Journalists/Introduction to News SPONGE: Who is a journalist? How would you define journalism?

What is a Journalist? Journalists – are the reporters, editors, photographers, producers, and camera crews who sift through the many happenings of a day to tell you what’s important or interesting. Journalists work in the field of journalism. Journalism - is the business of news gathering and reporting.

Journalists need the following: Need the ability to write and communicate clearly. Willingness to treat people fairly. Willingness to stay objective. Being objective means to keep an open mind and report both sides of an issue.

Ethics in Journalism: Ethics – are the moral principles that govern the appropriate conduct for individuals and organizations. Journalists MUST always conduct themselves ethically! You must have ACCURACY – which means getting all the facts right and always seeking the truth. The more accuracy you have the more CREDIBILITY you have. Meaning that you will have/gain a reputation for being right. People will try to influence/persuade reporters!!

Ethics of Journalism Continued: INTEGRITY – That quality one has of possessing an inner sense of knowing right from wrong and adhering to high moral principles or professional standards. Journalists who act with integrity are honest in their reporting, and they are honest with readers and viewers about where they get their information. News organizations now encourage TRANSPARENCY, which means writing where the information came from in the story and allowing the pubic to decide for itself whether to believe the story.

Ethics of Journalism Continued: IMPARTIALITY – Journalists are expected to keep their distance from the people and organizations they cover so that they can be IMPARTIAL when they write about them. Impartial – being objective, putting aside personal opinions, and not accepting gifts, meals, trips or anything else that could be seen as seeking to influence the news. Conflict of Interest – Journalists must avoid! EXAMPLE – Reporters who write about companies in which they own stock, or an organization to which they belong, or even the schools their children attend.

Ethical Violations: Plagiarism – copying the work of others and passing it off as your own. Example: Stealing a sentence, a paragraph or a whole story Fabrication – is fiction writing. There is no fiction writing in journalism! Examples: Making up quotes and details to make a story more exciting or interesting.

ASNE’s Statement of Principles: The American Society of Newspaper Editors Organization adopted a set of ethics for newspapers across the country to follow. Editorial Ethics – Handout Read over it QUESTIONS: 1. Why should all newspapers use the same ethical standards? 2. Do you agree that newspaper should be “a forum for debate”?

ANSWERS: 1. All readers would be able to trust that all the newspapers they read are adhering to the same ethical standards even if interpretations sometimes differ. 2. Yes; newspapers should show both sides of the issue, because it is part of their mission to inform and serve the public interest.

Group Discussion/Assignment: Read the story on Jayson Blair and The New York Times Write down your answers to the following questions: 1. What might cause a reporter to make up stories in the way Jayson Blair did? 2. Why is truth the most important principle of journalism? Get into groups and discuss your answers.