C409 – News Media Ethics

In this course i learned so many rules about journalism. Also that without journalism the people would not have a voice and journalist are here to help here citizens voices heard. Also, i was able to establish the differences between a good journalist and a bad journalist, especially after watching the movie “Shattered Glass” this movie show a mans life of what could happen if you make up or plagiarize work while in the profession that is lying to your readers and unacceptable. Also this movie being in real life gave us proof of plagiarism is only going to end bad.
Another ethical lesson i learned was copyright violation and knowing the boundaries of using certain patten items. By making sure you follow the guidelines of items bondings and making sure that each fact is backed up.

The case study i enjoyed the most was the Richard Jewel Case. His case is being surrounded by reporters of being unfairly reported to be apart of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombing. This showed me the lesson of learning how to get through a rough time during your career and being able to push forward through tough endeavors. Also, showed me to be careful with certain resources and making sure to double check all my resources to make sure there is no false information.

Then I’m hoping this class will teach me honesty for my future career. This class showed me what it takes to be a good reporter and thats what ill do in the future stay truthful and making sure that all resources i use are truthful and are correct. Also, to make sure that if you don’t make a mistake when reporting to learn from the people who do make the mistakes and learn from there’s to make sure you don’t do it yourself. During this course it has been interesting learning about all the small little, but yet important rules that journalist have to follow and i am glad i was able to experience this class and learn so much through this semester.

Journalism is something that I have never learned in my life, and during the course, I was able to clarify about some ethical rules of information. Especially, I was able to distinguish plagiarism and fabrication through the movie, “the Shattered Glass.” The movie and the characters facilitated me the situation that cause people to perform unethical decisions; for instance, Stephen Glass, the real case in real life and the main character of the movie, did plagiarism and fabrication throughout his entire journalist career for other’s attention, entertainment, and fame. 

I questioned myself of the reason why people are keep making such ethical mistakes, fix themselves, and make rules continuously. I also was conclude myself why these unethical situations occur even though we as human know it so well whether something is right or wrong: unethical decisions are made when people pursue their greed rather than truth. Even though everything requires portion of philosophical thoughts, I did not think that journalists require such depth of philosophical studies. Main thing that caught me was SPJ code of Ethics that provides the guideline to journalists for better journalism. It was shocking because the rules in the SPJ code of Ethics was something that we already know as a human-being. However, the code exaggerated the whole thing in order to lead the journalism to the right way. 

As COVID-19 is all over the world currently, I am now aware of the information on the Internet and social media in possibility of fake news. As a impact of that, discrimination between people is occurring due to the the fake news. Compare to myself before taking the course, I had inner growth about facing such issues. Instead of just hearing and believing in something that I want to, I am now being aware of information and doing the source check before spreading the word. Moreover, I am keep noticing myself of abundance of information among the online network that both proven and worsen the problem. Whenever I face such problems, I want to be the person who does not ignore but confront the problem for better conditions. Although I am not in journalism major, I strongly believe that with little words can bring big change to the whole society. 

Until my senior year in Penn State, I did not recognize the main purpose of Communication major. Since the beginning of my college year, I did not understand the major but a course teaches the wise way of “communicating” with others. However, since last year, when I started my 400 level courses, it changed my whole idea of the major. I learned how important to spread the information to the public in right way, and how it can impact people both positively and negatively depend on the way of author writing the information. I believe through COMM 409 course, I learned how crucial the use of word is, and I also acknowledged intention of a person can change the whole mood of the public toward the certain issues. In my future days, I hope I can be a person who lead a crowd from misery. 

Two Ethical Lessons

This course has been very eye-opening to me, filled with lessons on how best to conduct myself in my career as well as my life. Two ethical lessons that have been most important to me that I have learned would be the lesson on conflict of interests as well as the concept of invasion of privacy. In terms of conflicts of interest, it is most important to understand that any connection between myself or others could have an effect on the way that events are covered, whether certain facts are knowingly or unknowingly shared to avoid putting a subject in a negative light, or how something is written about. For the invasion of privacy lesson, I think that it is imperative to know the ground rules for how you may cover the general public, as well as other private citizens. Understanding that there are differences in how private information may be shared, whether that person is in the privacy of their own home or out among the general population is very important. I find that both of these lessons on their own and in conjunction are crucial in order to know how to carry yourself in a media career, or in any career in general. 

Case Study

In regards to a case study that touched me most importantly was that of Richard Jewel. His story of being surrounded by reporters and unfairly reported upon as a prime suspect in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics bombing was a very large example for me of how to go forward in my career. While I understand the need to report on such a very important event in this nation’s history I took many of the things that were done incorrectly to heart. I can see now that when a large event happens it is imperative to retrieve all of the facts before running a story or covering a story in great detail. It is also important not to invade the private lives of individuals that could have their reputations deeply impacted in a negative way if facts come to light that effectively exonerates someone. Many case studies that we covered were great examples of how to learn from the mistakes of other journalists or organizations in order to better conduct me in the future. 

Impact of Course on My Future and Career

This course’s impact on my life will be very prolific because I will take everything that I have been taught with me into my prospective career as a journalist. I know that I will have a very important responsibility to have good decision making, as well as understand other circumstances to do my job in a respectful and ethical way. While I will engrain in myself every lesson I have learned I will especially take with me those lessons on privacy and as well as conflicts of interest to avoid any possible breaches in my career that will endanger not only my integrity but that of my employer. In order to have the most successful career that I know that I must carry myself with the lessons that breed trust and responsibility as well as the image of someone that wants to uncover the truth, and make the most positive impact on my community. 

Reflection

During the course of this class I have been confronted with ideas that I have understood for a long time, that dictate how to be the best journalist and person that I can be. However, I would say that many of the stories we have detailed as well as the personal stories we have covered have solidified what my values are as well as what I should try to embody as a person and a journalist. Learning from the mistakes others have made as well as uncovering the social science about what it means to be ethical has led to my development as a journalist and a person. I will truly take the many things we have discussed with me for my lifetime and career, as this class has been very rewarding for me.

Two Ethical Lessons

I’ve learned many ethical lessons throughout the course from the lectures and case studies that will stay with me during my life and career. One lesson was the Five Ethical Principles since they can aid you in making moral decisions in not only journalism, but many other areas. These Five Ethical Principles are Aristotle’s Golden Mean, Kant’s Categorical Imperative, Mill’s Principle of Utility, Rawls’ Veil of Ignorance, and Judeo-Christian Persons as Ends. It’s interesting how each one goes more in depth and branches off into different sub-categories. Each one has different strengths and weaknesses and is applicable to real-life situations. One other lesson that I learned was the use of the Potter Box by Ralph B. Potter, a professor at the Harvard Divinity School. I learned that the box helps to guide decision making and that it has four steps, or boxes, that can be done in any order or multiple times. The boxes are Empirical Definition, Identifying Values, Identifying Principles, and Choosing Loyalties. I thought it was interesting that two different people who are analyzing the same problem could reach different conclusions and that the same person could analyzing the same issue could reach different conclusions if they use the box at different times. A third lesson that was reinforced in this course was making smart decisions and good choices in everything you do, from school to life to work. We saw multiple times from examples in this course that one bad decision can have a huge impact on your career and life. Everything from plagiarism, to fabrication, to conflicts of interest, and many others can be detrimental if not taken seriously. Not engaging in any of these wrongful acts will only help you in the long run and will only positively impact everything you do.

One Case Study that Impressed Me

One case study that impressed me the most was one of the first we discussed in the course, the case of Stephen Glass. I thought it was extremely interesting the extent in which he went to try and cover his tracks and truly how far he was able to go without being caught. The fact that 27 of his 41 stories contained some bit of fabrication while he worked at The New Republic magazine was detrimental and hurt his career and relationships. His addiction of lying was especially interesting because it almost seemed like a drug to him. Glass couldn’t stop doing it and continued to do so. Besides the fabrication, his continuous lying to his coworkers and friends about his made-up stories didn’t help his case. It seemed so odd that someone who seemed so dedicated and into his job could have done something like this. One part of his case that still amazes me is how we able to sort-of recover from what he did. Obviously, he can’t go back to the status where he was, but he somehow managed to somewhat get his career back on track. There is no solution to what Glass did, and this case especially goes to show that lying in your career will ultimately hurt you in the end and that even if works out for a little bit, it will ultimately catch up to you. This case is definitely one that will stay in my mind forever due to how impactful it was and the lessons learned.

