The lecture by Kimberly Dozier, the author of Breathing Fire and a former CBS news reporter, at the Foster Forman Conferences was very inspiring and reviewed many ethical messages about news reporting, specifically at times of war and conflict. To hear and learn about real-life experiences with news reporting in the field was extremely interesting, motivating, and made the concepts and subjects that I am currently learning of here at Penn State even more realistic and feasible.
Situation Definition:
One ethical message that Dozier covered was presenting an unbiased view when involved in war news reporting. Like stated in our book, The Ethical Journalist, it can be difficult when reporters develop close relations or ties with the soldiers. These relationships and friendships can affect the views of the reporter and the way in which they report about the troops, their actions, etc. One needs to develop a line between business and ethical responsibility and friendship, which is a strenuous job to do and maintain.
A second ethical message that was mentioned in her lecture was the way in which reporters risk their lives and their emotional, mental and physical health in order to get a story, and to keep the public – the world – updated and in the know of their environment and events affecting them and the rest of humanity.
Analysis:
Journalists have an obligation to report the truth and only the truth. In the book, The Ethical Journalist, it states that Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel identified the “elements” of journalism, the first element being a journalist’s obligation to the truth. Kovach and Rosenstiel claim that the first step is “getting the facts right, ” and concluded that “the disinterested pursuit of the truth” is what makes journalism different that other forms of media and communication such as advertisements and the entertainment industry.
The Ethical Journalist also includes information from the SPJ code, stating “Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering reporting and interpreting information. That duty is journalists’ professional reason for being: to gather information of importance to the community and disseminate it to their fellow citizens.”
Granted, I feel that this is easier said that done, especially if a journalist is placed in a high-stress, high-risk environment such as war and or conflict. As a journalist, when facing similar challenges, I feel that it would be important to remind yourself on a daily basis of what your professional duty is in such an environment. I’m sure that it would be tremendously easy to get caught up in personal relationships and emotions, and those factors are ones that are extremely hard to ignore. You would need to focus on the end result, and put pride in knowing that you were able to report the truth to the public.
The risk to a reporters life and health in an environment such as war and conflict is a controversial issue that many seem to have differing opinions on. AP Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll said in February that “As journalists from AP face ever-increasing risk to gather the news that the world needs, it is vitally necessary to put in place best practices to keep them as safe as possible to do their jobs.” In an article issued by the Utrecht Journal of International Law called The Protection of Journalists in Armed Conflicts: How Can They Be Better Safeguarded? by Isabel Düsterhöft it states “Regardless of their essential role and responsibility, the number of journalists who disappear, are threatened, arrested, mistreated and/or killed is on a constant rise.” Many are exceptionally passionate about this topic and believe that journalists should be protected while on the job, while others believe that journalists’ chose to do such a career and know that theses risks come with the duty.
Conclusion:
Reporters and journalists clearly have a tough job, and one that many people probably couldn’t do. There has to be an emotional and ethical strength and balance that they form in order to be successful and survive in the media world. They deserve credit where credit is due. These people put their lives on the line to make sure the general public is informed of events and prominent news worldwide.
References:
Colford, P. (2015, February 12). Setting the standards for journalists’ safety. Retrieved March 26, 2015, from http://blog.ap.org/2015/02/12/setting-the-standards-for-journalists-safety/
Düsterhöft, I. (2013). The Protection of Journalists in Armed Conflicts: How Can They Be Better Safeguarded? Merkourios: Utrecht Journal of International and European Law.
Foreman, G. (2010). The Ethical Journalist: Making Responsible Decisions in the Pursuit of News. Chichester, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell.