COMM410 – International Mass Communication

I came into Comm 409 as a former journalist with a new focus on Public Relations. In my journalism experience, I felt like I was always being taught that what was ethical was telling and showing the entire situation, no matter what, when reporting. This class taught me about how many choices there are when deciding how to best inform the public of a story without upsetting anyone. The decisions made about visuals interested me most because I had always been a writer and just assumed that all images taken were appropriate to show the public –– clearly, I was incorrect. Images are powerful and not every disturbing one needs to be shown if it doesn’t add to the story. I also never fully grasped the power of word choice and how choosing the wrong words, especially when discussing sexual violence cases, can influence an entire public’s decision. The media wields so much power. The media cannot, as I previously thought, simply show and tell the public exactly what happened but rather has to be specific in their choices as to properly represent the story without influencing public opinion. Until this class, I never realized the delicate ethical line journalists must walk.

Going off of the discussion of ethical decisions when choosing which visuals the public should see, the case study that impressed and interested me the most was the one surrounding virtual reality. I had never really considered VR being used in a serious, productive way but rather something fun, new and exciting. The idea that reporters could utilize this technology to truly represent a story to the public in near entirety is both incredible and terrifying to me. Journalists can put themselves into  dangerous situations while reporting on gruesome or difficult topics which is why it takes a certain type of person to enter this profession, in my opinion. Being able to display disturbing situations in this much detail opens up so many more ethical decisions than the technology might be worth. I am very interested to see how this situation develops as the technology develops and more news organizations gain access to it.

So we all grew up being taught in school lying is wrong and cheating on assignments is bad. But this course showed to me how much more severe the consequences can be when people ignore these teachings in the real world. People work hard to build careers just to lose everything by lying or falsifying information. Furthermore, people place a high priority on trust in the workplace, something I didn’t realize was as important in building a career as hard work, but it absolutely is. People want to work with people they trust, so forming these relationships with co-workers is very important. I have placed a higher priority on formulating relationships built upon trust in the work place and have already benefitted, so I am happy to enter the work force already having this knowledge. The idea that being ethical makes you happier is a life lesson I will carry with me wherever I go because I wholeheartedly agree. If you act in an ethical manor, you will never have to worry when someone questions you or your work because you haven’t done anything wrong!

In its entirety, this class was quite beneficial to polishing off those ethical lessons we have been covering since kindergarten. The lessons, while more specifically directed at journalism, really could be applied to anyone planning to enter the workforce in the media realm. I would have been interested to cover some ethical dilemmas that pertained more specifically to my major (PR) however its a short jump from journalism to PR so I still feel as though I learned a lot of valuable lessons for my career. I really appreciated how approachable Dr. Z always was, both in lecture and in office hours, because it made in-class discussions more interesting. People were pretty willing to speak their mind, ask questions and share opinions which resulted in ethical conversations that made lecture topics stick.

1. Taking Comm 409-News Media Ethics, has really put a dramatic difference on my life. It has taught me so many lessons and what to do and what not to do in the world of communications and especially Journalism. One ethic lesson I learned and to be a faithful reporter and report the truth and what you know. Don’t fabricate a story or facts because it will look bad on your end as a reporter to report what you don’t know. Furthermore, a second lesson I learned is to respect everyone’s privacy and don’t report on something you don’t have the consent to report on. As a journalist, your reputation is everything and one small slip up could lead to viewers losing your trust.
2. I have to say it’s the Stephen Glass case study. It really amazes me how he was able to break through the loopholes that he was able to and fabricate stories for as long as he did. However, I learned some ethical lessons from it; be honest and report what you have. Journalist are under pressure to get stuff done on a deadline however, don’t fabricate a story to meet the requirements. For Stephen Glass, he lost trust in a lot of people and it’ll be very difficult to gain that trust back.
3. It’s scary to think that if you commit plagarism or anything serious it can hurt you badly in the long run. You’ll be screwed on future jobs and such. Comm 409 has taught me to be trustworthy and straight forward. Only report what I know and don’t add stuff to a report to make it out concise. If you report consistently and with facts, you’ll be trusted in the long run.
4. Comm 409 is a course much like any other at Penn State. The course teaches you ethical principles that you won’t learn elsewhere and it teaches you if you report what you know versus fabricating reports, you can be trusted and build a reputation for the foreseeable future. Comm 409 also teaches you that one tiny mistake can ruin your entire career and that’s not something you actually want to happen. Be ethical and report what you know. You won’t regret it if you do it the right way versus doing it the wrong way and being screwed. Journalism is a tough industry. You’re under a lot of stress and harsh deadlines. However, if you do your job correctly, you’ll gain a great reputation and trust that’ll go a long way.