Impact of the Course on my Future Career and Life

Since ethics is such an important topic in the journalism world, this course will have a great impact on my future career and life. In some of my other courses we’ve briefly discussed topics such as plagiarism, fabrication, and others, but never went as in depth and into them as we did in this course. The lessons over the course of the semester and case studies especially helped to really put certain topics into perspective and see real world examples of them. It shows how to act and not to act as a journalist. For example, fabrication, with the case of Stephen Glass, never works out for you in the end and only ends up ruining your reputation, career, and life. I thought I knew a decent amount about ethics before this course, but this course really expanded my current knowledge and taught me new things that I didn’t know before. After senior year, I plan to attend graduate school to earn a master’s degree and I think this course helped to sort of set the tone and standard for whatever I choose to do in the future. I think even if someone doesn’t choose to go into the field of journalism, a lot of the lessons can still be applied to other things and professions, which is definitely a big takeaway from this class.

Reflection on the Couse as a Whole

I overall really enjoyed COMM 409 and all the lessons that came from it. Ethics is an extremely important topic in the field of journalism and I’m glad that we went in depth into it throughout the course over the semester. As far as the course went logistic wise, it was straightforward, structured extremely well, and pretty easy to follow and know what was going on. The course schedule I thought was really helpful and helped to show what the course was about and the lessons we would learn. I would have to say that the case studies were my favorite part of the course since they helped to break the course up and split it between lessons and presentations, and because they helped to provide valuable life lessons and examples. When the class first started, I thought it would be just learning the rules of journalism and what not to do, but the fact that it was interactive and used a lot of real-life examples made the course interesting and enjoyable. Overall, this was a great class that really taught me a lot about the journalism and media field and has provided me with the tools to be successful in the future.

What I learned in 409 with Professor Zhong was that journalism is a responsibility. As a journalist, especially in America where the freedom to the press is so important, there is a duty to the truth and the people. One of the biggest lessons I will take away from this course is that journalism works on a case by case basis. Every situation is different, and knowing the difference between those cases can make or break a journalistic career. Naming celebrities in a violent situation is different than naming the general public in the same circumstances. Throughout the semester we looked at a bunch of different scenarios like invasion of privacy, victim naming, deception, and conflicts of interest. Where I learned the most was diving deeper into all of the different elements in victim naming.

Journalists have to keep their duty and responsibility in the truth most carefully when it comets victim naming. As important as it is to name the five “W” questions, and giving readers the utmost detail on the story, it is also important to respect privacy and have compassion. There are times when reporters have to write a story on sensitive topics like sexual assault or abuse. Victim naming in this instance is a hard no, most of the time, because it can dissuade victims from coming forward and ruin their private life. But every situation is different.

I am not sure where my future will be heading both as a writer or photography but I am glad that I took this course because I have a more circular understanding of all the different perspectives that matter when it comes to telling a story. Whether that is by photograph or keyboard.

The experiences I had and things I learned in COMM 409 was different than what I have done in other journalism classes throughout college. The reason is because instead of the focus being on sharpening my writing skills and style, COMM 409 was focused on building the vigilance, understanding and ethics of young journalists. This helped me to better understand the side of journalism that is “going too far” or is unacceptable, and that if certain mistakes are made, serious consequences could follow

Two ethical lessons

I believe the lessons learned in this class boil down to how trustworthy one makes themself. This means being honest and transparent to editors and the public, avoiding and eliminating bias from your reporting and making it your responsibility to get the facts right. I found this lesson most prevalent when we watched Shattered Glass and learned the story of Stephen Glass. The scale and frequency in which Glass lied to his editors and the public, and the hoops he went through to do it was very interesting. At the same time, it showed the infamy that can come with a lack of honesty in journalism. Secondly, I learned about the importance of reporting correctly and using the right words. In the Diversity in Reporting section, we learned about events such as the University of Mississippi outburst after Obama’s reelection in 2012, and more. I have realized that diversity in news reporting is not just important because of racial harmony and elimination of prejudice, but because the way certain stories and phrases within them are said matters in reporting and the scrutiny a reporter or outlet may face.

