COMM410 – International Mass Communication

One of the most interesting case studies I think we looked at was how journalists covered the Charlottesville riots. In this class we asked ourselves: How should journalists objectively cover white supremacists, neo-Nazi and other far-right activists who spew racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia and other repugnant beliefs? We noted that journalists should not intentionally broadcast hate speech or insert our opinions into these types of stories. Showing that objective perspective of something we know is so inherently wrong makes a much greater impact on readers than journalists sharing their views on a matter such as this one. Leaving your opinion out just makes the journalistic content stand stronger on its own.

I also loved learning about the most infamous journalistic fraud cases like Stephen Glass, Janet Cooke and Jayson Blair. It is mind boggling to think about how a journalist thinks actions such as fabrication, plagiarism and falsification are acceptable in this line of work — or frankly any line of work. These stories are some of the greatest embarrassments for the journalistic community, and it is important to remember what can happen to your career if you decide being unethical is acceptable.  

My favorite case study presented in class was my own — the case focusing on invasion of privacy by Cambridge Analytica and Facebook. This case interested me so much because it impacts every single human being to ever use Facebook before a certain point. This is a scandal like none other and is one of the largest scale privacy breaches ever. It was interesting to research and look into how journalists handled the situation, one that likely impacted their own lives as well. 

COMM 409 provided me with ethical standards I hope to hold myself to throughout my career. The ethical dilemmas journalists face are not getting any easier, and it is important to know what is ethical and what isn’t, regardless of what industry you end up in. Every journalist should create their own code of ethics and uphold the standards they set for themselves, and as I grow as a journalist, I will thank this class for showing me that. 

This course is by far the most important course anyone even slightly interested in being a journalist needs to take, regardless of their preferences or specializations. There are far too many ethical scandals in journalistic history, and it is essential that journalists understand what is expected of them and what happens when they break the public’s trust. It teaches us something so simple yet so often forgotten — what NOT to do as a journalist.

This course taught me valuable ethical lessons that I can apply not only to my professional career, but throughout my entire life. I believe the lessons learned in COMM409 are topics that everyone should take the time to learn and understand in order to thrive in their personal lives and professions.

The first ethical lesson I took away from this course was the value of transparency and honesty. I believe every good person strives to be honest with themselves as well as with the people they care about, however, throughout this course we dived into the value of honesty in relation to our professional careers. In the professional journalism world, it is crucial to be honest with your editors and co-workers. This establishes a level of trust and professionalism within the work place which is extremely important. It is also necessary to establish trust between you and your readers. The public is vulnerable to the media, and if the media is untrustworthy, then that trust that was built is lost. Journalists have to be transparent with their readers and honest about what they know about a story and what they don’t know. Being transparent and honest is a crucial value in life, especially with journalists in their work.

Another ethical lesson we learned that I took away from this course was the issue of deception and fabrication. As I previously mentioned, when journalists lie to the public and fabricate stories, the public loses their trust in the media. This is a common problem in the journalism industry when journalists lie to get ahead in their careers. It ruins their reputation and it becomes impossible for them to redeem themselves in the journalism industry. We talked about the effect deception can have on journalists and others in Stephen Glass’s case. He decided to fabricate multiple stories in order to get ahead and excel in his job. However, he eventually got caught, and it completely tarnished his reputation at The New Republic. It also tarnished The New Republic’s reputation as well, and significantly impacted his editors and the people he worked with. Learning the importance of not deceiving your readers is an extremely important lesson for all journalists, just as it is extremely crucial not to deceive the people you care about in your own life.

This course has been one of my favorites here at Penn State. It was very though provoking, and it taught me to always look at the bigger picture about how my actions can have a ripple effect on others. It gave me great insight on the common issues within the journalism industry, and how to combat these issues while practicing ethical lessons. I will always remember this course as I pursue a career and will apply these lessons to every aspect of my life.

Since day one, the Stephen Glass story really stood out to me throughout this entire course. I think he was a perfect representation on everything you shouldn’t do and strengthened my value in telling the truth. I think that was the biggest take away from this case study, to always tell the truth and do the ethical thing, because by lying you can dig yourself into a bigger hole and negatively impact your future and potentially hurt your colleagues as well. In my future career, I really want to form great connections with people and if I were to act as Stephen Glass did, those relationships wouldn’t be possible because they would all be based on lies and mistrust. Another important ethical lesson I learned this semester was in our last lecture. We discussed how images and videos could deceive us because of the high tech world we live in. For example, we now have Deepfakes where we can recreate a video of Barack Obama saying anything we want and it will look like a legitimate video. Here I learned to always be open-minded and not everything is exactly how you see it. It just makes me realize that I need to be careful about what/who I trust and figure out how to get the most factual information I can as well as surround myself with trustworthy people. A case study I found most interesting was the one of the woman from Florida who drowned in her vehicle. I just thought it was interesting how every media outlet handled the situation and how some had no empathy/boundaries to withhold information. It just surprises me how much my morals don’t align with most media outlets when it comes to storytelling, which makes me want to make a change in this field.

Coming in this semester, I didn’t realize that I had signed up for two ethics classes. I took a News Media Ethics course and a Communications Ethics course. So my semester has all been about ethics! For me, I have always been an intuitive person that makes decisions based on feeling rather than with my head. I believe that my decision-making process goes along with ethics because I always make my decision on whether or not my gut is telling me it is the right thing. I think that this course specifically has given me different perspectives on how ethics is dealt with and how it should be utilized in the industry, and this is something I plan to use in the future. As a public relations major, I am always told to be telling the truth. This has been a common theme this semester and I plan to use the tools that this course has taught me into the real world.

As a senior now, I can count on one hand how many teachers I have had through my experience here at Penn State who genuinely cared about their students, and not just about lecturing. Dr. Z is one of those teachers. This course taught a lot about ethics through case studies, lectures, etc. and even though we have obtained all this information, I also think that I have gained life lessons from this class. Dr. Z genuinely cared about what was going on in our lives and how we could connect to the things he was talking about. Overall, I would recommend this course to anyone and it’s not because of the material it is because of the professor.

There was a lot of good content to go over in this class. One of the two lectures that stood out to me was the photojournalism ethics discussion with the guest speaker. I thought it was really interesting when he said that of all of the photos he showed us, he only regretted the river suicide body recovery photo. It puts into perspective the idea that a photographer is there to have an account of the event, regardless of whether or not outlets will use the photos. The ethical decision comes down to those who publish it. But as for the photographer, sometimes you have to put yourself in uncomfortable situations to get the shot.

The second was the lesson on copyright. We had discussed this in my media law class a couple semesters ago, so I had some understanding of it, but it’s always interesting to look at new cases. For example, the “Hope” poster actually being held accountable for stealing the photo of Obama surprised me, since it had been modified so much. Just goes to show how blurry that line can be sometimes with regard to fair use.

The case study that I learned the most from was probably the one about “Naming the Victims.” In terms of blurry lines, I think this is the most complicated ethical problem we can deal with. Not just the naming of victims, but anything that has to do with victims and sensitive information. It has the components of a few social problems, like cancel culture and false allegations, combined into one which makes it much harder.

While it may not have been a specific lecture subject or case study, I think Dr. Z really hit home the idea of how being ethical in your everyday life really just makes you a happier person. I’m sure the specifics of what we talked about will come into play in my profession, but what’s more important is the way I live my life around my career. If I’m ethical every step of the way, not just in my work, then my career will benefit from that.

Maybe it’s because it was one of the last Comm classes I’ve had to take, but it seemed like a lot of the information was stuff that I had at least heard about before throughout my education, and it was particularly engaging to have a foundational understanding of these topics before we delved into them deeper. It made discussions more fluid for me since I felt like I knew what I was talking about to some degree.

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. 

Throughout the semester in Comm 409, I have learned many ethical lessons that I thought I would never need to know. Each lesson and class has taught me something different that I will not only need to know in the work field but also in real life situations too. As a broadcast journalism major the topic that spoke to me the most was about the concept of deception and fabrication. Throughout this semester we have learned about the importance of telling the truth in journalism and nothing but it. Another lecture that I took a lot from was the invasion of privacy lecture and the value of it. As a reporter, there are some ethical boundaries you just can’t cross that are not always common sense. It was interesting to learn about the four different categories of privacy and where cameras can and can’t go. 

One case I was impressed with the most was the Janet Cooke case. Prior to this class, I never heard of this case before and found it very interesting but sad to learn about. She not only fabricated a part of the story like Stephen Glass but she made up the entire story. Cooke knew the public would care about this topic and took advantage of her readers and made herself look like a fool in the long run. After receiving a Pulitzer Prize and a long investigation authorities realized she lied and the child was non-existent. Although she admitted to it and gave back the prize this was very unethical of her.

