Ethical Responsible vs. Protecting Others

 Madison Kopp

mk193818@ohio.edu

Photo via artcollectors-club.org

All journalists have a responsibility to share honest and fair news with the world and the community they are reporting to. The concept of ethical responsibility comes into play when discussing this journalistic responsibility. 

Many journalists have a good grasp on this concept and will share all details of a certain story while on the other hand some journalists have an ethical dilemma on sparing story details to protect themselves and a community from backlash or uproar. 

This is an issue and has been for years. The people who are watching, listening and taking in the information they are getting told are hoping to believe it. But when the whole truth isn't getting told the public will figure it out and will now distrust you and what you represent.

The ethical responsibility vs. protecting a group is a large weight journalists face. The picture above is a great representation of this dilemma. On one shoulder you have your ethical responsibility to give people the full story without spearing details and on the other you have your ethical dilemma of not telling those details.

The SPJ (The Society of Professional Journalists) believe that four principles are the foundation of ethical journalism. That journalists should report the truth, be unbiased, take responsibility for the work they produce and reduce harm if possible. 

Journalists should now more than ever be willing to follow the four principles mentioned above. With news coming not only from television but from our phones and etc. , they should be providing their viewers and/or readers the direct and complete truth. 

For example, if you were in a car crash incident and you didn't let the police know the full story of what had happened, odds are they may not be able to help you or when they find out you were hiding information, it makes the police think poorly of you or likely not to trust you again.  

While the truth may not always be positive towards a specific group or person, it is better to let others know what may be going on around them to either keep them safe or others safe as well.