The case study that impressed me the most

I would say the case study that impressed me the most was the Stephen Glass study. It caught my eye for a variety of reasons. The first being that it was the first major case we analyzed. We watched Shattered Glass early in the year and I remember it being the first piece of course work in any class that caught my eye this semester. Also, the fact that we watched the movie about it and watched interviews and looked at the case in real life afterwards made it so we saw the situation from a variety of angles and in depth. Lastly, I think the fact that I was impressed with how deceiving and callous Glass could be about lying so much made me very interested. I know how difficult and stressful doing all that would be, and the fact that Glass sustained those lies for years shows as much about him as it does against him.

Impact of the Course

I do see this course having a significant impact on my career and life. As I mentioned before, I have never really taken a class before that has this focus and view on the field that I figure could very well be my future career. This fact, along with the essential knowledge I learned to keep me out of trouble as a journalist, has made me more prepared than before to be an ethical and quality journalist. Finally, it also helped me evaluate my personal values and how I want to be perceived by the public, and what I want to be known for.

Reflection on the Course

All and all, I am happy I took this course and I am glad I took it when I did. It was upsetting having to leave Penn State after spring break due to coronavirus, but I felt as if this class did not add extra stress on me and it had a fairly flawless transition to online learning, Before we left, I also had overwhelmingly positive feelings about the class because I enjoyed the course material and thought the assignments were relevant and fairly graded. Taking this course was valuable to me and I believe it will make me a better and smarter writer going into my senior year.

Something I have learned from the very beginning in my communications classes at Penn State is that, ethics is very important to follow for every journalist to be able to have a successful career. Coming into this class, I thought we were going to talk about seeking the truth and reporting it and then have some examples of it and how we can apply it to our own reporting. This class went way beyond that, teaching me the other important values that you might not even think about while you’re out reporting, along with some other important life lessons.

Throughout the course, I had two ethical lessons stand out to me the most that seemed to be the most important. The first lesson that stood out to me that, I knew we were going to learn about, was telling the truth. It seemed like common sense to me, but the more we learned about it, the more I realized how easy it is to fabricate a story to the public and have them believe it because it is coming from a news source. If one journalist isn’t being truthful, it is easy to then question all of them and/ or question the news source. There is a lot of power in being able to report to the public, and I think the big take away from this lesson is that it is important to be truthful so you can maintain respect and trust in the work you do. The second lesson that stood out to me, which can be a helping hand to the first lesson, is the five ethical principles. These principles can help you make a moral decision to know if what you are about to put out into the public is either good or bad. I feel as though that everyone going through journalism should have to learn and know the five ethical principles because they can be helpful in a tough situation when deciding to publish work.

Once case study that stood out to me the most, and I think forever will, is the one of Stephen Glass that we learned right at the beginning of the semester. It was such an extreme case of going above and beyond of being unethical. He not only lied to the public, but also his coworkers and other news outlets that were questioning his work. In a way, it was kind of impressive because he went to all the trouble of making fake emails, websites, venues, and more just to get everyone to believe his lies. At the end of the day though, it really shows that lying gets you know where and the only thing that will set you free is the truth. It was such an important message to me right off the bat with this class that stuck with me for the rest of this semester.

I think this course will have a big impact on my future and career because there are a lot of ethical and life lessons that I can take with me and use within any job I am able to get. I have been able to take a step back and take a deeper look at my own work and apply the lessons I’ve learned to better myself and my work already. The interactivity of being able to have open class discussion and being able to resent our own topics really helped me grasp the material for the course. I would definitely recommend taking Dr. Z to any of my friends for this course because of all that he did for us and how much he cared about us actually learning and knowing the material.

The lectures provided unique ethical lessons, which are interesting to learn. For instance, the ethical implications of communication draw on the everyday interaction of culture and people. We examined texts that impart audiences and the impact of choices as a means to understand ethical theories. Among the intriguing lessons include freedom of expression. With the freedom of expression, I learned that I could be sued for what I tweet and blog. I learned about the rights of communication in school, as well as privacy and theories relating to the topic. What I really preferred is the different learning way for the course. Dr.Z randomly split into small groups and each group chooses a case study related to the assigned topic. The impressive case study from the course is strategic communication management. The case study is remarkable owing to the concept involved, which relates to theories of ethics taught in class. It is easy to relate and interpret the case.

