More Harm Than Good: Journalists and Ferguson

Emily Koudelka
ek399011@ohio.edu

"Minimize harm." A simple two words, yet they make up an entire section of the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics and arguably, in my opinion, one of the most important sections.  Despite the clear precedent,  due to recent advances in media and journalism, journalist constantly find themselves battling the line of freedom of speech and minimizing harm.

This constant dancing on this line, became prevalent during the Ferguson events.  Journalists live tweeted the locations of demonstrators and their actions giving the authorities information on where they could corral the activists.  These actions clearly go against the code journalists clearly agree to to minimize harm. Yet in this hyper competitive market that demands information here and now, are journalists not pushed to tweet and put out such things, in order to gain more followers or grab more attention for their specific market.

In Christopher Zara's article for "The International Business Times," he highlights how this battle of the press and authorities.  He argues that the press' interference completely overshadowed the Ferguson case and tragedy.  He highlights the ever present new precedent that individual journalists make their own brand personality and not have it be the overall new's outlets personality, make what happened with the live tweets an unavoidable incident.   Yet, he also argues the valid statement that there is a valid story in talking about the police crackdown, but when it gets highlighted too much it makes the journalist out out to be exploiters or only have eyes for themselves and not their communities.

An interesting look at the topic was revealed during a Q&A on the Huffington Post's coverage of Ferguson.  The Huffington Post spent $40,000 on crowd funding a portion of their Ferguson coverage in order to "keep a presence."  Furthermore, the outlet stated that 25% of their stories surrounding Ferguson sourced from Twitter, naming the social media outlet as "invaluable."  Also interesting, the Huffington Post stated that they know their readers have an interest in police militarization, so gathering stories surrounding that and Ferguson generated them the most buzz.  This raises the question of over shadowing the actual story once again by focusing on the journalist and the authorities.

We swear as journalists that we shall minimize harm, and in doing so promise to keep in mind everyone involved.  Yet the principle we hold so dear and true is constantly coming into question as we battle the new media pressures and freedom of speech.  The way in which Ferguson was handled called into questions these exact issues and almost overshadowed the true tragedy of the event.

Think Before You Post

By: Katie King
kk429412@ohio.edu

Diversity and stereotypes are prevalent issues that our society deals with on a daily basis.  Looking at how the media covered the Ferguson case, many ethical dilemmas arose and decisions were criticized because journalists didn't take the extra time to think over the consequences before posting what was happening in the moment. 

There was an issue with transparency and reporting information while remaining independent of opinions and biases.  Politico quotes Noah Rothman arguing "the press is no longer serving as objective chroniclers of the proceedings," and that the media "appears to believe it is an active participant in the events in Missouri." 

I believe the issue comes from being too close to the situation and getting caught up in the moment.  When you are asked to cover controversial situations, like Ferguson where violence is happening all around you, as a journalist it is hard to come to conclusions in the quick manner that everyone around you expects to have their information. With the high demand for live information from society, journalists are under pressure to report and often forget to focus on their ethical codes and dilemmas, and this is where it can get dangerous.


One of the important things to stress before posting coverage is to be considerate of the stakeholders involved and whom might be affected by what you are saying happened.  Especially in scenarios like Ferguson where harm and tragedy are involved, what you post could seriously hurt or cause conflict to people or groups.  Spending extra time to make sure that you are minimizing harm could save you much criticism on what you cover and how society views your perspective.  Your coverage will appear more credible and people will be more willing to work with you if you are reporting accurate and unbiased information.

We reviewed an article looking at how Ferguson would have been covered in different countries around the world.  Chinese President Xi Jimping says that America just bring stability back and would focus on preventing extremists from taking control.

Looking at potential solutions, one that seems to stick out is adding more diversity to the newsrooms.  Diversity in the newsroom adds to the variety of coverage being reported.  The percentage of minorities in the media has made a slight change over the past decade, according to the ASNE Newsroom Consensus.

By looking at the ways that the black press cover stories and present the black community in a positive manner, it can help other journalists learn how to report on stories in communities they are not used to focusing on.  Black lives matter and should be considered equally in the newsroom.

Controversy has appeared on social media claiming that the media reinforces stereotypes.  Twitter coverage on the Ferguson case showed criticism for how the media portrayed Michael Brown.  The image below on the left was released after his death.  Many people began commenting as to why the media decided to use that image and began posting dual pictures of themselves with the hashtag #IfTheyGunnedMeDown to criticize the media's decision.

Photo by morningsidecenter.org

At the time, journalists reporting had an issue of not taking the time to think of the different perspectives and how their style of reporting was going to affect the black community and others involved in the situation.  Adding diverse opinions to the mix limits the problem of only looking at things from one side.

Covering Diversity and Ferguson #BlackLivesMatter

By: Edie Lotus
eb598111@ohio.edu

It's a sad reality for the U.S. that our news has been bombarding left and right with reports of police shootings and brutality against African Americans leading to the necessary and successful movement, Black Lives Matter.

For this weeks readings, JOUR 3200 took a look at pieces by Vox, Alijazeera America, Politico, and Nieman Reports. All of which focused on the historical case of Michael Brown who was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in August of 2014.

This event sparked debates and outrage all across America. For my blog post, I'll be focusing on how Ferguson was covered and experienced here on Ohio University's campus along with how Ferguson serves as a great example of news events becoming so personal across the nation thanks to social media.

Several local news outlets covered bobcat students after they protested at Baker University as a reaction to the Ferguson decision in November of last year. WOUB covered this event and did so in what I believe to be a very professional and unbiased way but still missed something... While still providing a strong piece that triggered emotional appeal of their readers. I believe this was mainly because of the quotes from students present at the protest that were obviously very passionate about this case... However, from a ethical standpoint I personally wondered... Should quotes from both sides of the debate (because as we know some students thought the decision was just and felt the student protest was unnecessary) should've been included in this piece? By not including quotes from both sides of the debate, did WOUB's writer for this piece show bias? Even as someone who disagreed with the Ferguson decision, I felt that the other point of view should've been included in his piece regardless of how majority of the campus felt otherwise. (Picture of event included below)

Ferguson, also is a great example of how news and social media have become strongly intertwined in a very powerful and informative way. For this, I read a piece by The Washington Post which really supported this idea. The Washington Post, specifically spent part of this article focusing on how Social Media differs from News in the sense of how it can be of course a way of spreading the word of national events but also serve as a trigger and motivator... Especially feelings of sadness and anger. I think this is a very important idea because all though social media can be very strategic, I think it could also be very active rather than just informative.

Some examples of SM during Ferguson:

 

 

Diversity – Beyond opening minds

Tracy Brewer
tb289493@ohio.edu

Diversification is the foundation of what our country was supposed be based. “The melting pot” was never meant to be one ingredient.

"The Golden Rule" by Norman Rockwell

We are not based on just one of anything. Yet we’re here in 2015 desperately trying to “fix” the one side view of our media, our news and our views.

Generations

I was not privileged to grown up in a very diverse location. The media I was subjected to was very traditional as well. Entertainment, news, newspapers. It was not racially diverse in any way, shape or form. But in spite of my social setbacks in terms of environment, I am part of an entire generation (Generation X, next largest to Baby Boomers) that embraces diversity. 

 We are accustomed to accepting many diverse situations with open arms. The influence we have over accepting a more diverse society will ideally lead to decisions for a more diverse media. But, does acceptance of diversity make for sensational news? How many generations will it take to finally get it right? Will the Millennial? Will the Gen Y’s? We are taught that everyone is supposed to have an equal right, an equal chance and the same opportunities. But have we gone over and above expectations to create an overly-sensitive society when things don’t turn out our way?

Race, Sex, Religion, Ethnicity

As I mentioned earlier, although I did not grow up with a diverse environment, I never had a biased view of the world around me. I have always been open to learning about other people, cultures and beliefs. I have friends from so many backgrounds and cultures, I feel blessed to have had chances to meet every one of them. As the media embraces our shrinking world, they are forced to acknowledge important news from other parts of the world. World news was not of interest to the local outlets and in many places, that is still the case. Our racially charged incidents that become world news in other locations seem almost incomparable to the atrocities that happen to huge segments of people throughout the world. The media outlets make choices every day, as to what is “newsworthy” and decide what to share on the network programs. Little by little, bloggers and independent Internet outlets are encroaching onto that territory.

