A Thin Line: Intrinsic Values and their Importance to Journalists

Adam Subotin
as921212@ohio.edu

Setting The Scene

"The primary purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with the information they need to be free and self-governing" (Kovach & Rosenstiel, 2001, p. 17).

News sourcing, accuracy, and reputability have undergone scrutiny for decades, however, the 21st century has been in a thorn in the side of traditional journalistic values. The shift from traditional means of news delivery to digital has been a bumpy transition within news sets and rooms across the nation. 

According to a 2016 Wall Street Journal article, this is mainly propagated by the fact that the younger demographics, (aged 18 -24, and 25 -34) are shifting away from traditional local and national TV outlets faster leaving a hole where traditional dollars used to go. 

This continuing shift, coupled with recent national upheaval, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter movement, and the upcoming election, has put increased strain on newsrooms and journalists to deliver news that is more accurate, and impactful than ever before. 

Black Lives Matter march outside The White House. Photo via Win McNamee

Responsibility and Moral Conflict within the White House
The "Fake News" Era

As quoted by Linda Foley in Kovach and Rosenstiel's The Elements of Journalism (2001), "it's credibility more than objectivity that's important for us in our industry..." (p. 278). 

One of the items that resonated most from the readings was the issue of morality and ethics within newsrooms and journalists. Diving deep into moral and ethical issues may be plain to see, while others are more ambiguous.

Being a journalist during these times is certainly trying, and one of the moral conflicts occurring in today’s current journalistic climate is the attack on free speech and investigative reporting disseminating from the White House and President Trump.

The term "fake news,” has been a narrative created by the highest-ranking official in the country against some of the most trusted news media as a way of discrediting their factual reporting and reputation.

While some instances of citizen journalism may affect how the public internalizes the terminology "fake news," what's troubling is the difference between public perception of what may constitute "fake news" from what is being reported or cited as "fake news" from the White House. 

The larger public perception is most "fake news" is disseminated via citizen journalism in the manner of selective video or documentation, however, the White House administration denounces articles and networks known for their watchdog mentality, and otherwise factual reporting as "fake news" outlets, rather than highlighting those citizen journalism blunders which are "fake news."

That does two things, firstly that puts unnecessary targets on news media and journalists around the nation, creating hostile work environments for journalists and further subjugating the news media to unnecessary reputational damage. 

Second, it confuses the terminology "fake news" to the public. The broader terminology is meant to oust false or inaccurate information, instead, the White House uses a deflection technique that re-defines the phrase "fake news" as something dismissive to the administration's eyes, but to the uneducated public, this twists their viewpoint to believe factual reporting is instead inaccurate or false. The later is what shines a light on the much larger moral and ethical dilemma occurring in the White House.

Due to the claims of “fake news” by White House administration, that has in a sense created a cycle of watchdog reporting on falsified claims and issues coming from the Capitol. However, those reports are then denounced by White House administration under those claims of “fake news." Under the Trump administration, this is an example of a misguided moral obligation to the American public and a seemingly repetitive cycle that has formed due to those misguided morals. 

This example also further solidifies why modern-day journalists must exude stout ethical and moral code while reporting. Journalists are consistently held to a standard of excellence when reporting, so applying critical moral and ethical judgment is critical to a journalist's daily routine.