Two important ethical lessons

One of the most impact lessons I learned from the lecture was honesty. As a journalist, it is important to stay true to the audience and yourself. When we had watched the film, Shattered Glass, in-class time. It is unethical for Glass to lie to his audience and co-workers. It is a significant mistake for a journalist.  What’s more, I learned four classic theories of ethics in the course. They are rule-based thinking, end-based thinking, the Golden rule, and Aristotle’s Golden Mean which could help journalists how to approach decisions and put into perspective what consequence is the most important.

One case study impressed me the most

We have analyzed lots of case studies. The one that impressed me the most is on Stephen Glass. I was first introduced to this case in news ethics. After we watched the movie in class, I deeply understood this is a great case to start the course.  It is a real-life story about Stephen Glass with his act of lying to people raising questions on the integrity of the journalism of America.  The young journalist lost fame after the discovery of fabricating his news stories. As he continued to lie to colleagues and the public, Grass faced the terrible consequences of dishonesty. His fictional story ultimately not only lost his reputation but also destroyed the image and trustworthiness of the New Republic.

Impact of the Course on Future Career and Life

Comm409 will impact my future career. It is helpful in my future public relations field. As a representative of a particular brand, I have an ethical view of the information provided to the audience and are more likely to be loyal to them than to the organization. This course also taught me how to make a decision in difficulty. The most important is Comm409 taught me always to speak the truth and do not deceive anyone in life. Last but not least, the course is critical in my life since it shapes how I communicate with others and express myself. For instance, I will express myself professionally in a context that requires me to and carry myself with dignity in other areas. The course will help communicate with friends and family. I will be able to discern when one is not telling the truth.

Reflection of the Course

Overall, Comm409 has been exciting, and Dr.Z is very helpful. He is my favorite Chinese professor at Penn State University. We have a great time and interesting talking in his office hours. I really enjoy his course and want to continue a good relationship with him. The different learning ways, presentations enhance my learning experience. I have managed to learn a lot from the course, make friends, and, importantly, discover my weaknesses in communication, which I have improved significantly.

Ethics is crucial in a journalist’s career and it goes way beyond just telling the truth and reporting on it. This class has taught me that. While, yes, seeking the truth and reporting it is one of the most important guidelines to follow, it’s not the only one that could be broken. Reporting on the truth was also something I knew of before heading into the class, it’s something everyone probably knew of before class. A journalist is supposed to seek the truth and report it. 

So if I were to talk about two ethical lessons that really stood out to me they would be, the lessons on ethical decision-making and the lecture on conflict of interest. Learning about ethical decision-making was something I believe was crucial to learn in this course since we will all be faced with it in the future. Journalists need to make hard decisions, and learning about using the Code of Ethics to help serve as a decision-making tool was helpful. Learning about ways to help with one’s ethical decision-making with critical thinking, applying a step-by-step template and also trusting your gut will help prepare me for the future. 

The conflict of interest lecture we had also really stood out to me. It was interesting to hear about cases in which journalists violated this guideline and it was also just interesting to learn about what exactly a conflict of interest was. It started to make me think more about other cases that could be considered a conflict of interests on different levels, such as in the sports realm as well. 

As of case studies, the one that stood out to me the most was ‘The Death of a Boy.” The St. Petersburg Times published a story about a 4-year-old boy who had been crushed by furniture and died. Alongside the story was a photo of the mother very sad right after the event occurred. This received some concerns about the image; however, they defended their actions saying that the image was powerful and could save others from a similar event. I understand both sides of the stories between the readers and the paper. This case study just really made me think about what I would do in the editor and photographer’s position.

This course really made me think differently about news events and what would be considered ethical or not. It has prepared me for my next step into the newsroom by making me aware of guidelines and ethical issues. It has definitely helped with my ethical decision-making and has made me even more excited to make my way into the workplace. 

Looking back on the semester I cannot believe it is almost already over, I feel like every semester is going by faster and faster. When I had first signed up for this class, I was not expecting to walk away from it with so many lessons that I have learned. Signing up for this class I was excited to learn about the ethical values that would shape my thinking, but did not know what to expect. Not only did this class do that, but it also taught me life lessons. 

