My time in COMM 409 was time well spent. This class covered news media ethics and provided an open space for discussion. It also incorporated research and teamwork.
Two important ethical lessons I learned in this class was the importance of being accountable and transparent. This is a part of the Society of Professional Journalism’s Code of Ethics and I think it’s an important one to note and incorporate into your work. Journalism is all about being transparent with what you and and you don’t know so your readers and viewers have no questions. It’s also important to be accountable for your work because most of the time it’s not only your name on your work but also the company that you work for. You must be accountable for the words you choose and aware of the people you are reaching Acknowledge mistakes and correct them promptly and prominently as well as explaining corrections and clarifications.
A case study that impressed me the most was the coverage of Stoneman Douglass school shooting. A team presented the way that this story was covered, both locally and nationally and posed the question of whether or not to name a school shooter. This is such an ethical problem because you want all information to be transparent and available but with the amount of school shootings in the United States, professionals are saying that naming the shooter offers them a sense of validation in a way-they become a household name in the worst way. This case study really stuck with me because I don’t know where I stand with it-to name or not to name them and it would require me doing further research on my part.
This course will help me in my future career because I see myself producing a lot of digital content and it’s important to remain ethical when publishing anything. I learned many principles and was exposed to many real life situation where people failed to be ethical and their careers suffered because of their choices and actions. I know what not to do and what to do to help myself be great in a communications job.
Overall this course was pretty good. Although it was a required course on my academic plan, I learned valuable things that I will carry with me to my next stages in my career. Ethics are important to know and have as a person and having a course that is major specific that teaches exactly what you could encounter is very good. Dr. Z did a great job presenting the materials and I was very fortunate to be in his class this semester. I had to work for my grades for sure but the work was worth my time.
Thanks Dr. Z for a great semester!