Situation Definition:

The two most important ethical lessons I learned from lectures and case studies are about trust and fabrication. A journalists’ career is based on trust, without it they have no support system. Journalists are trusted to give people the true and honest facts about what is going on in the world. Fabrication is defined as the action or process of manufacturing or inventing something. There is a zero-tolerance policy with fabrication in the journalism world.

In class, we looked at multiple case studies of journalists not ethically doing their jobs. One example that impressed me the most was the case study on Stephen Glass because he fabricated over thirty of his stories at the New Republic and got away with it for much longer than he should have. Glass is a prime example of what not to do when first becoming a journalist.

Analysis:

Being a journalist means producing factual information that the public needs to know. This requires the public putting their trust into journalists to provide them with accurate information. Not only do journalists have the trust of the public to worry about but they must trust that their sources are providing quality information. Fabrication is a common problem among journalists because they feel the need to make up parts of their story so that they become more popular. No one wants to read a boring story no matter how factually accurate it is.

The public trusted Stephen Glass to report facts and he produced such entertaining stories that he gained a following. Glass fabricated over thirty of his stories because he enjoyed the attention he was receiving from the public. He got so caught up in the fame and the attention that he neglected the most important qualities of a journalists. He abused the trust of the public and in the end, he lost the trust of the public and his colleagues. In a 60 Minutes episode reporters talked to Glass and his old boss and his boss said he couldn’t ever trust Glass again. The problem with trust is that once you lose it, it is so hard to gain back. That is why it is important to always be honest about what you do and do not know and produce accurate content. The public is the most important person to a journalist so they should treat them with respect and gratitude.

I think this case study is especially important because it teaches important lessons about the necessities of ethics in journalism. A journalists’ passion is about writing and making a difference but in order to do that they must remember there are rules. Ethics are important moral principles that govern a person’s behavior and without them no one can be trusted. As Dr. Z said in class ethics make us happier.

Conclusion:

Overall I have learned so much from this class about how to be a better journalist and how to be a better person. I will always remember the importance of trust and not fabricating stories. This course definitely benefitted my future career because it taught me that the journalism world is fast paced and hard to keep up with but it is crucial to follow the key ethical principles. It can be easy to fabricate and take the easy way out but in the end the honest person always prevails. In conclusion, I really enjoyed this course because I learned valuable information, Dr. Z was a great teacher, and I am excited for more future opportunities in journalism.

1. Comm 409 was one of the most interesting classes that I have taken here at Penn State. It taught me a lot of valuable lessons that I will take with me and use when it comes to my work in journalism in the near future. One lesson that I learned is to always tell the truth no matter what the circumstances may be. Even if the truth is not that entertaining and even if it is a bit gruesome, you have to tell the truth because you don’t want to lose credibility. Another big lesson that I learned in this class is when it comes to images, you have to consider a lot of factors when thinking about if you want to post the image. For example, be careful with how gory it could be and think about the timing of when you release it because you don’t want to release it too soon or even too late after an event took place.
2. The case study that really impressed me was the case involving Stephen Glass. It amazed me how he was able to continuously get away with lying to his readers and his editors by playing with their emotions. It taught me to always fact check before releasing or publishing it to the world because eventually it will be known if it is true or not.
3. This class will have a major impact on my life in many ways. It taught me not just stuff for my journalism career but for everyday life. This class taught me that no matter what the circumstances may be, in journalism you must report the truth and only the truth. This class taught me a lot about the consequences and what could happen if you even make one mistake. The consequences are extremely severe. I will take these lessons with me for the rest of my life and career.
4. I thought that this course was very interesting as a whole and I am very grateful to Dr. Z for taking the time to teach this course. I thought he did a fantastic job of teaching us these lessons and I thought he had a great impact on how I would take the course. At first, I thought this was only a required class. However, after taking this course, it is so much more than required. It taught me everything that I need to know for my future so that I don’t make the same mistakes as some journalists have made. Thank you Dr. Z.

Before taking this course, I thought I had a good grasp on what’s ethical and unethical. As the class went on I learned a lot more about ethics and why it is so important. Even though in the future I am not going to be a journalist; this class has taught me the significance of ethics and why it can drastically change your life if you’re not. COMM 409 opened my eyes to new ways on how to be ethical; and I know those ways will benefit me in my future career.

Two main ethical lessons that I have learned while taking this course are fabrication and tampering; and reporting on graphic images. Both of these topics interested me while in class; and I gained a lot of knowledge on these topics. Both of these matters gave me a better understanding on how to act ethically in these situations.

