nm989014@ohio.edu
The formality and importance of quality content on the internet has slowly declined as the years have gone on. Ethics in media has remained an important aspect of news, but not necessarily something that every news outlet makes a priority. We're largely focusing more on quantity rather than on what we should be focusing on, being quality. We focus on fast media that catches the eye and appeals to the reader, even if that means unethically invading their privacy. We focus on clicks and views rather than quality content to inform and educate the reader. Our ethics are not what they should be and that ultimately falls back on journalists and core values, and the people for not holding these news generators and social media outlets accountable.
Personal Info = Public Info?
Let's take a look at the recent Facebook scandal involving data-mining and the harboring of personal information from around 87 million Facebook users without their consent. This gave them the ability to analyze and track the behavior of their users for ad placement, marketing and propaganda.
The changing of this invasion of privacy is reliant on the code of ethics used at Facebook, whether or not they followed that code of ethics, and if they're planning on changing it to align with the values of their users.
Journalists face similar issues. When reporting, how much personal info is acceptable to use? How far is too far? Where do we draw the line from ethical journalism to invading privacy?
Good Journalism vs. Bad Journalism
We all notice the rise in "fake news" and the obsession of putting a stop to it. Many news outlets nowadays focus on speed, convenience, entertainment, and clickbait. In the process of trying to get news out as fast as possible, accuracy and reliability can be chipped away. Readers find that it's very difficult to see the difference between "fake" and "real" news because of the speed news must be released and the seemingly reliable sources we get them from. Fake news is a fairly new term that many are trying to be more cognizant of. Media outlets need to assist in the prevention of fake news by sticking to an ethics code and being held accountable if that code is broken.
The Importance of Honesty
Advertising today has changed drastically from how it previously functioned. Advertising is personalized to your interests, as we saw with the recent Facebook scandal. While this tactic is concerning, it can be done in an ethical manner. Our data can be analyzed without invading privacy and violating ethical codes. The same goes for fake news. The people have the power to eliminate fake news by holding news generators accountable for honesty, integrity, and the upholding of their ethical codes. The issue lies with the 'anyone can be a journalist' mentality and the low standard we hold the internet to in 2018. A true journalist has to ask what their core values are and the legacy they would like to uphold as a professional.
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