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Mass, Mass Media Ethics
by Gabriel Rise
In mass media alone, there are many situations in the everyday operation where thorny questions about what to do or not to do have to be faced. Most of these situations do not involve laws or regulations, but instead deal with the tougher questions of what is right and what is proper.
Journalists sometimes make poor ethical judgments because the lust to be first with a story can override the desire to be right; because they sometimes don't know enough to question the truthfulness of what they're told; because they can win attention and professional success quickly by ignoring ethical standards; and because journalists sometimes are insensitive to the consequences of their stories for the people they cover. Consider these actual situations: A journalist for prestigious magazine admitted that he sometimes embroidered the events he wrote about in his articles without telling his readers. Was the journalist presenting fiction as fact, or was simply using journalistic license? A nationally syndicated political columnist coached a presidential candidate before a televised debate and then praised the candidate's performance on a nationwide TV program. Did the columnist get too close to a news source, or did he simply help a friend? A reporter verified that a well-known public figure was dying of AIDS, although the news figure would not admit his illness. Did the reporter infringe on the person's privacy, or did the readers deserve to know about the extent of this growing health hazard? A television news magazine program showed a Chevrolet truck exploding when struck near the gas tank. But the explosion was staged, and the collision did not cause the explosion. Did the network exploit a story for its shock value, or will the public understand this type of tragedy better by viewing the staged demonstration? Truthfulness in reporting means more than accuracy and telling the truth to get a story. It also means not misrepresenting the people or the situations in the story to readers or viewers. Another aspect of truthfulness is the responsibility of the government officials to not use the media for their own ends-called disinformation. Misinterpreting people by creating composite characters causes readers to questions the facts in all stories.
Fairness implies impartiality-which the journalist has nothing personal to gain from a report, that there are hidden benefits to the reporters or to the source from the story being presented. Criticism of the press for unfairness results from debates over close ties that sometimes develop between reporters and the people they write about-called insider friendship; reporters who accept personal or financial benefits from sources, sponsors, or advertisers-called conflict of interest; and reporters who pay their sources for stories-called checkbook journalism. Part of the job of being a reporter is learning to be friendly with many different types of people. How can the public trust a reporter who becomes more than an outside observer of events and instead takes part in the story? Reporting on AIDS and on rape are the most visible examples of a complex ethical dilemma: How does the press balance the goal of truthfulness and fact-finding with the need for personal privacy? Is the private grief that such a report may cause worth the public good that can result from publishing the information? The events that journalists choose to report and the way they use the information they gather reflect on the profession's sense of public responsibility. The media can be exploited by people in trouble or by people who cover the notoriety that media coverage brings. And the media can exploit an event for its shock value to try to attract an audience. The credibility of any news organization rests on the truthfulness of the information the reporters present, and slanting the information, or portraying inaccurate information, even in just one story, ultimately can cause readers and viewers to doubt the believability of all stories presented by that organization.
Gabriel Rise is an expert writer at http://www.ma-dissertations.com/ service and a writing counseling department expert at http://www.ma-dissertations.com/ writing. The assistance of their writers is an invaluable input in your future professional growth.EssayCapital.com is dedicated to providing a http://www.ma-dissertations.com/ writing service that is both top-quality and affordable.
These articles on lifestyle and more
Return to the selection of mass
You may want to try these websites for additional information
http://www.mass.gov/mgis/
http://www.mass.gov/?pageIDdorhomepage&L1&L0Home&sidAdor
http://www.math.psu.edu/mass/
The information provided in this article is the express opinion of the author. Exchangenet is not responsible for the content!
In mass media alone, there are many situations in the everyday operation where thorny questions about what to do or not to do have to be faced. Most of these situations do not involve laws or regulations, but instead deal with the tougher questions of what is right and what is proper.
Journalists sometimes make poor ethical judgments because the lust to be first with a story can override the desire to be right; because they sometimes don't know enough to question the truthfulness of what they're told; because they can win attention and professional success quickly by ignoring ethical standards; and because journalists sometimes are insensitive to the consequences of their stories for the people they cover. Consider these actual situations: A journalist for prestigious magazine admitted that he sometimes embroidered the events he wrote about in his articles without telling his readers. Was the journalist presenting fiction as fact, or was simply using journalistic license? A nationally syndicated political columnist coached a presidential candidate before a televised debate and then praised the candidate's performance on a nationwide TV program. Did the columnist get too close to a news source, or did he simply help a friend? A reporter verified that a well-known public figure was dying of AIDS, although the news figure would not admit his illness. Did the reporter infringe on the person's privacy, or did the readers deserve to know about the extent of this growing health hazard? A television news magazine program showed a Chevrolet truck exploding when struck near the gas tank. But the explosion was staged, and the collision did not cause the explosion. Did the network exploit a story for its shock value, or will the public understand this type of tragedy better by viewing the staged demonstration? Truthfulness in reporting means more than accuracy and telling the truth to get a story. It also means not misrepresenting the people or the situations in the story to readers or viewers. Another aspect of truthfulness is the responsibility of the government officials to not use the media for their own ends-called disinformation. Misinterpreting people by creating composite characters causes readers to questions the facts in all stories.
Fairness implies impartiality-which the journalist has nothing personal to gain from a report, that there are hidden benefits to the reporters or to the source from the story being presented. Criticism of the press for unfairness results from debates over close ties that sometimes develop between reporters and the people they write about-called insider friendship; reporters who accept personal or financial benefits from sources, sponsors, or advertisers-called conflict of interest; and reporters who pay their sources for stories-called checkbook journalism. Part of the job of being a reporter is learning to be friendly with many different types of people. How can the public trust a reporter who becomes more than an outside observer of events and instead takes part in the story? Reporting on AIDS and on rape are the most visible examples of a complex ethical dilemma: How does the press balance the goal of truthfulness and fact-finding with the need for personal privacy? Is the private grief that such a report may cause worth the public good that can result from publishing the information? The events that journalists choose to report and the way they use the information they gather reflect on the profession's sense of public responsibility. The media can be exploited by people in trouble or by people who cover the notoriety that media coverage brings. And the media can exploit an event for its shock value to try to attract an audience. The credibility of any news organization rests on the truthfulness of the information the reporters present, and slanting the information, or portraying inaccurate information, even in just one story, ultimately can cause readers and viewers to doubt the believability of all stories presented by that organization.
Gabriel Rise is an expert writer at http://www.ma-dissertations.com/ service and a writing counseling department expert at http://www.ma-dissertations.com/ writing. The assistance of their writers is an invaluable input in your future professional growth.EssayCapital.com is dedicated to providing a http://www.ma-dissertations.com/ writing service that is both top-quality and affordable.
These articles on lifestyle and more
free for copy and distribution mass
Return to the selection of mass
You may want to try these websites for additional information
http://www.mass.gov/mgis/
http://www.mass.gov/?pageIDdorhomepage&L1&L0Home&sidAdor
http://www.math.psu.edu/mass/
The information provided in this article is the express opinion of the author. Exchangenet is not responsible for the content!
