I have learned many lessons in COMM409 over the last four months. The lectures and discussions by both Dr. Zhong and my fellow classmates have made me think about the importance of getting a story right and reporting on stories that need to be known. Among the topics that most affected me was the lecture on photojournalism ethics. There is a very fine line on what is appropriate to show and what is not. When a guest lecturer showed us all of the photos that he took that made it to publication, I was shocked. The photo of a child standing dead near a school bus was particularly disturbing. It made me realize that although the public has a right to know, the family of dead children also deserve respect and should have a say in whether such a graphic photo should be published. On the other hand, the family does not have the last word, the journalist does.
Another interesting topic discussed in class was a case study done by a group of classmates that covered the topic of whether it is okay to publish private health information of people in the public eye. The discussion of tennis legend Arthur Ashe’s cornering by USA Today on his AIDS diagnosis. Although it would have been an immensely big story for USA Today, it is a gross breach of privacy and morally questionable to threaten publication of a condition that is not a part of public record.
There were many timely events over the semester regarding journalism ethics, one being the Brian Williams suspension. I grew up watching Brian Williams, even hoping that one day I would spot him when I made my way to the NBC studios in Rockefeller Center (I have only seen and met anchors from the Today Show), but I never would have imagined him getting into the situation that he currently finds himself in. The other big issue that occurred during the semester was the findings of the Columbia Journalism Review on Rolling Stone’s article concerning a rape at the University of Virginia. It truly came full circle to me that ethics are not something that should be given up when a good story comes to you. If anything, that is when using your ethical standards becomes the most important.
COMM409 taught me important ethical lessons that will certainly come to use in my future aspirations. As a print journalism major, taking a course such as COMM409 is very important. Getting information from sources is one thing, but deciding what to publish once it is known to be true is another. One thing I have learned from this course is the immense responsibility journalists have to decide what ends up being known by most of the public. It is a large burden for one to carry, and there is little, if no room for mistakes. When it is one’s job to report the truth, there is no compromise on that standard, and with that in mind, I intend on pursuing a career with nothing but integrity.