A Shift in the Moral Tides for Journalism

Alexandra White
aw946814@ohio.edu

The landscape of journalism is ever-changing. In its current state, journalism has become remarkably digitized, opening up the discussion in the press to broader audiences across the globe. Not only do more people have access to the news, but, given the internet's forum-like nature, people can also openly share their ideas and opinions on current global issues. This open form of discussion has encouraged the general public to be more skeptical as to what they are consuming. Given the current political climate, especially the political climate in America, the polarization of politics has made people wary as to where the news is coming from and which news sources they can trust.

Personalization of Media

As the news that people consume shifts from print news to digital news and broadcast, people have more control over what they consume. Unlike in a print newspaper, the internet gives us the opportunity to become highly selective about the media we view. We tend to subscribe to news sources whose political and social ideologies are much like our own. We are quick to accept news sources that reaffirm what we already believe. When being surrounded by information that legitimizes our views, while invalidating opposing views, we believe more adamantly in our own political beliefs. Because of this, we have a polarized view as to how we look at politics.

Conservatives surrounded by conservative media will feel as though they are correct. They can control the points of view they hear by subscribing to certain broadcast channels, following fellow conservatives on Twitter, friending fellow conservatives on Facebook, etc. The same applies for a liberal surrounding themselves with liberal media. The nature of today's media allows us to hear what we want to hear rather than promote and share a diversity of viewpoints. 

A comical presentation of the dangers of fake news. | Source: Freepress.net

The Rise of Fake News

The public's skepticism towards the media is not unwarranted. Though the growth of online news sources has presented many opportunities to the press and the public alike, it has also been abused, and false information has spread across the digital landscape. In a world that is rushing from one step to the next, we, as a society, often forget to slow down and research the topics we are reading about. People often share false "news" accounts on social media feeds without realizing it. 

How We Combat It

Journalists are still responsible for maintaining and abiding by a strong code of moral ethics. It is important that journalists protect their credibility. Journalists must keep the public informed in a time when it does not trust them. 

Journalists must be transparent. To properly uncover the story, journalists must explain the details of the time and research they have put into a story. The audience wants to know the journalists' sources, personal biases, reasoning, etc. It is important to allow the audience to interact with and understand the stories journalists present to it. 

Journalists must also be transparent with themselves, holding themselves accountable for any biases that may have swayed the reporting process. Journalists must remain open and honest in order to better report the news.

It is a journalist's duty to remain honest, focused, transparent, credible, and unbiased in news reporting. When being honest and transparent, a journalist strengthens the community around them. Community is at the core of journalism's moral code, given that media exists to inform and unite the public. Keeping a watchful eye over government, media informs the public to make educated decisions about their democracy. Keeping an honest and open line of communication with the public encourages community and unity.