Transparency and Social Media in a New Era of Journalism Ethics

Sarah Volk 

sv673116@ohio.edu

 

This new age of journalism is uncharted territory for us. Our environment is constantly changing and evolving, which means that the way we approach news coverage is also changing. 

In a world where information is quite literally right at our fingertips, how do we keep up? How do we change our behavior to acclimate to this new era of chaotic and pervasive media?

Social media has altered the way journalists produce and gather information. It has challenged the traditional guiding principles journalists have been following for years. 

Social media allows anyone to create news, so now more than ever journalists need to be extra cautious. Journalists must ensure their sources and information are credible, accurate and ethically sourced. 

Social media serve as an amazing platform for journalists to reach a broader audience. These platforms are so crucial in our world today, but are unfortunately largely out of our control. 

While a lot of the time this works in journalists' favor, with their stories reaching a broad audience, there are almost always a good amount of individuals that disagree with the information or that question a journalist's credibility. 

In many situations, transparency builds credibility. For example, in 2018, Vice News published an article titled "A slaughter in silence". 

Following the publication of these articles, the news organization released an article titled "How we reported the story" describing their coverage process. This effort of raw transparency stood out among other news organizations.

Picture source: Vice News

 

The move from independence to transparency

Transparency is crucial in modern journalism with the surge in social media. It requires journalists to anticipate their actions and explain their process.

In a world where your posts on social media can be accessed by a large audience, it is difficult for journalists to draw a line between being human beings outside of the newsroom and professionalism. Saying the wrong thing on Twitter has the potential to do great damage to a journalist's reputation and credibility. 

In "The New Ethics of Journalism", Kelly McBride and Tom Rosenstiel states, "A transparent news organization will approach its work with greater self-awareness, recognizing how its business model impacts the topics and types of stories it considers news" (p. 5).

Despite the growing need for transparency, many news organizations are putting regulations in place preventing journalists from expressing partisan opinions on their personal social media accounts. Some argue that journalists' posts represent the entire news organization. 

On one hand, this helps the news organization prevent any potential backlash or damage to its reputation. On the other hand, journalists' can benefit from the transparency of their personal opinions. 

Is true objectivity really the best option? Where is the line between bias and transparency? 

The benefits of transparency and social media

Social media allows the community to engage with the news and the journalists. It has also allowed citizens to do some of their own coverage.  

According to an article by Scott R. Stroud of the University of Texas at Austin, journalism ethics are no longer just for journalists. Stroud states, "The digital media environment has flattened the information playing field, giving long-standing news institutions the same access to an audience as extremist propaganda , citizen bloggers, and you: yes you." 

We're all gatekeepers now. 

Social media also gives journalists a medium to answer questions and connect with their audience. These social media platforms hold journalists accountable for their stories and their coverage. 

According to an article by Craig Silverman from the American Press Institute, transparency builds credibility in a world overwhelmed by sources. Transparency may be a key factor in rebuilding trust in journalism.