I am glad this class was a mandatory class because I know I will take the lessons that I’ve learned throughout with me in life. The lessons taught in this course will benefit me in my career. This course can ensure your credibility as a journalist knowing you’re either doing right or wrong. Ethics not only impacts your journalism career but everyday decisions in your life too. 

My reflection on Comm 409 as a whole is how informative and practical this class is. I think this course should be mandatory for all majors. This class has been one of the most influential classes I’ve taken at Penn State. These ethical decisions are not only in journalism, the newsroom but in everyday life. One of my greatest takeaways is how thinking ethically can make you a happier person. Dr. Z was always open to communicating whether it was in class with questions or at his office hours. I think that was a major part of what made this course so effective. I would highly recommend this class with Dr. Z to a friend. 

This course was a very interesting one that I never thought I would enjoy.  When I first saw that I needed to take it I honestly was not looking forward to it.  As the course progressed though I began to see more and more the implications that ethics have on our journalism.  

One ethical lesson I learned is how to address harmful subject matter.  The class that included the white supremacy journalist story opened my eyes into the fact that as journalists, we have the obligation to cover difficult subject matter.  To do that ethically you are required to report transparently but I did not know that you could choose a position against hate. This makes me feel better about reporting these issues.

Another lesson I learned is that I need to hold myself to a high standard to inspire people to do the same.  Ethics extends far past just journalism. It’s standards are applicable to all industries. Now that I have the ability to understand what goes into ethics and what to do when they are violated.  I feel confident now that I will make the right choices.  

One case study that impacted me was Jason Blair’s.  During the unfolding of the case I found it crazy that he was able to get away with so much fabrication and plagiarism before he was caught.  I see it as my duty to know these ethical standards in order to spot the signs in myself or others to help them realize they need to stop before they get into trouble. 

Ethics is something I will need to enforce throughout the course of my career.  It is vital not only for my reputation but also the reputation of the company I am a part of and all the public that I educate through my stories.  I am also aware that this course has allowed ethics to bleed into my everyday life as well. I now can make more educated decisions on how to conduct myself within my own life. 

Again, as I said before, I didn’t think this course would impact me just as much as it did.  I looked forward to lectures and thought that you brought up a lot of interesting points that made me continue to think about the things we discussed even days after.  I never realized the important part that ethics plays in our world. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to see it’s implications and what I can do to help make our world more transparent.

Jared Smith

Comm 409

Dr. Z 

Blog 4 

BLOG 4 POST 

1) Two important ethical lessons from the lectures/case studies (at least two) you have had in this course; 

Ethics rules the world of journalism and should be upheld at every second. We hold ourselves to a higher standard than the justice system and that’s throughout the country. I think the two ethical rules that stuck with me through this class was trust and transparency in the workplace. Trust is such a pertinent issue in today’s society. People need to be able to trust media outlets. The second would be the way we report graphic content. In today’s society, there are bad things happening everywhere you turn and as a reporter, we have to present those events to the public in a way that is consumable. 

2)   One case study you learned that impressed you the most, and why.

I think the case study that impressed me the most was the one that involved Kobe Bryant. For me, it was the most memorable because society puts him on a pedestal. It goes to show that everyone is human and makes mistakes. But on the reporting side, the situation was eye-opening that showed every case is different. Sometimes media outlets don’t want to publicize the names of victims but in a high profile case like this one, people were mad Kobe’s name was being shamed and the victim wasn’t at all questioned. This probably wouldn’t have been a nationwide issue if it wasn’t a superstar’s name involved. It shows that even though there might be a standard in an organization some cases might come along where the standard will need to be reevaluated. 

3)   Envision the course’s impact on your future career and life; 

I believe being ethical will make my life happier. It will help make decisions easier with the values we learned in class ad how to apply them. Also others will see that I make sound choices with an acceptable standard. Having this knowledge will help me in difficult moments where there might not be a clear cut answer. 

4)   Your reflection on this course as a whole. 

I liked the course it was a lighter loaded class that was informative and helpful to our paths as a journalist. Dr. Z was an interesting teacher sometimes I wish he would have talked more about his experiences. I also appreciated Dr. Z being very accessible with phone calls. It’s not common for teachers to have this type of outlet for students. Especially for quick out of class questions. It was very helpful. 

I felt the quizzes were not geared to what we learned in class. They were very book heavy and I hope for future classes that will change. The questions were all over the book. If the quizzes are going to stay that way I would just have a mini study guide with the topics for people to look over before the quiz.

