When I signed up for this course it was honestly because it was required for my major. I didn’t think it would be that helpful because I figured ethics were common sense. You either had them or you didn’t, and everyone knew the difference. I didn’t know that journalists constantly needed to make ethical decisions on a daily basis. The two most important lessons I learned were having a conflict of interest and fabricating facts. The conflict of interest includes basic things you might not consider a conflict, such as betting on sports if you’re a sports journalist. I learned that it’s better to be as objective as possible in the field you’re choosing to write about. So if you write about politics it’s a bad idea to have an online blog reflecting your beliefs on political issues, even if it outside the place you’re working at. You also shouldn’t accept any gifts or something for free from any of your sources or clients because it may seem to outsiders you are biased if you end up writing an article about them. The fabricating facts lesson I learned when watching Shattered Glass. I never knew a journalist would be able to completely make up stories like that, or that they would even want to. But, I learned that many would do it in order to make their writing more interesting or furthering their careers. Even making up small details, or photo shopping a picture is considered fabrication; which I didn’t know. I know though that if you do fabricate something, however small you think it is, and you get caught your reputation as a journalist will be ruined. You will have almost no chance of getting a job as a journalist because no one will trust your writing anymore. This would be an awful thing as a journalist, so I learned that this lesson is the most important one that makes or breaks a journalist.
This course will help me be a more ethical writer, whether I choose to write for a newspaper; magazine; or online publication. It will help me to be able to make better ethical decisions in order to have a good reputation as a journalist. The course really helps you understand ethical issues that all journalists or writers will face in their careers. It helps you be able to spot an ethical issue and be able to make a wise decision for it. I can’t really think of anything to change about the class. The only negative thing was sometimes the ethical issues became a bit dry after discussing them awhile, which of course happens. Otherwise I liked the class a lot.