First, I learned from our lectures about fabrication and tampering. Before this lesson, I was naive and never really knew that certain journalists would fabricate their stories; or even understood why they did it. The Stephen Glass lecture gave me a better understanding as to why journalists really need to be accurate and truthful, or else they risk their trust with the audience. If a journalist decides to fabricate an article and the audience finds out, then all trust is lost and it will be hard to get it back. This also goes along with photojournalism. It is important to the image like you took it; of course, you could crop the image, but it is important to leave the original image as it is. Being truthful is a big part of being a journalist because you want the audience to listen and trust what you have to say.

Next, I learned from our lectures about reporting on graphic images. As a photography minor, I found this topic very interesting. When it comes to reporting on these images, the journalist really needs to think about the impact it could have on the audience. Publishing the image can show the reality of the situation and cause the audience to act on the situation in a positive way. On the other hand, publishing the image can also cause negative effects, especially if it is too graphic. Journalists have a very important responsibility when figuring out if the image should be published. They need to make sure when choosing to run the image that it won’t cause harm to the public, but rather give them a better insight into the situation.

The case study that impressed me the most was “Naming the Victim.” This case discussed naming rape victims in news stories. It made me really think about how naming a victim in a story could have negative repercussions for the victim. It could just add more trauma and anxiety to their life, which is not what they need. On the contrary, some rape victims do want to be named to bring awareness to an ongoing issue. A woman was brave enough to be named in the article because she felt the need to bring awareness. It really shows how naming a victim is a really grey area. This case study impressed me because it taught me more about naming victims in news stories. It also taught me why some news organization don’t want to name the victims, and why others are willing to. It was overall a very interesting case study to learn about.

In my future career and in my life, I envision this course benefitting me a variety of ways. I envision it helping me be a more empathetic and ethical coworker in my future job. I will also always look at the ethical side of things when making decisions. COMM 409 has taught me ways of dealing with difficult situations and I plan to use those techniques in the future. I now understand more about the importance of ethics and I know that it will guide me in the future.

Overall, this course has been unbelievably beneficial. This course has taught me a lot about what it means to be ethical and how important it is to be ethical. This course really teaches you the key aspects of being ethical with real world examples. It really gives you an insight into the real world, and how to grow and be ethical within it. This course was a very positive and beneficial experience for me. I would recommend this course to every Penn State student!

Throughout taking comm 409, I have learned many ethical lessons that I can now apply to my everyday life. The two ethical lessons that has impacted my thinking the most is the importance of conflict of interest/bias and the root of plagiarism and its effect on a journalist. Furthermore, I have learned that at least once in a journalists career they will come across a situation in which they have a conflict of interest or, any type of self-interest, loyalty or bias that derives them from ethically serving the public. Although it’s tempting to write from the heart and include your opinions or thoughts on the topic/situation, it is a test of professionalism for a journalist to leave bias aside and write strictly for the purpose of serving the public. The other lesson that will carry with me after this course ends is the importance of attribution in order to avoid plagiarism. Whether it is from a press release, newspaper, website, research study or any other form of media, the use of attribution for a journalist is vital. It is common for plagiarism to occur when a journalist is under a lot of pressure from a deadline, is less experienced in the industry, or is unclear what plagiarism entails. This class has taught me that in order to avoid getting in the messy aftermath of plagiarism, one should always attribute their sources.

The case study that impressed me the most throughout this class is the Stephen Glass case. Though it was not the first time that I have heard about Stephen Glass, our classes use of the film and analysis helped me to further understand the importance of truth-telling and the career-ending effects of the use of deception and fabrication. Additionally, the thoughts and opinions expressed by my classmates really put into perspective how Glass’s mistakes can happen to someone in any career, not just a journalist. This case study was unforgettable and if I’m ever in a similar work situation as Glass in the future, I’m sure this class and the ethical lessons I’ve learned from it will come to mind.

Although I still haven’t made up my mind on what I specifically want to do when I graduate and enter the workforce, the ethical lessons I’ve learned from this class throughout this semester will be sure to stick with me. This course has taught me to practice ethical decision making in my career and in life and how it will help me to avoid messy situations and exemplify professionalism at its finest. Additionally, if I do decide to take the journalism route, the lessons that I’ve learned in this course will be sure to improve my writing and interviewing skills. 

Overall, I think that this course is one that every communication major should take seriously and mindfully. The ethical lessons and skills in which I’ve learned can be applied to a countless number of careers as well as everyday life decisions. Through case studies, lectures and writing assignments, I now feel more confident that the decisions I make in my writing are ethical and without consequence. Comm 409 is a great class and I will be sure to apply the many things that I’ve learned throughout the course in the future!

