Christopher Grullon
In Zhongs ethics class, I have learned how to deal with the public dramatically and not sound offensive. When first making the decision to become a journalist I always envied reporters who could make it sound as though they were not being offensive. Questions like: what to ask the mourner? How should I phrase his/her death? Should I mention how they died, is that relevant? Nevertheless one of my favorite classes, sadly, was the discussion about graphic content. Struggling with writing about race was also a big concern. Again questions like: Will my crowd be offended if I used street terms (white, black, Asian, etc.)? How will they react to my choice of racial interviewees upon certain topics? Although this class was not in my list of the top favorite class discussions, it helped me clear many questions about the matter.
In the graphic content discussion, when we talked about the girl who drove off the road it was saddening. What I liked about that example is how I was able to place myself in the operator’s shoes. By doing this I was able to mark down how I would have handled the matter compared to how the operator handle the situation, compare the two and figure out what should have been done differently. Nevertheless, how one conducts an interview on black history month, in a town of whites, and not seem racist, was difficult to solve. I would have never thought to handle race the same as gay/lesbian, only include the information if needed. For example, an interview on black history month with a white interviewee, people will assume the gender by topic if not mentioned. Although once you mention the race things will become clear, and will impact the story either greatly or not at all.
This class has helped me to understand others even more than I already did. Placing myself in other’s shoes has always been my guidelines, to help people by advice. I have a much more clear understanding of the world and its intentions, also how the world views people based on their ethics. Always I have questioned my ethics and if I am ethically correct, incorrect, or too much of either one. Last year a old friend’s relative passed, but I never understood how to speak of death with a family member let alone a friend. If they wanted to vent, how would I make them feel better not worse? Not only that but also the impact the internet has had on the media over the past ten years, and how much harder it is to become a worthy journalist. I never knew where I would see myself in life because of my ethical issues with working with others. Now I feel much more relaxed and confident, more than I ever have been, to work with others and write great stories.
I am glad I took this class and would take it again if the university allowed me to. There are topics I wish I researched more of, but the basics is the major impact I had. This class really helps journalists come into perspectives with their own ethical issues, and if one is strong enough, correct them.