3 Basic Rules for Being Ethical

Alexandra Newman
an077811@ohio.edu

I think being objective is a very important part of being a journalist. It’s one of the first things you learn. It’s a good skill to have to make your stories stronger. The conflict comes in when you’re not sure what to call something, or you’re not sure if you should report something because it is so scandalous.

An example that comes up often is whether or not to call the Affordable Care Act “Obamacare." I have written several stories in which I talk about the Affordable Care Act. I start out by saying, “The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.” Then I continue to call it Obamacare throughout my story.

I made this ethical decision because I felt like most Americans just know it as Obamacare, and it is easier to say over and over again in a story than the Affordable Care Act. I didn’t think I was adding any bias at the time. After reading this article about weather or not to call it Obamacare, I realized that maybe the use of it makes it seem like you have an opposition to it. I actually don’t, and find it funny that I still find myself using the term just because it is easier.

Just because something is easier, does it make it the right thing to do? I am all for taking the easy route, but in a news story you’re not always getting your strongest story out there. You can make up quotes from people who don’t exist, you can Google something until you find the information instead of calling someone who would know the answer off hand, and you can even make up false details to add more to your story, but all those things are wrong to do and unethical. They may be easier than going out and finding the answer yourself, but when you’re a journalist you are trusted by many to report in the best way you can.

I think being objective comes into this idea of doing stuff the easy way. When you’re doing things fast and just throwing a story together you tend to only include a bare minimum of details. If you took some time to look into the story and spend more time finding all of the sides of the story you may find that there is an angle you would have missed it you didn’t take the time to look into the case fully. 

Here is an example of a reporter who made comments quickly, without having actual proof to back them up.

In this case he lost his job over the things he said. He wasn't informed enough and jumped to conclusions based on his opinions, not actual facts. So before sitting down to write a story, or put a package together for television, make sure you:

1. Have every side to the story possible.
2. Don't let your opinions intrude.
3. Don't take the easy route.

Please take these things into consideration during your journalistic career. I do.

There are no stupid questions

Alexandra Newman
an077811@ohio.edu

As an advocate for human rights, I think that everyone needs to be considerate of what people identify as, whether that be gender, sexuality or anything else. In the case of Bradley Manning, or as she is known now as Chelsea Manning, I think the media needs to be respectful of her choices.

Although it may be true that she does not really identify as a woman and is just doing this to be in a woman’s prison instead of a men’s prison, it is imperative that we recognize the bigger picture here.

A blog post on the Human Rights Campaign website does a good job of summing up the whole situation. It makes a point to say, “What should not be lost is that there are transgender service members and veterans who serve and have served this nation with honor, distinction and great sacrifice.”

Just because society as a whole can’t figure out how to accept the LGBTQA community (even Pvt. Manning’s Wikipedia page is confused), doesn’t mean that our journalists should be just as ignorant. Equality starts by recognizing every one is different and was raised a little bit different. The media needs to compensate for this by being fair.

It is our duty as news gatherers and presenters to be fair to what people want/feel/are. We can’t be fair, one of those concrete ethical rules, by not respecting the trans community.

Photo courtesy of people.com.

Something else I would like to point out is that transgendered and transsexual are two different things. Transsexual is after you get the surgery to become a male or female and transgendered is “all in your head” and how you present yourself on the outside.  I have noticed that people use these interchangeably and that is not fair.

When the pregnant man came into the news a couple years ago people freaked out. They couldn’t just accept that this person was born with female reproductive parts and just doesn’t physically look like a female and that they identify as a man.

Something else I would like to point out is that not everyone fits into the gender binary. Some people don’t identify as a man or woman. When this occurs people freak out because they just simply don’t know what to do or how to act around these people. You should act the same around all people, because all people have feelings.

If you don’t know which pronoun to use with someone, use a gender-neutral pronoun like “they” or just ask them. In school they tell you to ask questions when you don’t know something; the same applies to the real world.

Now back to Chelsea Manning. She specifically sent out a letter asking to be called “she,” and I don’t think it gets much more simple than that. It is easy to be confused when this person has been in the news so much as “Bradley Manning”, but if we want to be fair to this person, no matter what they have done criminally, we have to respect their wishes.

If we were doing our jobs right at journalists and human beings then there would be no question in regard to what to call this or any person. Just ask what they prefer to be called. Even better yet, if they TELL YOU what they want to be called, your job is 100 times easier!

Journalists have a basic ethical guideline

Alexandra Newman
an077811@ohio.edu

After reading the SPJ, the RTDNA, the NPPA, the PRSA and several other organizations Codes of Ethics I feel like I know the four things that all journalists seem to be in agreement about that isn't that far out of normal human beliefs.

Truth:  Every Code of Ethics I read had some sort of section on truth. Many of them starting with the words "Seek the Truth." I think as journalism students that is really all we can do. We don't really have any other motives besides learning about how to be a journalist in the best way possible. So the chances of us not reporting the truth as students I don't think is very high. The excerpt I liked the best was, "Online journalists should uphold traditional high principles in reporting original news for the Internet and in reviewing and corroborating information from other sources" (Online News Association).

Bribes/being swayed: It was very interesting that all of the Codes of Ethics had something about not accepting gifts or payment to run a story or sway a certain way. I find this line more interesting as a student journalist and not as clear. When I am coming up with story ideas I ask my friends. If they are involved in something that I find interesting angle to take on I am more likely to do the story because I know someone involved in it. I think this could take a turn into something a little more biased, even if you're not getting paid or anything, just a unintentional favor to your friend. One of the excepts I liked the best for this example was, "Present analytical reporting based on professional perspective, not personal bias" (RTDNA).

Duty to the Public: It is quite evident that all of these organizations want to do what their doing in the public interest. More journalists would argue that this idea is the most important. As a student journalist I find this to be quite difficult. I would say about half of my peers read the campus publications for fun or personal interest. I think it is quite difficult to reach that other half of students that don't really care about reading about what the City of Athens talked about at their city council meeting last week. In a general sense though, that is what we are here for, the public, but when certain audiences don't really care about what's going on, it's hard to feel like you're accomplishing anything. The excerpt I liked the best was, "We serve the public interest by acting as responsible advocates for those we represent. We provide a voice in the marketplace of ideas, facts, and viewpoints to aid informed public debate" (PRSA).

Follow the law: I think this one kind of speaks for itself, but I think that it is important for the public to remember that journalists aren't above the law, they have the same access to certain documents as the public does. Journalists just have connections so they can get the information more quickly and can check its reliability. I am taking media law and media ethics at the same time, and I really am enjoying the overlap between the ideas that we discuss in both classes. An example of a code of ethics about following the law I liked was, "Advertisers should follow federal, state and local advertising laws, and cooperate with industry self-regulatory programs for the resolution of advertising practices" (Advertising Ethics).

I think it is important that we think of ethics as a guideline and not actual rules, but we understand the law is important in making ethical decisions. I think as a student journalist I am well on my way to being the best journalist possible, as long as I keep my personal values close. 
In conclusion I would like to share this short video with you because I think it is short, sweet and to the point about ethics.

                               
                                                   Video courtesy of YouTube.com.