Journalism 101

Chrissy Podolak 

chrissym2301@gmail.com

Communication is a need

As humans we are programed with a need to communicate -- to socialize. The need to communicate historically comes from a survival instinct. We need to communicate with each other to learn, grow and survive. In the book, The Elements of Journalism, it talks about how tribal societies would communicate and share news. It was merely gossip, but it was a form of communication. We have a need to know what is going on around us, be it for security or a need to bond with others. We exchange information with our friends, family and even strangers we meet at the grocery store. We want to get information, to compare what we know to what someone else thinks and we also want them to react and believe the same as us. According to Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel's book, The Elements of Journalism, we need news to live our lives. I've never thought about it this way. After reading a portion of their book I now see how much we rely on news, gossip, friends, family and our phones to make judgements about everything we do, see or experience, on a daily basis. 

I cannot tell a lie

As society has progressed and the internet is made accessible to almost everyone, we find ourselves in a position where we all have the opportunity to be a "journalist". We need to realize that this comes with great responsibility. A journalist can make or break their career with having one wrong association or publishing misinformation. What we rely on from journalists is the truth. How do we know we can trust them? How do we know we can trust news we may read online? How do we even know we can trust news we read in a magazine or newspaper? Ethics. Journalists are taught and hence, they adhere to strong ethical standards. But can this be taught? Aren't ethics just your standards or lack of as a human being? We would all like to think that everyone is always doing the right things vs the wrong thing. Telling truths, not lies. But this isn't always the case, especially online where it's just you and your computer. It's so easy for people to quickly post something and forget about it, there is no time taken to think, just to react. Do most people online have the same ethical standards as you or will people tell lies to get attention or to merely pass the time as they find it entertaining to post things that are not true or well researched. 

Picture source: womansnews.org

What is the point?

So why do we need journalists? The role of a journalist is to "provide people with the information they need to be free and self-governing," according to The Elements of Journalism. In this book you will find ten rules to live by as a journalist. Adhering to these standards keep everyone in check. Even the most admirable journalists may misstep and have to remember what it is that they are trying to accomplish. Is this the best way or will this do more harm than good?

In the end

There is a theory by a man named Dave Burgin called the Theory of Interlocking Public. He basically says that there are three levels of commitment for the public when referring to news. 1) Involved - this is something that the public has a vested interests in. 2) Interested - this refers to someone who is affected by the news. 3) Uninterested - this is the public that pays little attention to what is being talked or written about. Each of us may belong to all three of these groups, depending on what the topic may be. A journalist's job is to try to write their story in a way that will peak the interests of all of these groups of people, while being truthful and ethical. In conclusion, I hope that everyone will think twice before sharing a story until they do their own research and use their best ethical judgement.