Jared Smith
11/1/19
Comm 409
Respect the position
A journalist shouldn’t go back on their word when promising a source anonymity from their name being released in a story. They should be trustworthy and always be upfront with conditions and terms.
A journalist should be respectful to the job they have (2019). He mentioned that sometimes a media outlet will spend a thousand dollars just getting a crew ready for you. Asking good questions is important but getting the sound bites you want will be what makes a great story.
During the talk with Ken Dilanian, he explained to us to make sure you and your source come to an agreement on what is on the record and what is off the record. It’s important to clarify this because if you name a source that didn’t want to be named their job, credibility and life could be in danger. Dilanian gave an example of a whistleblower in an FBI investigation with Donald Trump, where every media outlet doesn’t give out his name.
I believe that when a person’s career, life, or family could greatly be effect with their name being tied to a case, I wouldn’t name them. But it’s also important to remember in law if you are supinated you have to give up a name or there’s a chance you could go to jail. So conditions need to be met so you protect yourself as a reporter.
When you have a job as important as the media, one bad move could put you in a difficult. position. If you do something different than what you and a source agreed upon then most likely the source will never talk to you again and then you can’t perform your duty as an information to the public. As a journalist, you have to be respectful.
The job itself is ethical. That means caring for a person as a human being and understanding they have a story to tell. When trying to get that story you have to get the soundbites you want for the story because there’s not likely a second chance. Reporting events that the public need to know happened is important. If you aren’t reporting on things the public needs to know then what are you doing in your job.
Ken Dilanian thought it was important for journalists to keep their sources name anonymous if that was promised in the agreement. “Ethical journalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair and thorough.” (2016)
I learned that agreements need to be made before a source gives you information and that agreements should always be followed. People are taking risks when coming to journalist with news and that they could seriously be hurt if proper measures aren’t taken.
Bibliography
SPJ Code of Ethics – Society of Professional Journalists. (2016, September 6). Retrieved from https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp.
(2019, October). state college.(Ken Dilanian live performance)
Rutherford, T. (2019, June 7). Journalists deserve respect and a proper paycheck. Retrieved from https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-post-truth-era-20170101-story.html.