Everyone is a story-stakeholder in a democracy

Keri Johnson

kj153517@ohio.edu

 

When publishing all sorts of stories, journalists must consider who will be affected and all of the potential impacts of the story.

From earth-shattering political news to human interest pieces, everyone -- starting at the source, then to the writer, then publication, then general audience -- must consider the repercussions of stories told. 

For example, when the Pentagon Papers were sent to the press in 1971, the New York Times published scathing articles on the United States' most criticized and condemned war. The papers were illegally leaked to journalists, and when the articles came out, the American public was in shock. The New York Times ended up going to the U.S. Supreme Court where it ruled in favor of the Times, instead of sitting president Richard Nixon. 

In the context of journalism ethics and conversation, the ruling showed that one story can impact the highest law of the land. It also showed that governments must prove that their secrets should stay secret.

When it comes to stories where there is less to lose, that too, is subjective. About a month ago, the Washington Post published an article scrutinizing, and to some, condemning the very popular activist Instagram account Queer Appalachia.

Picture source: @queerappalachia on Instagram

"The Tale of Queer Appalachia" makes for an interesting investigative piece, asking a very, gravely important question: where does Queer Appalachia's fundraising go? The writer could not get a clear answer.

The lack of answers came from an individual behind Queer Appalachia named Mamone. The article implies that Mamone used fundraising donations to buy a new truck. With that detail, everything comes together.

"The Tale" ended up taking a major toll on Queer Appalachia. On Aug. 7, the account announced that it had been "decolonized" by a Black radical activist. The once lively, blunt activist account used to publish daily. It hasn't posted again since.

The writer of the "The Tale" not only had to consider how her words would affect Mamone, but also: her readers, Queer Appalachia's following, Mamone's colleagues, those who have donated, those who have received donations -- the list goes on. For now, we wait on Queer Appalachia's next move.

Libel is a term all journalists should be familiar with; defamation is another. Defamation isn't always deliberate -- and every journalist should deeply think about this. Negligence, or clear disregard for truth and fact, is essential in defamation cases. 

Journalists must be certain that each paragraph, each quote used in article, is written with a clear purpose. The impacts must be anticipated and pondered. Otherwise, that is unethical, negligent journalism.