Laura Szymanski
1.) Throughout the course of the semester I would say the lectures given by Dr. Zhong about ethical decision making and news sourcing resonate with me the most. As a journalist both of these criteria are a good foundation of how to make a credible journalist. Without a journalist’s ability to decide how to make the right call and how to remain credible with your sources is held on a high pedestal. As I move closer to being in the field of journalism using tactics such as the Golden Rule and my own gut instincts can help me make the best decisions possible. I have learned that sourcing is just as important as the story itself. It can actually make or destroy a news story if the sources are not credible. I have taken this away from an example of when recently Sabrina Erdely from The Rolling Stone nearly destroyed her career over using a bad source. This lecture has made me want to protect my career and check my sources over before determining their credibility.
2.) One case study that was presented which stood out to me the most was about the undercover reporting at Food Lion. It was interesting to see how undercover reporting could backfire even if the reporters have uncovered something to be made aware of. It was good for me as a future journalist that even when the company is the one committing wrong doing, a journalist can be held just as accountable. That journalists aren’t always in the right because they are trying to expose a truth. It made me think how journalist’s need to keep values with them at all times and keep themselves in a mental check so to speak. These undercover journalists tried to coax employers into saying certain things and almost trying to get them to do wrong. Such as packing bad meat with good meat and overall not keeping up with health standards. It goes to show that journalists always have that obligation to the public and without values or ethics, a journalist’s story can be weakened such as this Food Lion case study.
3.) As someone whose goal is to work in the media, this class will remain helpful and the lessons learned will be a good reference to future issues. When I move forward into my first job title, I will look back on the key concepts from this class. I have learned from the case studies of what a reporter should and shouldn’t do and how to conduct myself in the field. I will be taking away Dr. Zhong’s lectures and some of his own personal stories from working in the media such as his working on the story of the Twin Towers on September 11th. How you never know what to expect and sometimes it can take days without sleep in order to see a story through. I think this course will make an insightful guide to what makes good journalism and how I can be an example of good reporting.
4.) As a whole this course has made me a better journalist for the future. I am excited to get into the workforce to expand my knowledge. Overall I found this course helpful and informative. I am happy I took this course because it has made more aware of the problems journalists can run into no matter how ethical they are. Dr. Zhong made this course interesting and he seemed to take a great interest in all topics. I think it was laid out well course structure and all of the lectures flowed together well. I personally think the case studies were just as important because it’s always good to see where a journalist can improve and therefore I can improve.