The Selfie Media

The tide of influence is changing. Everyone has a camera on hand and it is keeping the media accountable. On the flip side it is also creating celebrities out of some of the most dramatic participants. The Internet is a lot like a wild west. Very few rules and everyone is seeking a way to survive and be noticed. A big example is George Zimmerman.

 

From George Zimmerman's Twitter Account

He was part of one of the largest ethnically-charged stories in our media. One would believe that he would want to find some obscurity after the media coverage he received. Yet he continues to taunt and emotionally charge the public with posts on social media. The media continues to feed on these narcissistic tendencies as well. Is it ethical to continue to showcase his actions? Do we really have any control when the Internet is the chosen medium?

A Diverse Future
The lessons this generation is learning about communication with available technology and responsibility is unlike any we have dealt with as humans. The sheer speed that messages can be relayed is extraordinary. The need to self-monitor is a necessity in this day and age. We need to learn how to slow down the sharing process to verify the truth. Diversification over race, sex, religion, sexual preference, ethnicity, culturally, financially and more needs to be taught as a NORM, not a tolerance. We still have a long way to go, but we are going.

Time to add new voices to tell stories

DuShuan Headd
dh447812@ohio.edu

In the year of 2015, Americans are living in a country that prides itself on its diversity. America is very quick to flaunt how diverse of a country it is in many fashions such as the range of religions allowed, the variety of music that can be found, to what food the country has to offer.

Like any country however, America is one with a majority race followed by minorities. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, not until around 2043 will the number of minorities be greater than non-Hispanic whites. What this ultimately tells is that America is expected to keep on becoming more and more diverse, and a diverse America needs a diverse workplace.

Diversity matters, or so people would like to say. It seems as if every workplace talks about diversity but not every workplace takes action. With America becoming more and more diverse, it is an issue to not have diversity, especially in the media.

Bringing a different background and being able to looks at a situation is one of the most undervalued things today that can come from any reporter. What one must understand, is that while you may rationalize with a particular community, unless you are apart of that community, whenever that community is impacted, it doesn't have quite the same feel as to if you are apart of it.

It is why a white male cannot exactly emphasize with the black community over the Trayvon Martin shooting or why Ferguson may seem so intimidating, the connect is simply not there.

Often times when tragedies happen and are race related, it is covered by a white male, with usually a white male's opinion on it. The issue here is that very few stories now-n-days are centered around white males yet they are the ones who generally are in control and control the angle of a story.

               (http://scrippsmediaethics.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-change-we-never-saw.html)

For this reason, three-fourths of African-American news consumers and two-thirds of Hispanics have doubts about what mainstream media report about their communities according to a survey by Media Insight Project.

There is an obvious disconnect with minorities and the media. While minorities are watching the news, the numbers from Media Insight Project tell me that they are doing so questionably, meaning that they are often questioning the truth value and/or direction the story is coming from. The trust between the reporter and minority viewer is not there.

That is unacceptable and change must take place. As Wes Lowery said, "Media diversity is not somee type of progressive ideal. It's a journalistic imperative for any outlet devoted to fairness in its coverage."

How can the media honestly say it tried to cover a case to the best of its abilities if only 25% of African-Amercians and only 33% of Hispanics believe that their community is being shed the proper light? The answer is it cannot.

A newsroom should pride itself on being able to connect to a wide range of people and the only way that can be effectively done is if there is diversity in the newsroom so minority communities can relate to the person telling the story.

How much longer will it take?

Diversity in the Media

Alexandra Hambleton
ah941711@ohio.edu


It is clear that in the media, we do not have as much diversity representing the country in front of the camera as we do representing the country. There have been countless stories out there where the wrong reporter has covered a certain story. But we all know that, so why does this keep happening? Why is it that during all the reporting of Ferguson we had white reporters there?



A protester speaks to a white reporter (Cited From: salon.com / Credited to Fox News)

 

Is it a bad idea to bring a white reporter to a story that is about a young black male who was shot by a white police officer? These are questions that wouldn't be necessary if we were to have more diversity in the newsroom.

