Two ethical lessons that I’ve learned are, always tell the truth and sometimes asking for help is the right thing to do, no matter how much it hurts your pride. We had many case studies during our lectures, but those two lessons definitely stuck out to me and left major impressions on both me, as well as my career. As an entire course, I will remember more than just these two lessons and there are already many lessons that have already affected me as a journalist.
When it comes to reporting, the topic at hand should be analyzed fairly, keeping in mind there is more than just one side to a story. With that being said when going out into the field, many of us need to find multiple sources. A common problem we find ourselves in is not being able to obtain the quote that we need to complete the story. This leads many journalists down the path of plagiarism because at times that seems like the only way to complete a story when working on a deadline. Although, it is the journalist who decides to plagiarize, “journalist take their ethical cues from their environment, an environment which actually encourages borrowing without attribution;” this quote from Norman P. Lewis in Plagiarism Antecedents and Situational Influences, brought much attention to the fact that, maybe newsrooms are no longer stressing this very minuscule but extremely important step. This was alarming because what journalist wouldn’t want to keep their credibility before stealing someone else’s work or making up things on their own.
Moving on with my career, this class has taught me how to evaluate situations ethically. Dr.Z ensured we had many examples to learn from, which gave me a sense of comfortability when approaching tough, ethical dilemmas. I feel equally prepared to carry myself in the real world professionally, and most importantly ethically. Although the main focus of the class was about news media, we also got the opportunity to talk about how to maintain our online presence while also using social media to our advantage. As journalism is an inconstant field, there are always new aspects where a journalist needs to be aware of how their personal life may interfere with their professional life, such as discussing hot topics.
As a whole, media ethics has taught me many lessons that will be used daily in the life of a reporter. Many may think of the field of journalism as just a profession, but it is a lifestyle, as it trains you to think in ways that become almost second nature. For me, Comm409 was a molding course that has given me direction when faced with different types of difficult situations. With the many examples and class projects we have completed over the course of the semester, I feel confident in reporting on controversial topics and creating unique yet informative content.