Throughout the course of this semester, we have discussed many ethical quandaries and the lessons journalists can take away from them. For me, the most impactful lessons have been the value of being honest and how to avoid conflicts of interest. I was particularly struck by the film we watched, “Shattered Glass”. What I took away from this lesson was that the very most important thing a journalist has is his or her credibility. Journalists play an exceptionally important role in educating the public and if a journalist’s readers cannot trust their words, there is a breakdown of information flow which can bring about corruption and chaos. I was also really interested in our lesson on conflicts of interest. I found this lesson to be interesting in that it really demonstrated to me how many people in this industry are corrupt and do not abide by a strong code of ethics. During this lesson we talked about Armstrong Williams and Maggie Gallagher and their accepting bribes from the Bush Junior Administration. I was disappointed to learn how readily these journalists violated the trust of the public in favor of making money. Learning about this case motivated me to do better if I become a journalist.

While I do not think I will go into journalism as a profession, I will take the lessons I have learned from this class to my legal studies. Lawyers and journalists are very different, but the ethical standards both have to abide by are similar. As a lawyer, I will have to be curious, at times unbiased, and always honest. These are lessons I have learned in this class and am looking forward to applying in my legal education. Specifically, I would like to be a healthcare lawyer. This field is rapidly evolving and as we discussed in this class, it is important to stay in-tune with what is happening in the world. This class taught us to always stay curious and question the world around us—this is a valuable skill I will apply to my legal studies.

I really enjoyed this class. I was really excited to take it with Dr. Z and he did not disappoint. Learning from a seasoned journalist who has had so much on-the-ground experience has made the lessons more applicable and easier to understand. I really liked that Dr. Z treated us as adults and did not give us busy work; I felt as though my time was valued in this course.

Taking Comm409 this semester has opened my eyes to many different perspectives when it comes to being ethical in the world of journalism. I hadn’t even considered the many different situations that journalist could be put in that would cause them to have to take a step back and consider that situation. This course was a great reminder that people react differently to all types of situations and that you need to take into consideration all of those different reactions so that you make the right decision. 

One of the ethical lessons that really resonated with me was the lesson on Copyright. I think this lesson really resonated with me because of the times that we live in now. It’s so common to see in the news that someone is getting used for using some sort of work that someone else claims was their idea originally. The situation with Beyonce copying the other artists dance routine just emphasized how hard it is to try and be original in the world. You never know when someone might have an idea that is similar to yours or may bare some resemblance to your idea and that can make it harder for you to produce creative content. I liked that the lesson gave examples of and explained when it was okay to share or use someone’s content versus when it could possibly get you sued. Another of the ethical lessons that we learned this semester that really resonated with me was the lesson on words mattering. That lesson focused on reporting about sexual violence and it just opened my eyes to how hard it is to report on a topic like that. The lesson put emphasis on the words that are used when it comes to reporting on hard subjects like that. It also put a light on just how little cases of sexual violence are reported. The way that reports are written currently help perpetuate bias and are harmful to the victims. I think this lesson resonated with me because it’s such a horrible experience to have and then to see it in headlines and the way that its phrashed can make you feel worse about even bringing it to light. I think it’s horrible to make the victim feel bad even if those weren’t your intentions. You have to make sure you phrase the headline correctly so that people will sympathize with them and want to help versus making them seem like they consented to that activity. 

The Case Study that really impressed me was the study on truth telling and deception. I think this really stuck out to me because I have never known journalists to be liars. I trust that the people who write and deliver us news are telling the truth in everything they publish. It’s just really shocking to me the extent that people like Steven Glass and Jayson Blair have gone to just to become famous journalists. Their jobs were simply to tell a story based on facts. However, they couldn’t handle the pressure of a newsroom and they let that get to them. They used their position for fame instead of actually doing the job that they were supposed to do. If they wanted to make up stories they could have simply written fictional books where they would have the freedom to write whatever they pleased. Despite knowing the risks they still put their jobs on the line and lied. It’s disheartening to see how they lied not only to their public but also to their coworkers and bosses. It just goes to prove that cheaters never win. 

Overall I really enjoyed this course. These are lessons that can be applied to real life and also the life of a journalist. I think that these lessons will help me in my future when it comes to making better decisions while reporting in the real world. I will consider the situation and then move forward from there. 

