Situational Definition:
Lisa Falkenberg was one of the speakers at this year’s Foster-Foreman Conference of Distinguished Writers. She is a columnist for the Houston Chronicle and has written many long-form stories throughout her career. Some of these stories are based on her personal experiences, while others are stories that she needs to write with an objective view. She selected several of her stories to speak about with topics ranging from death row, the foster system, and abortion to taking a ride with her dad on his last day as a truck driver.
Analysis:
One of the points covered in the SPJ Code of Ethics is focused on minimizing harm. Some of the topics that Falkenberg covers are very controversial and sensitive to some audiences. In her story, “Houston couple fight to save foster kids wrenched away by a broken system”, she talks about a case involving an abused child. In stories regarding sexual abuse, you are never supposed to name the victim. Falkenberg does not address the children by their real names, and therefore “uses heightened sensitivity when dealing with juveniles, victims of sex crimes, and sources or subjects who are inexperienced and unable to give consent” (SPJ).
Another story that Falkenberg holds near and dear to her heart is the one she wrote about her dad. Her dad was a truck driver, and she decided to go on his last drive with him and documented what it was like. Although she is a journalist and people may argue that she should be reporting on news, as a columnist she has a little more freedom. In the SPJ it states “boldly tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience. Seek sources whose voices we seldom hear”. This was evident in her story “It’s just Dad and me on his final haul”. She goes through the day spent with her dad and shares a story that not many people have heard before. In The Ethical Journalist, there is a section on making coverage more inclusive and it talks about using ordinary people as sources. Although this was her father, it was still a new perspective.
Conclusion:
Lisa Falkenberg is a very successful writer and an even more inspiring speaker. She came prepared with articles that she knew she wanted to focus on, and the articles were great examples of feature stories. She worked hard to get to where she is today, and showed that hard work pays off. For those in the audience who are looking towards going into print journalism, she encouraged those to find something they are passionate about and just write. She also made a good point in her presentation that not all answers can be found on Google, and that we will physically need to go out to conduct research.
Sources:
“SPJ Code of Ethics – Society of Professional Journalists.” Society of Professional Journalists – Improving and Protecting Journalism since 1909, www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp.
Foreman, Gene. The Ethical Journalist: Making Responsible Decisions in the Pursuit of News. Wiley-Blackwell, 2015.