Situation Define:
10:35 am On October 24th, Ken Dilanian spoke as a member of this year’s Foster-Foreman Conference of Distinguished Writers event. Ken is an NBC news correspondent who covers national security and intelligence.
During his speech Ken shared a lot of his personal experiences and some of his best stories. He spent a lot of time talking about trump and then answered questions from the students. Ken has repeatedly said that as a journalist, it is very difficult to gain the trust of readers and their sources.
“The last time trust in the media was sky-high was in the mid-1970s. Back then, more than seven in 10 Americans gave reporters and editors the thumbs-up, according to studies. It has been sinking ever since, dropping to 32 percent last year, according to a Gallup poll.” (Sullivan 2017)
Analysis and Conclusion:
With the new US President Donald trump taking office, the Us-Russia relationship is under the spotlight. Trump and his team’s stance on Russia have been questioned at home because of what they said and did during the election. After taking office, trump’s policy towards Russia has gradually become clear.
As a bridge between the subaltern and the government, any mistake of a journalist may cause different consequences. “Nobody talks to us because we’re nice guys,” Dilanian said. Both journalist and the source carry some sorts of baggage. There can be consequences after you print something your sources said to you. And it is your responsibility as a reporter.
Immediacy, accuracy and objective to provide real and reliable public information to the community is the media’s first duty, it is the professional ethics of media practitioners. It is through public reports on social events and timely disclosure of various “insider” events that the media play the functions of public opinion supervision, information communication and decision-making influence, and become an important force in safeguarding rights, regulating power and constructing order. Media is known as the “uncrowned king”.
Even more, the media is a force for combating social panic and promoting social trust and cooperation, because the efficient transmission of information between people and between officials and citizens is crucial to promoting trust. “News making is a reciprocal process involving active contributions by both sources and journalists” (Lanosga, 2014).
However, it must be clear that the public responsibility of the media is far more than that. It also takes on the mission of safeguarding justice and integrity. Namely, promoting good and suppressing evil through the guidance of public opinion and leading the society to the truth, rather than destroying trust and morality intentionally or unintentionally.
In other words, realistic news reports include both negative supervision, such as the exposure of ugly behaviors, and also positive guidance, such as the publicity of model figures. Both types of news are necessary in the defense of society.
I learned a lot from spending more than an hour with Ken Dilanian. His understanding of the media industry allowed him to lead us from the superficial to the deep. Every aspect of an interview is so tightly connected that the system of truth can break down at any moment.
References:
Lanosga, G. (2014). Partners in Power. Journalism Practice, 9(3), 367–382. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=1e871875-f534-4671-9820-fcf51a98deb9@pdc-v-sessmgr02&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=102270339&db=ufh
Sullivan, M. (2017, Jan 30). ‘Just the facts’: How media can build trust. The Washington Post Retrieved from http://ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/1863157574?accountid=13158