risking the safety of oneself and others for. Some things must be kept under wraps for matters of personal and national safety.
An overarching example might be used in the infamous case of Valerie Plame and the reveal of her location. The Washington Post faced criticism for revealing Plame's name, location, and the nature of her job in their reporting on what some call "Plamegate." Plame's safety was put at risk and matters of national security were deemed more important than the details of her life and times.
Naming names and locations is a tricky matter. Though the Plame case is a whole other story, the two matters are similar in that reporters have to be careful about what they do and do not reveal.
Embedded reporters have even more of an obligation to be safe in not revealing confidential details while still remaining ethically honest and journalistically transparent.
Any slip or error in secrecy and security puts not only the reporter at risk but also the people serving the country alongside the embedded journalist.
A duty to those accompanying people is of the utmost important. Not all news or information, even some details that seem minute, is worth risking the safety of oneself and others for. Some things must be kept under wraps for matters of personal and national safety.
An overarching example might be used in the infamous case of Valerie Plame and the reveal of her location. The Washington Post faced criticism for revealing Plame's name, location, and the nature of her job in their reporting on what some call "Plamegate." Plame's safety was put at risk and matters of national security were deemed more important than the details of her life and times.
Naming names and locations is a tricky matter. Though the Plame case is a whole other story, the two matters are similar in that reporters have to be careful about what they do and do not reveal.
Embedded reporters have even more of an obligation to be safe in not revealing confidential details while still remaining ethically honest and journalistically transparent.
Change
Had there been an embedded reporter on Captain Owen Honors' Enterprise, things might have been different.
For each ethical concern about embedded reporters, there is also a positive factor to a reporter's presence. Journalists are obligated to seek and create change, even in places like the Enterprise, where some are too scared or don't have the voice or opportunity to.
If an embedded reporter had been on Enterprise maybe the inappropriate and offensive videos filmed by Honors would not have been shown.
With issues like Don't Ask Don't Tell having been recently lifted and the high incidents of sexual assault/palpable rape culture in the military, an embedded reporter would have surely jumped at the chance to report Honors' offensive strides in the wrong direction. It would have been a given for any journalist present that the story needed covered and that change was a necessary action to be sought.
Had there been an embedded reporter on Captain Owen Honors' Enterprise, things might have been different.
For each ethical concern about embedded reporters, there is also a positive factor to a reporter's presence. Journalists are obligated to seek and create change, even in places like the Enterprise, where some are too scared or don't have the voice or opportunity to.
If an embedded reporter had been on Enterprise maybe the inappropriate and offensive videos filmed by Honors would not have been shown.
With issues like Don't Ask Don't Tell having been recently lifted and the high incidents of sexual assault/palpable rape culture in the military, an embedded reporter would have surely jumped at the chance to report Honors' offensive strides in the wrong direction. It would have been a given for any journalist present that the story needed covered and that change was a necessary action to be sought.
Being an embedded reporter would require commitment to the job, and though there are a lot of ethical concerns and room for error, as journalists I think it's important we commend those willing to serve in high stakes situations simply out of dedication to their craft and in order to seek change or bring us news and information as it happens.
For more information about what it's like to be an embedded journalist, read a first hand account.
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