Seth Robbins Blog 5

The first ethical lesson that stuck out to me the most from this class was really being able to learn about conflict of interest. This was my first communications class so I really did not know much about how this would relate to journalism before this class. The instance of when two women were waiting in line to try to get some free jay z tickets really honestly surprised and sort of confused me. Being able to discuss it in class and hear your explanations really allowed me to make sense of something that before this class I knew essentially nothing about.
Another important lesson I am going to take away from this class is that it is always important to be as honest and transparent as possible. Especially in the field of journalism, if a journalist was to be caught doing something unethical such as lying or fabricating sources then it could have the potential to actually discredit journalism as a whole, and allow yourself to become labeled as someone who is not trustworthy because once you are caught in a lie, it can be difficult or even impossible, depending on the situation to regain credibility. A perfect example of this was when we watched the movie on Stephen Glass and were able to hear his story.
The case that actually stuck out the most to me was the Stephen Glass case. I was hooked from the beginning and even rented the movie to re-watch later. I was so taken back that a journalist would put his credibility as well as the credibility of those around him on the line in order to completely fabricate stories that did not even take place. Another big take away from this case, if you happen to be in a position of power such as an editor it is important to fact check and makes sure nobody is being unethical under your supervision.
This course as a whole was enjoyable. I am not a communication major and like I said earlier this is my first communications class. I personally am not a big fan of writing and reading so being able to push myself outside of my comfort zone was a worthwhile experience. Being able to have Dr. Z teach the course certainly made this already enjoyable experience as incredible as it was. Although I am afraid I already plan to pursue a career in commercial real estate brokerage, so there will be no career in journalism for me. However, the lessons learned in this class will stay with me for years to come.