ab883317@ohio.edu
In the world of journalism, the public is everything: the audience, the critic, and, with modern technology, the reporters themselves. Our digital age has created opportunities for people to become their own investigators, using social media and the Internet to discover news in real-time and from multiple different sources. In The New Ethics of Journalism, the authors make it clear that, although journalists and normal citizens "both seek truth [...] the test is in how the journalism is produced -- not necessarily who produces it" (4).
The job of both reporters and citizens is changing when it comes to their role in creating and consuming media. It has become the role of the citizen to be active in their search for news, using what knowledge and skills they possess to identify credible and trustworthy news sources. This task is vital to the consumption of news because it ensures that citizens will be receiving truthful, transparent, and credible information that will spark honest and meaningful discussions between people on the Internet and people in real life. The credibility of the news is extremely important to the protection of our rights and the sharing of information. And that's where journalists have to step up and fully embrace their role as a protector of the people.
Being a journalist in this growing technological community means not only sharing your information in new and more entertaining ways, but also branding yourself as a trustworthy source of information for the people to turn to. Though people can find their own information now, it's up to reporters to find accurate information and data that inform the people of what goes on in the world around them. We have to step up and find ways for the public to truly trust our information, not just because of similarities in political leaning, but because they truly trust that the information we provide is real and valid. We have to create new ways of reporting that ensure that the information we find makes our story the most credible one out there, keeping the information genuine and illuminating. This is a lot of responsibility and getting the online community to trust you can be difficult, yet it is necessary in order to secure the rights of the people and protect them from overpowered government officials and untruthful reporting.
Although people can find out the truth on their own with the resources they can now hold in their hand, it's our job as journalists to do the hard research and the hard work to bring to light the truths that aren't as apparent to others. As citizens, they now have the power to influence and control information by posting on a website, and this comes with the added inclusion of bias and opinion. It then becomes the norm for journalists to say the same things, and although that isn't necessarily the worst-case scenario, it sets the standard that news organizations have opinions and agendas that wiggle their way into the news and media.
In the end, reporters are decidedly important and necessary in the ongoing search for the truth. We have to transparently and independently reveal the stories and events that connect us, unifying the people under an umbrella of trust and credibility that will ultimately protect their most basic rights.
In the end, reporters are decidedly important and necessary in the ongoing search for the truth. We have to transparently and independently reveal the stories and events that connect us, unifying the people under an umbrella of trust and credibility that will ultimately protect their most basic rights.
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