Blog 3: Mara Flaherty
Situation Definition:
“I don’t want an easy job,” said Wesley Lowery, a journalist for The Washington Post. “If it’s ever easy, I’ll switch to doing something else.”
This comment by Lowery was featured in Penn State’s Foster-Foreman Conference on October 18 at 7:30 p.m. in Schwab Auditorium. The conference is held each year to honor Penn State alumni Larry Foster and Gene Foreman. Over 300 State College residents, including professors, students, alumni and townspeople were in attendance.
Two issues mentioned in Lowery’s speech that contained ethical messages were that of his statement, “I do not believe in true objectivity in journalism- I do not think it exists” and using his approachable stance as a young black man to interview those affected by police brutality and other “Black Lives Matter” social issues.
Analysis:
In his statement about the impossibility of true objectivity in journalism, Lowery admits to being a biased reporter. While it is inevitable to have one’s own opinions, it is necessary to remain objective in reporting in order to serve the public’s best interest. The major ethical concern with this statement is the knowledge that all reporting may not be unbiased; therefore, the public may be retaining information that contains opinions of the reporters or news outlet themselves. While reporting on the case of Michael Brown, journalist Gretel Staff mentioned the importance of keeping her own opinions separate from her news story, despite the difficult while reporting on such a triggering issue (Staff 2016). With the emergence of “fake news,” it is more necessary than ever to create trust between the public and journalists. To prove that reporting is both reliable and serves the public’s best interest, journalists need to use reliable sources, ask the hardest questions to those they agree with and do their best to report news quickly, honestly and accurately- this will ensure that near objectivity is met.
In addition to the ethical uncertainty of journalistic objectivity, Lowery mentioned in his speech that he uses his relatability as a young black male to make interviewees feel more comfortable in opening up to him. While this may seem like a smart tactic to obtain information from subjects, it also blurs the lines of ethics. It is necessary to ensure that you are not using your relatability to make an interviewee reveal information that they believe will not be used in a public forum. Setting ground rules on what will and will not be on record is a journalist’s job to remain ethical during an interview. Renowned journalist Peniel E. Joseph commented on this issue while reporting on several issues within the Black Lives Matter movement and states that it is necessary to use your position to help an interviewee feel comfortable, but not to take advantage of their vulnerability (Joseph 2017).
Conclusion:
Overall, Lowery’s speech opened my eyes as a journalist. I learned that it is necessary to think of ethics in every matter I am reporting on and to be able to discern between objective reporting and opinionated reporting. The emergence of “fake news” in journalism today makes it even more important for journalists to be honest, open and ethical. Lowery mentioned that, although his job is not easy, it is a job that is necessary to keeping the public in tune with what is going on in the world and to educate future generations about the necessity of honest journalism.
References:
Staff, Gretel Kauffmann. (2016). Two Years After Michael Brown Shooting: What’s Changed in Ferguson? Retrieved from EBSCO Host. 25 October 2017. http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=7&sid=343440b0-1f10-417b-80e1-8f621b050474%40sessionmgr4009&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=117315283&db=a9h
Joseph, Peniel E. (2017). Why Black Lives Matter Still Matters. Retrieved from ESBCO Host. 25 October 2017. http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=9&sid=343440b0-1f10-417b-80e1-8f621b050474%40sessionmgr4009&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=122107739&db=a9h