Obviously as journalists we know that our integrity is the most important thing in this field. Through this class I have seen many examples whether that’s from lecture or case studies where journalists lost their integrity and therefore ruined their reputation. So I think the first extremely important lesson I’m taking from this course is to not lie or fabricate any of your material. We’ve heard all year about cases like Stephen Glass, Jayson Blair, Janet Cooke, who fabricated their work and faced serious repercussions from it. “Fake News” is a big thing in today’s world and we have the power to change that. Lying to get the perfect story is a slippery slope and I think it’s important that we know truth telling is the golden rule in journalism. The second ethical lesson I will take away from this class is the privacy of people and remembering their not just subjects to a story but real people who are suffering / will be affected by our words. With big events like the Boston Marathon bombing and photojournalists not knowing the boundary of getting a powerful picture and invading people’s privacy. I think as journalists its important we know those boundaries and know what decision to make if we are ever faced with a conflict like this. We need to know when to report on an issue and when to know there is a bigger issue and hand, and the excuse “it would make a good story” doesn’t hold much weight.
I think the case study that I was shocked by the most was the Janet Cooke case. Not only did she lie and fabricate a story, she completely made everything up. Her story was about a child with a drug problem, and from that authorities got involved to try and find this child. She made all of her readers believe there was a child in danger and even won a Pulitzer Prize for it. After much investigation the authorities realized this child did not exist and she was forced to return her prize and admit she lied. In my mind, that is a kind of story you do not make up. Yes Stephen Glass did the exact same thing, but never did his portray a story like that.
I think this class was really important for my future as a journalist. There were topics mentioned in class that I would have never thought of and would have had no idea what to do in that situation in the future. I think this class will make me a better journalist with a good understanding of what’s right and wrong, which I think is going to be extremely beneficial in my career. I’m very thankful I took this course and believe Dr. Z is a great professor who wants all of his students to achieve in what they do. You can tell he really cares about his students and welcomed us into his class with open arms. I would highly recommend anyone to take either this course or another of Dr. Z’s!