Two ethical issues that comes to my mind is making up stories so the public can find them entertaining and choosing between what is right and wrong to publish. Now, I’ve never had a story in which I made up. I gather my facts and get the story right. One of my favorite sayings is “you’re not first if you’re not right.” In the world of plagiarism and fabrication, those two things do is damaging a writer’s reputation.
It’s not a good way to make someone trust you with lying to them, whether it’s making up stories or stealing quotes from another publication to use in a story. It makes a writer look lazy and sloppy, not to mention the ethical consequences that come with the gate-keeping theory of ours that have to do the best of our way. The same goes for a journalist using ethics to determine the right and the wrong in the business.
Working for a newspaper in the past, many behind-the-scenes things take place. Journalists have the power to control what is right and wrong in their moral ethical standards. What may be good to them may damage the reputation of another. Journalists meet challenges in self-regulation, according to Evers (2001, 46), is “the only way to create online standards and to control the observation of moral rules.” Knowing the environment around you has something to do with it. So, that’s something I always take into consideration.
Stephen Glass won over the hearts of his colleagues with his brilliant story ideas to grab their attention. Watching the movie and telling the kids of his everyday job made me wonder why is he so good at what he does. I didn’t question his journalistic talent, but how can he always woo people to the point where they laugh or cry or feel some other kind of emotion.
His two editors at the New Republic caught on to what he was doing, making stories up when an online competitor tried to find out where he got all of his sources for his “articles.” I’ve never found myself in a situation like that, nor do I hope I ever. Every time I write something, my journalistic integrity is on the line. There’s usually a set of guidelines I keep for myself when reporting what I see.
As Stephen’s editor, I don’t tolerate made-up stories appearing in the publication I look over, which made a strong point towards fact-checking stories down the road. I’ll go back to make sure stories and accurate and concise before sending the next copy for someone to design a page. Many things don’t get by me when it comes to fabrication and plagiarism. Being in the industry for the few years that I have has given me more experience than I’d ever dream in my life.
The image that Chuck (Stephen’s second editor) began throwing all the magazines with Glass’ articles off the shelf still sticks in my head. Something like that happened to me, I’d be pretty traumatized from it. To deceive as many people as he did and get away with 27 of the 41 phony articles he published is on a new level of cowardice.
Solutions to these issues are simple: seek and report the truth. Don’t make up stories just to gain reader’s attention. They can be told the same way in a good, ethical manner. Making up things can mean you have a good imagination, but leave it at home before coming to the newsroom.
There’s a lot to take in as a journalist working in this profession. Some days I question myself why I choose it, and others why I like it so much. Lecturing in front of students or younger kids gives them a new perspective they may not already have.
I’d never lie to a student, even as harmless as it may see, but you can get past it. Where I go to do errands, I will focus on the conversation and other anything else. It clears my mind from time to time, but I learn how to cover.
Ray Browne talks about the “fat” people leaving McDonald’s. I think less pressure needs to be on myself. When depicting that image of a person, it’s necessary for me to do so. Things like that piece themselves together have their own characteristichs, but in the same time compared it to marijuana. So, there’s a single stance not on it for me.
References:
Evers, H., (2001). New Moral Dilemmas in Online Journalism.
Browne, Ray and Russell Nye (1972), Popular Culture.