Kristopher Gross
Course Reflection
Throughout this course I have learned a plethora of tactics that can be utilized when determining the ethical rights and wrongs within news reporting. Upon beginning the course I had not realized the amount of thought and rules that coincide with reporting ethically. However, as the course began progressing I quickly came to the realization of just how much thought goes into a journalist’s life on a daily basis regarding ethics alone.
One important ethical lesson that I hadn’t realized previously was just how strict the editing of photos are within a photojournalist’s career. During this class we learned about how only cropping and slightly altering the shading of a picture is deemed ok, and even then, the changes can’t alter what the picture is supposed to say. Previously I had thought photoshop to be legal within the photojournalist industry.
Another very important thing I learned early on in the class was the importance of keeping your sources organized and the severity of punishment that can come with the falsification of sources. The video we watched early in the year exemplified how the falsification of one story by fabricating sources can lead to termination within the workforce. This also made me realize that even if your sources are legitimate it’s extremely important that you have all the information you need to ensure you can verify those sources should your story be called into question.
As far as case studies I can honestly say that I was required to think the most and learn the most with my own. This isn’t simply because it’s the one I researched either, the amount of thought that one must put into a story when determining whether to name a rape victim is exponential. When determining this my partners and I determined that each case must be evaluated by itself. One must then examine all aspects before forming a conclusion that’s fair both to the public and to the victim.
As far as the courses impact on my future life it differs greatly compared to many other students who enroll in this course. With my career direction having changed to the sciences I no longer will be using these skills within the world of journalism. However, this course taught me multiple new perspectives from which the analyze situations that can be applied to a day to day basis. Any knowledge that in turn makes an individual more well-rounded and a more intelligent being is of great use to any student. Overall this was a beneficial class from which I can take what I learned and better my life through the broadening of my knowledge.