On the first day of class, when eighty percent of the class raised their hands and claimed the major of Journalism, I was shocked and I almost dropped the course. Thankfully, I did not. And along the way, I carried my curiosity and judgment till the end of the semester.
The two most important ethical lessons I have learned are “do not lie” and “be neutral”, especially as I compare the Western media system to the Eastern one. The movie, Shattered Glass, is an eye-opening film to me. It is because in Asia, the excellent achievement that Stephen Glass had may still be tolerated and accepted in his position. Although this personal opinion is probably a pure bias, one hidden message is to refer the SPJ ethical codes, and remember, “If you lie, you will be caught”. Moreover, it does not matter which career path we choose after graduation, but knowing how to avoid the conflict of interest is necessary. Once we step into the gray zone, the cost is not only losing our reputation but also destroying the credibility of what we represent.
For me, the take away from this course cannot be measured by any letter grade; it is an attitude and an altitude. Working ethic matters. I am not a person who has religion, however, I believe in kindness. When I look into the Boston Marathon explosions, I understand that as an ethical person, we have to limit any emotional response such as racism or cultural discrimination. As Jeff Jarvi, an American journalist, states in his article: “But the new factor this time — versus 9/11 or London’s bombings or Mumbai’s attacks or even the Atlanta Olympics’ — is the assured presence of media cameras at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. This was the media-centered attack”. (A Media Attack, 2013) This helps me to think twice when we are about to interpret a message, because the medium is the message.
Last but not least, News Media Ethics is one of the most useful courses in my college life. I appreciate the fact that we are able to take open book exams, and all the ethical examples we have in class are very practical as well. The one suggestion for future students is about the course participation. If students can sit in groups and then each group provides bullet points to each other during class, I believe this can increase our intention in class discussion. Overall, for people who are majoring in journalism, this course is a must.
Reference: Jarvis, J. (2013, April 22). A media attack — BuzzMachine. BuzzMachine by Jeff Jarvis. Retrieved April 22, 2013, from http://buzzmachine.com/2013/04/15/a-media-attack/