I enjoyed the class thank you for your time and service to us.

I’ve learned an immeasurable amount this semester through taking Comm 409. Through Dr. Z’s fascinating lectures, to our intriguing class discussions, to case studies — there has been no shortage of wisdom and knowledge gained through this course.

Though it’s a challenging task, if I were to narrow all the ethical lessons we have learned down to two of the most integral ones they would be: go with your gut, and do no harm. Both of these lessons can be applied, of course, to a career in journalism, but also to every day life.

In several cases we’ve analyzed this year where journalists have been in the wrong — whether it be lying, fabricating a story, or plagiarizing — they’ve all consistently ignored their gut feeling that they were doing the wrong thing. If my gut tells me something isn’t right, or that something I am doing is inherently wrong, then I won’t do it. We have that feeling for a reason. When Stephen Glass was making up details and stories, he had a feeling it was wrong, and chose to ignore it. When Jayson Blair did the same, he ignored that gut feeling too. If something feels wrong, then it most likely is.

Secondly, doing no harm is perhaps one of the most integral notions to live your life by for all of us. Again, in almost every case study we looked at this semester, harm was done. Some examples include: showing the man falling from a building during an acrobatic performance, including the phone call tape from a woman drowning in her car, using the names of rape victims  in stories etc. The goal of a journalist should not be to garner success at the expense of others. It should be to share the truth, with the public’s best interest in mind.

One case study that we learned about that impressed me the most was Stephen Glass. I just think that’s such a prime example of what not to do in journalism. It covers so many topics within the issue of fabrication — from relationships with editors, to the importance of truth and details. I think it really helped to look at different portrayals of the story — from the movie, to reading articles, to having class discussions, to listening to Glass’ interviews. It’s interesting to see where he is now, and to understand how much his career was affected by his deceitful actions.

This course taught me so much — not only about journalism and the world of news, but about principles of life, too. Both principles shared above, like I said, can be applied both to the journalism world and life in general. I think all that we’ve learned about ethics in this course will be pivotal in my journalism career going forward. We’ve seen example after example of what to do, and what not to do and I believe those will be integral lessons going forward.

I will dearly miss Comm 409 and Dr. Z! I have learned so many important lessons from this course that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

I’ve learned many important ethical lessons by studying lectures and case studies given in this course. One of the ethical principles that really sticks out to me is The Golden Rule. This essentially states that you should treat people the way you’d like to be treated. Although this is a phrase that has been instilled in our heads since pre-school, learning about it again in this class has given me a new perspective. This is a crucial rule for journalists, especially when it comes to dealing with subjects you cover. If a subject asks to remain anonymous, or asks to be “off the record,” it is important that you honor this and treat them the way they’d like to be treated. Additionally, it is important to cover them fairly and objectively, which is how you’d like to be covered if you were a subject. Another important ethical principle we learned in this class that sticks out to me is Kant’s categorical imperative. This principle essentially states that people should act as if their actions could become a universal law. This stresses that people should take their decisions very seriously because the effects of their decisions can be felt for a long time. As a journalist, you may encounter a unique situation, and the ethical decisions you make to deal with it could be used as principle in similar situations.

One case study we researched in this class that impressed me the most was the one my group researched about virtual reality journalism. I think I might be most impressed with this one because it’s the one that I did the most research on, however I think the topic as a whole is very interesting. As a journalist, your job is to report the truth as accurately as possible. Virtual reality makes this even more possible than previously imagined. However, the question of what is allowed to be created into a virtual reality is very controversial. I think that these decisions will be ethically debated for years to come and in another 10 years we may have a better idea of what’s ethical in virtual reality.

This course will definitely have an impact on my future career and life. I would like to go into the public relations field after graduation. Many of the ethical principles learned in this course can be applied to the work I will do in my career. Additionally, many of the case studies can be applied to this considering public relations practitioners deal with journalists on a daily basis. All the principles we learned can be applied to life. As Dr. Z. said in class today, if you follow ethical principles in your life, you will generally be happier.

Overall I enjoyed this class. I enjoyed listening to other people’s case studies and pondering difficult ethical questions. This class taught me a lot and I found many of the assignments we worked on enjoyable. I also really liked the Steve Glass movie we watched. There was a lot of fascinating aspects of that case, and the movie was very entertaining. I’m glad I took this class and would recommend it to anyone else in my major.