For the people, by the people

Baylee DeMuth
bd575016@ohio.edu

Sometimes when I scroll through Facebook, I come across news stories friends or relatives repost that make absolutely no sense. The first thing I do is check the source the story is coming from, and more often times than not, it's from a news source that I've never even heard of before. But unfortunately, people I know and so many others share stories on an impulse, spreading false information without checking its factual credibility. In a world where anybody can make journalism, how do we know who to trust?

According to New Guiding Principles for a New Era of Journalism, seeking and reporting truth is the primary function of journalism. But who's to say what's true and what's not? Studies are showing that the public has little to no faith in journalism ethics and that will only get worse in the upcoming 2020 presidential campaign. Some readers might see a news article and immediately write it off as fake, but by not digging deeper and getting all the right facts it only makes it harder to trust any news source, credible or not. With the power journalism has, it's the public's job to hold journalists accountable and call them out if their reporting seems misguided. That being said, it's also important that journalists advocate transparency. Readers have a right to know why journalists choose the sources they do, as well as own up to mistakes and errors within stories published, making sure to correct them quickly enough for people to know the truth.

A cartoon of a man getting run over, provided via caglecartoons.com

While many still have a lack of trust in national news media, polls show that people have a significant amount of trust in their local newspapers and broadcasting stations. How are local news sources retaining the trust of the people? A possible solution may be the amount of engagement journalists have within a community. According to the reading, one of the guiding principles for journalists is to engage community as an end, rather than as a means. Local journalists are making an effort to understand the needs of their specific communities, allowing members of the community to feel like they're being heard. People want to read and listen to news that pertains to their individual lives, and the best people to turn to that make good, ethical decisions are members of the same community, who know the right conversations to have.

The second reading from WBGH News brings up the question of neutrality on social media by journalists. It's a tricky concept no doubt. I would respectfully have to disagree with Mr. Dan Kennedy and his opinion that journalists should be content neutral. Social media has become a popular platform for many to share anything and everything. For some, that's how they get their news and stay up to date on what's happening around the world. But just because someone is a journalist does not mean they must keep their opinions to themselves while on social media. I know loads of people who have professional and personal social media accounts, and I see nothing wrong with that. I believe being able to keep the two separate shows they're responsible while also being a common Twitter, Instagram or Facebook user who has a right to their own opinions.

There are so many temptations for journalists to make poor ethical decisions in the field, but we must resist in order to properly do our job, gaining back the public's trust one credible source at a time.