If I told you on the first day of class that I undervalue the importance of ethics it would be an understatement. I always thought having a good moral compass was something everyone should strive for, but I never saw it as something that would benefit me in the long run.
The information in this course was extensive to say the least, but it wasn’t the case studies or the never ending principles and rules that made me see ethics differently, but rather one phrase Dr. Zhong told us at the very beginning of the semester: “Being ethical makes you happier.” I wasn’t so much skeptical as I was intrigued and decided to set out to see how valid that statement was.
At first it started out small like being more conscious to hold doors open for others, to giving my seat on the CATA to people who are traveling with a lot of groceries. As time went on I would be more and more proactive with it. I wouldn’t wait for people to come to me anymore about their problems if I knew something was wrong. A lot of this can be construed as courteous rather than ethical, but the way I see it I had been following the Golden Rule the whole time in that I was treating people the way I would want to be treated if placed in their shoes.
As a journalist, I always believed that if you weren’t plagiarizing you have nothing to worry about, ethically. Most people don’t factor in how a journalist can affect their audience on how they cover an issue, and ethical guidelines serve as an important tool in making sure the audience gets the most out of what they read. In my Reporting Violence Case Study, Chicago sports reporter Julie DiCaro was reporting on the Alex Kane rape investigation even though DiCaro was a rape victim herself. Ethically, such a reporter should not be reporting the case because her close ties to the situation can lead to biased reporting.
Normally, most people would view DiCaro’s case as a women putting out a controversial topic on a relevant issue, but fail to make the connection that it’s a rape victim reporting on rape. It opened my eyes to the fact that there’s a lot of little things reporters overlook that can really hurt their work. A journalist doing an article on the hometown team might not notice their personal views are embedded in their writing. A reporter might be so wrapped up in the topic they are covering they don’t realize their hunt for information is causing more harm to the people involved. (The idea of truth-seeking vs minimizing harm)
For the most part, at the end of every course there is very little I take away from it, if at all, and if so it’s usually for situational purposes. For example; English 412 taught me how to maintain focus when writing longer works, BIO 110 taught me that the mitochondria was the powerhouse of the cell, but the great thing about this course is that the lessons I take away from it apply to all parts of life. It taught me to be more aware as a journalist, and that benevolance can take me a long way. Thank you Dr. Zhong for all the lessons you instilled in our class!
