Part 1:
One of the most important lessons I learned in this class was how important integrity is to a journalist’s career. Whether it is in their professional or private life, journalists are supposed to represent the truth, and when that falls away, there is no real value to that journalist anymore. Even someone as high up as Brian Williams was not immune to this. The other main lesson I learned goes hand in hand with this—how easy it is to lie when reporting. Whether it is a whole article or a single quote, there is the constant temptation to produce an interesting story. This also goes against the idea that journalists should be representatives of the truth, but a single lie can set up a level of distrust with someone’s readers or the profession as a whole.
Part 2:
One of the case studies that affected me the most was when one of the panels focused on Richard Drew’s The Falling Man, a picture focused on a man diving head first out of the North Tower during 9/11. With the initial publication of the photo, especially since it appeared in a publication as prominent as The New York Times, there was a backlash about how appropriate it was to use the photo. Considered voyeuristic to someone’s emotional and sudden end, the discussion of how ethical the taking and publication of this photo truly represents the gray area. On one hand, you are infringing on someone’s privacy and graphic end, but on the other you have a good representation of the desperation that everyone was feeling at the time.
Part 3:
Coming into this class, I believed that taking it was more of a formality than anything else, a necessary part of getting a degree in journalism. Prior to this, finding a solution to ethical dilemmas seemed pretty straight forward, but this class really emphasized how much of a grey area journalists operate in. This class never gives a straight “when you are in this situation…do this…,” but it helps by giving insight on how to best approach situations where the situation is shaky. While this class was focused on ethics for journalists or jobs based in communications, it can be applied to any career. It taught that not every dilemma will be black and white, and that difficult decisions will need to be made. I know that this class is required for some majors, but I would suggest this class to other students. It is thought provoking and can be applied to many careers outside of journalism, so it would be beneficial for anyone who takes it.