1) 2 Important Ethical Lessons
There were many ethical lessons to be learned in this class. However, there are two that stood out to me the most. The professional versus human lesson was tough to take in because if someone is in danger, my first instinct would be to save them to the best of my ability. My job as a reporter is to be an observer, not a participant and I learned that I should only intervene unless there is no one in the vicinity that is qualified to help otherwise. Another important lesson I learned is that journalists have a duty to balance public news between good and bad information. The public needs to know about crime and violence, but that should not be the majority of the news reported. There is good in the world as well and the public should be exposed to both.
2) Case Study
The ‘Rough Up At the Playground’ was a case study that stuck out to me in this course. Going from one of the lessons I learned in class, it would be hard for me as a reporter to not intervene and save the little boy who was being attacked. I know the story would change if I would say something, but the teachers should have been more aware of their surroundings and helped the child in danger. This story made viewers more aware of the care their children have in some public schools and is a good reminder to always have supervision for safety purposes so the reporter would not have to intervene in the first place.
3) Course Impact On My Life and My Career
As a writer and a person, this course has really compelled me to think about honesty and truth-telling not only as a writer and reporter, but as a person in my everyday life. If you are a dishonest person in your private life, it will reflect in your career and your opportunities in the future. As I move on from this class and look to the future, I expect to take the ethical principles and guidelines learned with me in making decisions. I love to write and will absolutely continue to be as honest and authentic as I can.
4) Overall Reflection
Overall, I made great friends, learned about important news media ethics, and appreciate all that Dr. Z has given us to move forward in our college careers and life. Dr. Z is one of the most dedicated and welcoming professors at Penn State that I ever met. I know he loves his job and enjoys teaching us new principles that we can apply in our lives. This class was very informative and one of my favorite classes this semester.