This class was not what I was expecting it to be. I was expecting new media ethics to be a straightforward list of rules, but it turns out to be so much more than that. You sometimes have to look within yourself and trust yourself to make ethical decisions.
One topic that impacted me was fabrication of information, like the Steve Glass movie we watched, and the case study about Janet Cooke for my group project. It was interesting to learn about how different people that seem reliable could do something completely life altering. It opened my eyes to how much the public trusts news organizations. Living in a time of fake news, it can be hard to gain the trust of the public. Fabricating a story can do an abundant amount of damage — trust in the new organization can be lost for a long time. I loved learning about these two cases more in depth, and it definitely left an impression on me. I also really enjoyed when we learned about covering tragic events, such as the decision to air a 911 call. I also liked John Beale’s guest lecture about the topic. It made me realize how hard it can be to make decision as a journalist. It can be a battle between personal ethics and getting the job done as a journalist.
Of the case studies, I like the one about Jayson Blair. It discussed fabrication as a journalist, but it explored how a journalist’s personal struggle can cause them to fabricate in their work. Jayson Blair was on drugs, under pressure, mentally unstable, and after he was fired from the New York Times had to undergo treatment for his mental state. It looked more into what caused him to do what he did.
I will certainly take what I learned in this class as I enter my career. It can be easy to get caught up in your work, and this class has taught me to take a step back, look at the work I’m doing, and decide if I’m overall doing the right thing. It’s important to remember that not everyone has learned ethics in the same way, and have different ideas as to what the “right” thing to do is. While you are given a set of principles, the important thing is — and what I took away from this class — is you have to trust your knowledge as a journalist.