Guest Lectures
The two subjects that bring up ethical messages are the messages of work ethic and personal experience. Work ethic is one of the most important traits that a journalist can have. Having a strong work ethic can help make upward and further progression within their careers, as well as journalism as a whole. Work ethic also eliminates laziness as well as lazy reporting which can lead to fabrication of facts and sources similar to the “Broken Glass” case. Personal experience can also effect the specific areas where a journalist would want to cover.
Gene Foreman talked about his interest in the experiences of his black kids he grew up with. Racism has never been a secret in America, it’s always been a hot topic or journalistic reporting. When facing the challenge of reporting anything that might come across as racially sensitive it is important to understand completely what is going on. You need to know everything that happened, when and where it happened, and who did what. Making assumptions in cases that deal with race can be extremely dangerous and can completely discredit a journalist if things are handled badly. It’s important to be aware of the setting in which the covered material took place, you have to understand the environment in order to report on whats going on inside of it. The racial in climate in one place, may be different in another place. You have to dig deep into the heart of the story, you cant be afraid to get your hands dirty in order to uncover the truth. You have to remain unbiased in these stories as well. Certain language can also be dangerous in these situations. Words that may at all be taken as offensive or possibly problematic should be avoided at all costs. Failure to be sensitive in word choice, staying unbiased, and gathering all the information that comes with a story can equal disaster for all involved parties. We can see this specifically within the White House.
It is still important to discuss these issues because of the current political climate that our country is in at the moment. Racial tensions are at an all time high with police brutality, and other social justice movements. Journalists have a duty to report these injustices without choosing sides or adding fuel to the fire.
Works Cited
Kressin, N. R., Raymond, K. L., & Manze, M. (2008, August). Perceptions of Race/Ethnicity-Based Discrimination: A Review of Measures and Evaluation of their Usefulness for the Health Care Setting. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2914305/
Mastro, D. (2018, October 16). Race and Ethnicity in U.S. Media Content and Effects. Retrieved from http://communication.oxfordre.com/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228613-e-122