Being a Political Science major, and Media Studies minor, I was excited to take this course. I was excited at the prospect of learning more about the core backbone of both these industries, ethics. While there are many ethical lessons that I will take away from this course, there are two in particular that stand out to me. The first lesson is why ethics matters. It is very important to be honest with those you work and those who are impacted by it. Being ethical and honest garners respect within your field, and in the career that I want to pursue, the field of law, respect is paramount. The second lesson I learned is that the decisions we make, impact others. This is important when it comes to naming victims and respecting the privacy of others. As an attorney, respecting others privacy will be a crucial part of my career and I will be sure to respect the privacy of my clients.
The case that impressed me most was the case of Stephen Glass. Stephen Glass was a rising star journalist who had his career come to a screeching halt after it was discovered that he had been fabricating his stories. This is important because it taught me that it is not enough to be talented. It is more important to take your work seriously, and hold yourself and your sources accountable. To be successful and impactful in a field, no matter how popular or excellent your work is, if you are not honest, you will not make it far for very long. Personal responsibility is something that Stephen Glass lacked and recognizing that will help me in my career.
This course will impact me as a move forward. I will look back on this class as a reminder to stop and think and consider my actions before following through. In addition, I will always carry with me the lesson of the importance of doing the right thing. No matter the consequences, you must always do the right thing. This class was unlike any that I had taken before. The discussions and case studies were fascinating and informative. I enjoyed hearing the difference of opinions we shared during class and always came out with a fresh perspective on ethical issues and outlook on the problems facing the journalism industry. More so than any other class, I will use the lessons that I learned and apply them with pride.