By: Isabel Romanowski
1) Two important ethical lessons from the lectures/case studies (at least two) you have had in this course.
Throughout the duration of this course, I have learned many important ethical lessons. The first one that I have talked about several times and holds high importance to me is the value of diverse reporting. We talked about diversity in class, but it was also focused on by John Eligon of the New York Times in the Foster-Foreman 2018 conference. There is value in having a diverse newsroom because it is vital to have an outsider’s opinion when it comes to covering stories on difficult issues such as race. Diversity is vital to show the true context of events and people.
Another lesson I have learned is the importance of establishing trust with your co-workers, readers and peers in the world of journalism. As we saw in the movie “Shattered Glass,” there is no coming back from a mistake such as the one Stephen Glass made when he decided to fabricate stories. It is vital to tell the truth and report it — that is perhaps one of the most important guidelines a journalist must abide by.
2) One case study you learned that impressed you the most, and why.
The one case we learned about that impressed me the most was the story published by Rolling Stone about the rape case that had virtually no evidence or factual backing. I think it is common for all people to sympathize and believe those who claim to have been a victim of sexual violence. It is just a natural human reaction. This case showed me how important it is to really get the facts straight before even thinking about publishing an article. This case showed how easy it is to fall victim to false events and facts — even when you are as big of a publication as Rolling Stone is. Hearing about this case really solidified the point that reliable sources and facts are vital to any story, and when you don’t have those, you could be at serious risk of losing money and credibility.
3) Envision the course’s impact on your future career and life;
I think this course will have great impact on my life in the future both personally and professionally. Ethics are vital in any profession, but especially so in the field of journalism, which is my intended field of work. It is important to apply ethical values in every decision made when putting a story together, and this class has helped to solidify that understand for me. The same goes for a personal life, all actions should be based on some loose ethical form. This course has made an impact in my life to make me realize that ethics are a huge part of every day for all people, and journalists must adhere to the highest ethical standard in order to be successful professionally.
4) Your reflection on this course as a whole.
This was a very beneficial and interesting class. While most days consisted of lectures, every subject was very hands on and required personal reflection. Ethics affect all people, so I think this class would be beneficial to any student. It is especially helpful to future journalists such as myself because it brings to light how easy it is to make a mistake in the world of journalism, so having a strong foundation of journalistic ethics before going out into the professional world is vital. This class has helped me better understand ethics and the need to apply them often.