Throughout this course I learned many different ethical lessons through class lectures, quizzes and case readings. One of the most impactful lessons I learned from the lecture was to tell the truth. When we had watched the film, Shattered Glass, I felt like I was learning through his mistakes. Of course it is obvious to never lie or fabricate any stories when they are supposed to be the truth, but before taking this course I did not know the consequences that are given when doing so. As a journalist, it is important to be completely truthful with your audience and yourself. From that movie not only was Stephen Glass lying to his audience and co-workers, he was lying to himself since he never admitted what he was doing was unethical. Another impactful lesson I had learned from this course was the Five Ethical Principles which help someone make moral decisions in journalism and other jobs. The Five Ethical Principles consist of Aristotle’s Golden Mean, Kant’s Categorical Imperative, Mill’s Principle Utility, Rawl’s Veil of Ignorance, and Judeo-Christian Persons as Ends. All of these help us decide what is right and what’s wrong in reporting.

The case study that impressed me the most was the first case study about Stephen Glass. Like I had mentioned before, telling the truth in journalism is so impactful and the most important thing to do for your audience. With this case study being done first, it showed many different lessons that people have to learn in the workforce. Stephen Glass was very successful until he got caught lying in all of his writings which completely ruined his reputation and trust with his audience. In order to be successful, you cannot rush to become it and cannot cut corners. 

This course definitely will have a major impact on my future and career because it has taught me many lessons. This course helped me develop many ways of ethical thinking and will help me overcome situations that come up in the future for my career. I think this course touched on so many different topics that have all been followed up by examples, like interviews and films. I enjoyed learning about all of this and how it is dealt with in the real world. 

It is hard to believe that the end of the semester is already here. I thought the semester might feel longer due to quarantining during the coronavirus but instead, it passed by quickly. When I first selected to take News Media Ethics, I expected a course that would challenge me to think beyond the surface level; I expected to learn more about following a moral code. Now that we are at the end of the course, I can confidently say, my expectations have been met.

During the course of the semester, I learned quite a few ethical lesions from lectures, readings, and case studies. But the two most influential ethical lessons I learned were four classic theories of ethics and the guiding principles. Together, those two lessons lay the groundwork for all further analysis of ethics and decision making in news media. The four classic theories of ethics – rule-based thinking, end-based thinking, the Golden rule, and Aristotle’s Golden Mean – help us (journalists, communicators, decision-making) decipher how to approach decisions; put into perspective what outcome is the most important. The guiding principles of ethics assist us in recognizing what is important and right when reporting. It serves as a checklist, not a substitute for the process, of making news-coverage decisions. Seek truth and report it, Minimize Harm, Act Independently, and Be accountable and transparent. With these two lessons, the foundation of being an ethical news reporter is set.

While we have analyzed a lot of cases, the case that impressed me the most was one of the first ones – Steven class and fabrication. I was first introduced to the case in this news media ethics class and did not expect the turnout when we watched Shattered Glass – definitely a plot twist. I think this was a great case to start the course off with because it served as a great example of what not to do as a journalist and the best way to handle it if it happens. I think the news organization (editor and staff) at The New Republic handled the situation responsibly and well. This case emphasized the importance of following the guiding principles of ethics.

I think this course will have a major impact on my future career and life as a professional communicator but also as an individual as it has already done. Prior to the course, I had a somewhat concrete moral standard but now as I continue my life outside the class, I have a better tactic in addressing and making decisions in tough situations.

Overall, I enjoyed my time in this course because I gained so many skills I lacked at the beginning of the semester. I was lucky enough to have Dr. Z back to back as I was also a student in his Journalism and Social Media Analytics class. I am excited to continue a relationship with him as I feel there is so much I can learn through his mentorship as I begin working on my Honors thesis. This is definitely a course I would recommend to my peers.

A very important ethical value I learned about while in this course was trust. In the past four years, the idea of fake news has circulated heavily. Deciding to work in the journalism field, I knew that I always had to tell the truth in my work. What I failed to understand was how important the truth is. At first, I thought the truth was important so that as a reporter you wouldn’t be in trouble, like Stephen Glass, or fired. But, the ethical importance of truth lies in the public. A journalist accepts a job promising to report truthfully, and this promise might be made through news organizations, but, ultimately it is a promise to all of its readers. The second principle I learned about was a journalist’s social obligation to reports bad and good news. I think it’s easy to write about bad things that happen, the public flocks to these stories. But, as journalists, we must work to keep the news platform balanced.   