The two important ethical lessons from the lecture that have had the most impact on me are truth-telling and deception. What I found most interesting about these two ethical lessons are the minor details that make the most impact. With journalism comes great responsibility to report true and accurate statements. When reporting a story with sources, it is important to fact check the sources in order to avoid reporting false or inaccurate information. Although these sources may be more knowledgeable about the subject, it is the fault of the journalist to report false statements. The second important ethical lesson, in my opinion, is deception. Specifically, deceiving the audience. The foundation of journalism should be based on mutual trust between the news source and its readers. Deceiving readers ruins the reputation of not only the journalist themselves but the news source for which they are employed.  

The case study that impressed me the most is the Jayson Blair case study. Blair is famous (or infamous) for falsifying information and plagiarising dozens of stories. Blair most famously worked for the New York Times. Blair would report about incidents that happened outside of the New York City area from the comfort of his Brooklyn apartment.  Following this incident, the New York Times and journalism as a whole took a huge hit in terms of trust between publications and its readers. The New York Times reimagined its hiring process and added strict regulations on its story editing policies. This case study interests me the most because of the lack of remorse Blair had for falsifying so many stories and ruining not only his reputation but tarnishing the reputation of a well-established news source. This case study serves as a classic example of journalism ethical issues especially for young journalists fresh out of college.  

This class is going to have a huge impact on my future journalistic endeavors as well as my life in general. It helped me develop critical thinking skills in terms of the impact ethical journalism has on individuals of diverse backgrounds. As well this class helped me understand concrete examples of right and wrong in journalism that might be deemed okay in other industries of work. Journalism has a higher standard of ethics compared to other industries of work which makes journalism so much more interesting to me. As we’ve discussed in class, a good number of the public does not have full trust in journalists, but journalism has one of the highest codes of ethics.  

As a whole, I thoroughly enjoyed this course. An ethics course could easily be extremely boring and not fun to talk about, but Dr. Z made the class interesting and relatable. I also enjoyed the in-class case study presentations. It was interesting seeing what case study each group chose and how they related it to their assigned ethical issue. Overall, I enjoyed this class very much and I am glad it is a requirement for all journalism majors.  

While there were a number of ethical lessons that we studied during the lectures and case studies, there are two that I found exceedingly powerful. 

The first ethical lesson that greatly stood out to me was regarding the Stephen Glass case as portrayed in the film Shattered Glass. Tweaking small details of his stories which led to the complete fabrication of high profile publications where Glass made up stories, events, headlines, and people resulted in the destruction of Glass’ journalistic career. The main lesson that I learned after watching Shattered Glass is that journalism is about providing people with the raw truth. When a reporter releases a story that doesn’t tell the whole truth, it directly affects the people who rely on that information to make decisions that impact their own lives. 

The second ethical lesson we covered in class that I value is the importance of consent. While there are many things that may be classified as public knowledge, it is a journalist’s responsibility to distinguish what borders on becoming an invasion of privacy. An example that I connected with this is the recording of a phone call that was made by a woman whose car slid off the side of the road and was minutes away from being submerged in water. During the decision making process about whether to air the recording on the news, we discussed why the reporter of this story needed to consider the impact this may have on those who knew the woman personally. 

The case study that impressed me the most was on 9/11 and the way it was reported following the attack. The group that presented on the topic talked about the photographs that were released, in particular the famous “Falling Man” image. The photo displays a man who jumped out of the Twin Towers as the buildings were collapsing. After the disturbing imagine was headlined, there was backlash about whether or not it was ethical to broadcast an image of a man committing suicide. This case study impressed me because the group took a deeper look into all of the decision making that should go into what is put into a story, including whether it was morally sound to the man in the photo as well as his family. 

I think this course prepares students to understand the vitality of making ethical decisions in any aspect of their lives. The course took a deep dive into instances that I wouldn’t have initially labeled as having ethical problems and forced students to take a step back and consider what actions need to be taken to provide the public with a credible story. In the beginning of the course, I worried that most of what would be discussed would only cater to students intending to be a journalist. I’m a public relations major with a business minor, and felt that what we learned in this class can apply to any job I may have in the future. The lessons that I have taken away from News Media Ethics aren’t restricted to only people looking to be journalists, as it’s important to make ethical decisions both in a person’s professional and personal life. 

This course has been my favorite course that I’ve taken during my time at Penn State. Something I found especially different about Comm 409 is Dr. Z’s engagement with his students. The class didn’t make me feel like I was just another student at a university of 45,000 people, and that’s something that I greatly valued. Dr. Z cares about forming relationships with his students, and this made learning easy and enjoyable. Thank you Dr. Z for being a caring and dedicated professor and person, and for enlightening each and every one of your students.