The Role of Truth and Transparency for Journalists

Will Price  

wpriceou@gmail.com

 

Ethics in journalism has long been the most important part of the job. In both news and information and strategic communication, the emphasis on truth and transparency in the work has never been greater.

Reading through different codes of ethics from different sources, one thing that stood out was the stress put on transparency. As someone working either as a reporter or in a press relations role, the need to be honest and forthcoming in your work has never been greater. 

Understanding all sides to any given story, and the potential consequences the story has on these effected parties is crucial. That takes plenty of critical thinking when it comes to who are those impacted by any given story. Being transparent is important in this case to remind ourselves of every shareholder, direct or indirect, within our reporting. It is the responsibility of a reporter to seek out the truth and report it according to the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics, and it's also important to keep it in mind when it comes to every side of a particular issue, not just the one that sticks out to you or is the focus of the story.

An important factor to consider as a journalist is to understand the possible outcomes when we fall short of ethical standards is how quickly one mistake can alter so many involved in the story. A 2014 Rolling Stone story about an alleged sexual assault on the campus of the University of Virginia was retracted following scrutiny of the reporting and fact-checking for the story. This story had a profound impact on the decision makers at the magazine, as well as the community at the University of Virginia and those attached to the story.

Picture source: abcnews.go.com

That's why the role of journalists in making sure that everyone around them adheres to the standards of ethics at a given publication, not just themselves. Joshua Vissers wrote for The Daily Mining Gazette that, "reputation is a reporter's license, and the public trust is the certification." This is exactly why truth and transparency may be the most important value for anyone working in media or in public relations. The role of the press is vital to our country's culture and we need to understand how this directly translates into upholding our own ethical guidelines in each and every story we cover. Whether it's writing a press release, or fact-checking another investigative piece -- making sure reporters remain objective, honest, and complete in their coverage should be at the forefront of their minds at all times.