This semester, I took away many crucial things to know about ethics in journalism, and how even the smallest, unintentional things that occur in the journalism field can be considered unethical in general, but considered a moral behavior to an individual. From plagiarism to fabricating stories, we’ve learned a lot about the consequences and controversies of these acts and why it hinders how journalists and news publications deliver news to the public.
One particular lesson or discussion that stood out to me was the Stephen Glass case study. The accompanying film, “Shattered Glass” shed light on a situation in journalism that I wasn’t completely aware of when considering journalism as a major. Glass, known for fabricating many of his articles and implementing false sources, admitted to wanting the fame and notoriety coming out of his writing. Considering the fact that many of his articles were popular amongst his coworkers and readers of The New Republic, it appeared that he became desperate for approval. Granted, he was a younger journalist who didn’t seem to understand the ethical values of journalism.
Thus, it made me understand why taking a course on news and media ethics helps aspiring journalists like me, and other classmates, avoid making unethical decisions.
I also learned a lot about reporting violence. While working with two classmates, we focused on the El Paso shooting and how many news articles we found focused more on particular mediums to enhance their stories. For instance, we focused on sensationalism that would contribute to emotional appeal, including photos involving the traumatic events, showing victims in pain or in agony.
Personally, I always wanted to be a writer and report news, but I think that this course made me realize that it’s not exactly what I thought it would be. There isn’t exactly as much freedom in writing what you want (unless it’s an opinion-editorial, or freelance), because you have to remain objective, maintain originality without plagiarizing and also ensuring that you have the facts. Then again, we question whether ‘telling the truth’ or every detail all of the time is ethical in journalism.
I appreciate this course and how much I’ve learned this semester about ethics and I know that once I graduate and find my future career, I will use what I learn to the fullest. I would encourage every aspiring journalist to take this course. While it may be required for students, it’s worth every class.