Blog 5- Reflection on Comm 409 by: Mikayla Schultz

Throughout my time in taking Comm 409- News Media Ethics, I was exposed to many hard-hitting stories that posed several ethical issues. The meaning of ethics in the media will always stay important and constantly cause diverse conversations. Being ethical is an essential part for you being a successful journalist. Comm 409 has given me the tools in understanding the true meaning of ethics in the media.

The first important ethical lesson that we have learned in this course is the importance of always telling the full truth in journalism. A huge ethical problem that is constantly seen in the media is deception and fabrication in stories. A good example of a man not telling the truth is the Stephen Glass Story. In class, we were assigned to watch movie Shattered Glass, based on the true story of a young journalist, Stephen Glass, who took a serious unethical approach in fabricating almost all of his articles that he wrote for The New Republic. Many journalists, fall short of expectations and resort to the unethical practice of lying to the public, to create a more interesting story, like Stephen Glass. Taking this unethical approach will never be effective. As a journalist, you have a duty to provide truthful news accounts to the public and your colleagues. Just like you learned when you were a young child, always tell the truth, and that defiantly will always hold true in ethics and the media.

The second important ethical lesson that we have learned in this course is the right to privacy. This lesson on the right to privacy was more controversial and I believe there is still not a 100% defiant answer to the line between invading someone’s privacy and telling the truth. We learned about the four categories for the right to privacy including intrusion, private fact, false light and appropriation and where the cameras can go. I believe the most interesting yet controversial topic in regards to privacy is newsworthiness vs invasion of privacy. A journalist must constantly make a choice in deciding if it is the public’s right to know or to give the citizens privacy. In my opinion, I really do believe that it all depends on the story and if you get permission from the citizen you are writing about to publish the story. The right to privacy is an important part of ethics and debatably the most controversial that we have learned in class.

One topic in class that I found most interesting is Reporting Anti- Social behavior, particularly the case study of the Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting that happened just recently on October 27, 2018, killing 11 innocent victims. In class, we took a look at an article titled Pittsburgh shooting highlights rise in hate crimes across the U.S. The article takes a further look in how there is a rise in antisemitic behavior. There is constant debate between if reporting violent media, like the Pittsburgh shooting, is an ethical choice. In a research study done by the Surgeon Generals Scientific Advisory Committee, they found that “there is a causative relationship between televised violence and subsequent antisocial behavior”. In my opinion, the Pittsburgh Synagogue case study is ethical and should be brought to the public to inform them of the hate and violence that there is in the World and begin to stop this chaos of antisemitic behavior. Most of us choose to turn a blind eye to the ugly truth however, I think it is time we stop doing that.

Comm 409 has had an impact on my future career and life. This course has helped me better understand the meaning of ethics and how to be a successful, yet ethical journalist. I can definitely take what I have learned in this course and apply it for my career. For example, if I am assigned to write a controversial piece, I will really consider all of the ethical lessons that we have learned and apply that to my piece. This course has also opened my eyes to how ethically controversial the media truly is. The next time I am reading a hard-hitting article or see a controversial picture in the media I will be able to determine if the story would constitute as ethical or not. This class has given me a new approach as a consumer and a better understanding of how important ethics is in the media, your future and life.

I really enjoyed this course as a whole. The class exposed me to intense and controversial case studies that questioned the meaning of ethics. I enjoyed coming to class each week and seeing what was in store for us throughout each class. This class has helped me gain new knowledge and has opened my eyes to the true meaning of ethics. Overall, I have had a great time in Comm 409 and am looking forward to sharing my new knowledge of ethics to others.

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