 

 

 

The Nieman Reports wrote an article on "Why Newsroom Diversity Works," and in it, they cited a quote from the Kerner Report stating "It would be a contribution of inestimable importance to race relations in the United States simply to treat ordinary news about Negroes as news of other groups is now treated” (niemanreports.org ) The report goes on showing that bringing in diversity to the newsroom would bring diversity into the country. We already know that we have diversity, but have we been able to bring all of the diversities together? Have we been able to combine each other's differences and become one? Can we report our cultural differences and still understand our similarities?

 

 

We need to bring in more diversity in the newsroom to understand what exactly our cultural differences are, but be able to still understand we are all Americans. But according to an article from Nieman Reports, we need to engage to make a difference.

 

 



http://niemanreports.org/articles/newsrooms-need-to-engage-if-they-want-to-see-real-change/

 

 

 

In this article, the author states "No one ever has any conversation about, “Can any white male reporter cover police fairly?” No one ever asks that question. Yet, any time a black reporter has the audacity to write about issues of race, all of a sudden it is followed by a deeply, intensely personal conversation publicly about who they are: Are they black enough? Are they not really black at all? Can they separate their own personal background from the topics they cover?" (niemanreports.org).

 

 

It is clear that there is a line that we as a country need to cross. Are there questions that may arise once we start hiring more diverse reporters? Maybe, but it is still the right path to take when talking about newsrooms and hiring. The more diverse newsrooms we have, the more diverse topics the news can talk about and the closer we can get as a country. Once we have more stories to understand what each others' lives are like, we will be able to be more understanding on our differences and focus on the similarities. Personally, I would say that if we want to create more understanding of diversity and acceptance, we need to create diversity in the newsroom first. The newsroom can lead the country into an understand of one another. 

The Race for Diversity In Media

Ben Faith
bf246411@ohio.edu



The media is facing an issue that has affected almost every other aspect of society, and that is the issue of diversity. It's not all about race either, it's also an issue of seeing stories and issues in the lens of other cultures. According to a 2014 study, "A quarter of African Americans consider the portrayal of their community accurate, whereas a third of Hispanic adults say that the Hispanic community is accurately portrayed in the media". This is a clear indication to me that instead of focusing purely on hiring minorities in media, we should also be looking to educate existing and future journalists on strategies to accurately represent minority communities.

Black man drinking at white only fountain, ca 1964 (Cecil Williams source:)

I may look like the vast majority of journalists existing in the media today (white male, born in the Midwest) but I've had a lot of exposure to black culture since I was both born in the city and I'm a huge hip-hop head. The best thing for journalists to do when covering a certain group of people is actually understanding their culture and to do that is through the culture. One of the biggest reasons that newsrooms need to diversify now is the need for multiple perspectives in every story. If everyone sitting in the room is from the same background the story may lack that other perspective.

Another issue with a lack of diversity in media is often times it actually makes reporting much harder. If you were trying to talk to people in a Latino neighbor, and you don't speak Spanish, it can make certain sources inaccessible or not as reliable due to the language barrier. Having a more diverse staff may allow you to cover a larger variety of stories and will also make certain stories much easier to report on. A more diverse staff can both cover some stories with greater success and share their own experience with each other.

T.J. Holmes March 29, 2012  (Astrid Stawiarz / Getty Images)

One of the issues with a lack of diversity in media might be with the lack of role models in the field. In a recent NYT article about the lack of African-Americans in Silicon Valley, Van Jones, a CNN political commentator said,  "A lot of African-Americans want to grow up to be LeBron James, Jay Z or Barack Obama. They don't hear about David Drummond at Google, who is at the center of one of the biggest companies in the world." (Drummond is an African-American who is currently Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer at Google). I believe there is a similar issue with the media, there isn't enough role models for minorities. When I decided I wanted to be a journalist, I was aiming to to be the next Anderson Cooper. I think more and more minorities will be more likely to become the next generation of journalists as long as we have role models like Fareed Zakaria, T.J. Holmes and Soledad O'Brien.