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Jour·nal·ist
/ˈjərn(ə)ləst/
noun
A person who writes
for newspapers, magazines, or news websites or prepares news to be broadcast.
That is the
definition of a journalist, so what does being a journalist really mean? In
todays society it seems like anyone can call themselves a journalist as long as
they have a cellphone and internet access because it gives them the ability to
share information with a large audience. So instead of figuring out WHO
the “real” journalists are, let’s talk about WHAT ethics real
journalists should have and then YOU can decide whom you can trust and
call a journalist.
- The word ethic, by definition, is a set of moral principles, especially ones
relating to or affirming a specified group, field, or form of conduct.
- The word responsibility, by definition, is the state or fact of having a duty to deal with
something or of having control over someone.
Put the two words together and what
does it mean? In simple terms, Ethical Responsibility is a set of rules or
morals that we as people follow to fulfill a truthful duty to something or
someone.
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What
is Journalism for?
The Elements of Journalism written by Bill Kovach & Tom Rosenstiel, states that journalism is “for
building a sense of community that the government could not control. Journalism
was for citizenship. Journalism was for democracy... Journalism was for taking
back the language from the government that had subverted it with propaganda
that undermined freedom of thought it-self.” (Page 15, What is Journalism For?)
What do these words mean? Journalism is
used to provide the truth to the general public.
Who controls what the
media says?
After reading the paragraph above you’d think the answer to
this next question is easy, but it’s not that simple. I’ve answered what
journalism is supposed to be used for, but does that mean that it’s always used
in that way? Absolutely not. It’s no secret that local news stations are owned
by larger corporations such as CBS, ABC, NBC etc., but did you know that
smaller stations are still paid locally? Meaning, each
affiliate station earns money based on advertising and after affiliate
programming costs are met, news anchors are paid. This does NOT mean the media
is controlled by affiliates, conglomerate buyers, or other national owners, but
what if there was a breaking news story on one of the companies that pays the
station? Would you run the story OR would you not report on it because they
sign your pay check? That question brings us to our last section.
Ethics vs Morals in
the workplace
Hypothetically, let’s say a local metro-park pays a large
amount of money for advertising through your news stations, but you just found
out that the owner of this metro-park is pocketing donations that are supposed
to go to a charity. Do you run this story or do you choose not to report on it
because of the money you receive from the metro-park?
This is where ethics vs morals in the workplace can be tricky.
Ethics, by definition, refer to rules provided by an
external source, such as codes of conduct or rules enforced in workplaces.
Morals, by definition, refer to an individual’s own
principles regarding right and wrong.
Say that
the director doesn’t not want to run the story because it would ruin the relationship
with the metro-park and lose the money that keeps the station running.
Do you:
1.) Run the
story because you feel that it is morally right and follows your personal
ethics code?
OR
2.) Go
against your obligation to the public to keep your director happy and keep the income
the station is currently receiving?
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Overall,
all of these examples and points are to show you:
1.) What
ethical responsibility is and how it should be used
2.) What is
journalism used for.
3.) Who
controls the media.
4.) Ethics
vs Morals, but also recognize others ethics codes may not always be good.
Here is a short video breaking down journalism ethics and responsibility.
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