My favorite case we learned about was the one centered on Armstrong Williams. We scratched the surface in class, but my group case study decided on the Williams case for our topic, conflict of interest. What really shocked me most about his case was how under my radar it was. I was young at the time, it wouldn’t have been a topic of interest at the dinner table. But, I’m surprised in middle and high school this never came up. Growing up, I almost inherently knew that people bribed and blackmailed others with the purpose of getting something in return. Williams wasn’t necessarily bribed, but the taxpayer money he was given was binding. While writing our case study paper, something I always wondered was if Williams, a conservative reporter, would’ve promoted the NCLB Act on his own, without any money. What I’m trying to get at is this particular case study had so many what if’s and that’s what interested me the most beyond the fact the Williams felt he was acting ethically in accepting $240,000 of taxpayer money. 

I truly believe that this course will have a lasting impact on my future in the journalism field, as well as in my day-to-day life. As a whole, I learned specifics in reporting that I didn’t know before. A specific that was most surprising to me was undercover reporting. I’ve always dreamt of being an investigative or undercover reporter. In high school, a story based on the company Fairlife and its abuse of animals was released. A reporter had gone undercover for some years working hands-on with the cows. He broke the story with images, quotes, videos, everything imaginable. It was at that moment that I became very interested in undercover reporting and the good it was possible of. Flash forward to C403 the topic of undercover reporting was discussed. Undercover reporting should be a last resort decision. I never realized that in deceiving others in order to get the story will reflect on the journalist’s character and alter what the public thinks about the said journalist. Writing this, it seems like common sense that going undercover is a dive into the deep end of risk and reward. But, before this class, I only thought of the dive as perpetuating a journalist into reward.  In my own life, I think this course has simply shaped me into a more well-rounded person. Professor Zhong taught me how to look at debatable concepts from both sides and seeing the pros and cons of both.  

As a whole, I really enjoyed this class. I didn’t really know what to expect after the first day, but I was pleasantly surprised. Instead of being a class about rules that reporters simply must follow, there were examples and the greater effect of breaking said rules other than simply getting into trouble. This class taught me a lot about the ethical challenges a journalist may face, but also the power they have to do good in the world.

This course has been extremely influential in shaping my ethical thinking as not just a communications student, but as a person in their day to day life. There have been several lectures that have made a big impact on me, but one that was particularly lasting was learning about the five ethical principles. I had no knowledge of them before coming to this class and they interested me greatly. I truly believe using a combination of Aristotle’s Golden Mean, Kant’s Categorical Imperative, Mill’s Principle of Utility, Rawls’ Two Principles and Judeo-Christian’s Persons as Ends can lead a person to living a happy and virtuous life. These principles can also effectively guide a journalist to conscientiously and responsibly carry out their duties to the public in making their work. Another lecture that meant a lot to learn about was the one on fake news. It has become a buzz phrase in the last few years, but I never knew exactly what it entailed. I now know that it specifically is the intent to deceive with false information and has been around for a very long time. It has increased lately for reasons like the lower barrier to entry in the media industry and the rise of social media. After this class, I felt much more prepared to combat being tricked by fake news through increased media literacy.

The case study that was the most impressive to learn in this class was the first one with Stephen Glass. I did not know what to expect when I entered this course and learning about his story at the beginning set the tone for how much of an effect this class would have on my ethical decision making. Glass’ behavior was an example of one of the worst things you can do as a journalist. It reinforced how terrible fabrication is, not just in the field of journalism, but in general. I have never committed it and I know I will never be tempted to in the future because the Glass case demonstrated that the truth will always come out and lying can have disastrous consequences.

Media ethics was not something I ever deeply considered before. There were some basic values I knew like not to plagiarize work and to always cite your sources, but I did not know just how many aspects were involved. I am absolutely coming out of this class a much more developed ethical thinker. This will help me to tackle situations that are going to come up in my career and in life. This course did a great job of touching on a lot of topics and explaining them in a thorough, interesting way. I am very happy I took this class.