Be an Ethical Media Advocate

Gabrielle Zita
gz628315@ohio.edu

https://gladeo.org/spotlight/meet-kyle-multimedia-producer

"Your writing is never done. The problem is you run out of time." This was one of the many quotes that stuck out to the audience during Kyle Bowser's program on "Taking the Alvin Adams Story to the Screen" at the 2019 Alvin Adams Symposium at Ohio University on Sept. 13. As a journalism student, it is important to understand this quote because there is a lot of truth behind it. Journalists are constantly striving to write the perfect story or the perfect press release, but the reality is, it will never be perfect in the author's eyes. There will always be changes that need to be made, but 99% of the time, journalists are writing on a deadline. Therefore, the changes must eventually stop, and the story must be completed.


"Storytelling Spans All Types of Fields"
The concept of writing never being done is important in the media industry because as Kyle Bowser also said, "storytelling spans all types of fields." From writing a story to crafting a press release, to creating a script for a movie, one is telling a story in which someone will receive. This is where the concept of ethics comes into play. What happens when you are writing a story on deadline and shortly before it is due, you realize you don't like where you went with your story? You would typically go back into your notes and see what other details you have that could add more depth to it. Well, what happens once you realize you don't have any other details? This is a struggle that many journalists face. With writers never being satisfied with their own work, it can be hard to accept a story that they believe lacks something. The ethical thing to do in this situation would be to work with what you have and craft it in a way that makes the story more interesting. The unethical thing would be to create false details in a story to make it more interesting. Making ethical decisions when writing is important, especially when it comes to writing stories that can make a difference.

Be a Media Advocate
During his program, Bowser shared with the audience the importance of media advocacy. Media advocacy is defined as the use of any form of media to help promote an organization's goals. He told the story of Alvin Adams becoming a media advocate during his time at Ohio University and beyond. Adams wrote for several publications including Jet magazine. One of the stories he reported on was at the University of Alabama in 1963. Governor George Wallace stood on the steps of the university and told why he would not let African Americans enroll at the school. This was an important part of the Civil Rights Movement because it showed first hand, the lack of rights African Americans were given during that time. He not only covered that event, but he covered others such as protests in Selma, Alabama, and speeches by Malcolm X. In order for Adams to report on such important topics like the Civil Rights movement, he had to have strong journalism ethics. As an African American man, it would have been easy for him to use his bias when writing about these events. However, he kept his biases aside and wrote the truth as he saw it. This something that every journalist should keep in mind when writing because work is more likely to be received if biases are omitted.

Storytelling is an art that anyone can do; however, it is the job of the storyteller to make sure their story is shared with ethics in mind.