Situation Definition:
Kimberly Dozier, a former combat correspondent for CBS, came to Penn State as part of the Foster-Foreman Conference for Distinguished Writers. During her lecture, Dozier read passages from her book “Breathing The Fire” that harped on her experiences both in the field as a reporter and her recovery after being injured from a car bomb attack.
The two main ethical issues that were presented by Dozier’s lecture were her decision to keep reporting in a dangerous area and the task at hand, which was to present accurate information on the war in Iraq. The two ethical issues coincide with one another as Dozier could not always get the entire truth to a story as she would have to risk her life, as well as others, just to uncover some of the facts. Is it worth risking a few lives for millions of people to learn about the ongoings of the war?
Dozier is also an American reporter. As she watched American soldiers die she could have just as easily reported bias articles about Iraqi soldiers as revenge or as a result of her stressful, paranoid life, but she didn’t; she only published the truth. While reporting the truth is expected of all journalists under the Code of Ethics, it is not always delivered by today’s reporters.
Analysis:
After I attended Dozier’s lecture I realized not just how dangerous a journalist’s job can but also how critical journalists are to our society. Soldiers fight the war and determine the outcome, but journalists report the events. If we didn’t have any reporters on the scene, how would we know what’s happening? We would have to wait for the soldier to return from the war, which could months, even years after the fact, and then hear their retelling of the events, which would be told from their memory alone. A soldier’s memory could be tarnished from his time at war, as well as PTSD, and could be potentially be a biased opinion.
Dozier, as well as all combat journalists, stepped into the danger zone, fully aware of the risk she was taking. According to Quill, “Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance, irreverence or an invasive behavior.” (Quill, 2014, p. 7) Dozier acted with respect when entering another country. She did as she was told and reported the news fairly and honestly. She did not intrude on others while she reported but she did often worry about her safety when she travelled to a new location to report. On Memorial Day of 2006, Dozier survived a car bomb attack but unfortunately the news team she was travelling with did not survive.
As a society we need reporters, we need access to the truth. Al-Najjar stated, “Arab journalists are expected to be patriotic in their coverage of news because the prevalent view among the audiences exists that their countries and region are often attacked, occupied, or threatened. In many ways, Arab journalists seem to be the border guards *if not the architects* of a new imagined Arab watan (homeland).” (Al-Najjar, 2001, p. 750)
This quote really struck me as an inspirational quote to journalists. We, the journalists, can call the shots. We can print something that could inflict an impression on a reader. Of course, there are limitations to this matter as we cannot print anything we want. But a reader might pick up an truthful article about American soldiers being killed and they might decide that they want to enlist in the Army or campaign against the war, etc. The fact that journalists can motivate people with just their words really reminded me of what a career journalism can mean.
I also saw this quote as a comparing and contrasting the difference between Arab and American reporting. The quote mentions that Arab journalists are expected to cover the news in a patriotic manner. When I read this I thought it sounded biased. Dozier mentioned that she wanted to come across as fair and unbiased in reporting while Arab journalists are encouraged to be patriotic in their reporting. Then I remembered that it could incredibly difficult to not cover in the war news in a patriotic manner. You don’t want to seem as if you don’t care about your country or the countless lives that are being lost in the war, but you have a journalistic integrity to uphold.
I believe Dozier struck a good balance in her reporting. She wasn’t too patriotic but she was honest with what was expected of her as an American journalist. As Dozier said during her speech, “You can’t NOT make air on a patriotic American holiday when you spend the day with U.S. troops.” Overall, I believe that Dozier accomplished her goal of keeping her reporting informed and unbiased and she went to great lengths to do so.
If I were faced with similar challenges I do not believe I could have stayed in that type of difficult situation as Dozier had. I would recommend that Dozier and her news team should go with their gut. When something doesn’t feel right or safe, you have to listen to your gut reaction and follow it. However, this could have felt like just another day for Dozier and the news team. There may not have been any other signs that that day was going to be the most dangerous day on the job for them. Here, there are no ethical decisions, other than a gut feeling, that could have prevented Dozier and others being attacked
Conclusion:
I have learned from attending the Foster-Foreman Conference and from researching more about journalistic ethics that everything about reporting boils down to how the journalist decides to report the story. I always believed successful journalists were successful solely for their ability to write. But after learning about journalistic ethics I realize the ethical decision one makes is what truly determines a capable and strong reporter.
I believe it is important to continue to discuss the issues of truthful, unbiased, and accurate reporting because it is still something that is overlooked in today’s society. Many journalists ignore the Code of Ethics and report what they want people to think or they will take quotes and actions out of context. There are so many ways a journalist can manipulate the truth that it makes the reader question the news. What I consider the most valuable lesson learned from this is that you want to be the journalist that has earned the trust of your readers. You want to be considered a credible source and never have people question your honesty.
References
CHAPTER NEWS/PEOPLE & PLACES. (2014). Quill, 102(2), 6-7.
Al-Najjar, A. (2011). CONTESTING PATRIOTISM AND GLOBAL JOURNALISM ETHICS IN ARAB JOURNALISM. Journalism Studies, 12(6), 747-756. doi:10.1080/1461670X.2011.614811