Should Our Opinions Matter?

Cassidy Wilson 

cassidyleighhh@gmail.com 

 

As journalists we are constantly adapting to modern times and changing technology. 

We must be up-to-date in order to provide the best journalism possible. The topic "New Values and Codes?" is almost hard to fathom because should values constantly change? 

Of course technology is advancing at a rapid pace, but does that mean our values should change as well?

The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect is a well-known book in the field of journalism written by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosentiel. 

A line from the book that particularly stood out to me is, "The news has never belonged to journalists. It has always belonged to the public." 

This line not only emphasizes the importance in our role as journalists, but reiterates the fact that we are providing news for society to stay informed. 

Picture source: Poynter

The New York Times and The Washington post are two news outlets that are known for being reputable and supposedly having a stance of strict neutrality.

However, recently The New York Times came out with their social media policy. 

This policy essentially says that their journalists must not express partisan opinions, promote political views, endorse candidates, make offensive comments or do anything else that undercuts The Times' journalistic reputation. 

I believe their policy is ethical when it comes to delivering the news. Although, some might say it turns every journalist into a robot with no opinion. 

But it is not our job to present opinion. Our job as journalists is to provide the news as it is without interjecting a political stance or bias. 

With the new values and codes in place and technological advancements, it could be time to move away from neutrality and voice our opinions. 

I have seen many journalists that have outrageous headlines solely to attract attention and receive clicks and views. But is that ethical journalism? 

According to Tom Rosentiel, a journalist should be transparent, truthful, engage the community, act independently and minimize harm. 

Nonetheless, just because a journalist states their opinion, does not mean they are acting maliciously or trying to lie to the public. When their employer or audience may not agree with them and that is where the issues begin. 

There have been many reputable people that have come out with tweets sharing their viewpoint with The Times' policy and how it hides reporters' true views from readers. 

So should our opinion matter? My answer to this question is no. Unless we are writing an editorial where the sole purpose is providing opinion. 

As ethical journalists, we should stick to presenting the public with the facts.