Independence and Journalism

Independence is a crucial part of journalism. I thought it was interesting when the book stated that "being impartial or neutral is not a core principle of journalism." It is inevitable that journalists will have opinions ... but it is our allegiance to the facts that make us independent from those we cover. The following are some of the ways journalists can be indepedent, and examples of each:
Independence of mind:
"I feel that my first responsibility is to tell what happened, and secondarily, to express my opinion, let's say, or an interpretation, or, as briefly as possible, to put this particular performance in its place in the scene. And I think that, in a way, is reporting too" -John Martin, NY Times
Maggie Gallagher case

Independence in their practice:
Was this a good idea?: Linda Greenhouse defends freedom of choice by demonstrating

Independence from class or economic status, race, ethnicity, religion, and gender:
"Reader Advocate" blog of Saratoga Herald-Tribune helps make sure that journalists continue tradition of independence.

Journalism: The Profession!!!

Journalism is an exciting profession. Every day brings new stories, new interviews, and new learning opportunities. One of the most important parts of journalism is to act as a watchdog on the other branches of the government. This quote describes how important Thomas Carlyle thought the press's role was:

Burke said there were Three Estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporters' Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all.
(See the full definition of the "Fourth Estate" here)

In Carlyle's opinion, journalists played a more important role than the three estates of parliament. In many cases this is true, because it is the media that exposes the wrong-doings and the corruption in politics.

Journalists aren't perfect, though. There are many dangers a journalist faces when they are either too emotionally involved in a story. It is fine for a journalist to feel emotions when they report on a story, but it is not good when their feelings influence how they do the report. Too much involvement in a story may make a journalist more of an advocate than a journalist. This has caused many people to lose trust in the media. For more information on how to restore trust in journalism, check out THIS site about a conference held to encourage journalists to do just that ... afterall, we are reporters of TRUTH. The public should be able to trust us!

Loyalty & Journalism

A journalist's first loyalty is to the citizens. I think this is the most important part of the discussion we had in class. There are so many sides to the business that can get in the way of honest journalism if the corporation is not careful. For example, because of certain advertising and sponsors, a corporation may avoid running stories that put the clients in a negative light. Although advertising is certainly an important part of the business, I think the citizens need to know the truth. A breaking story should not be pulled just because it casts negative light on a business partner. Because of these and other similar issues, there has come about the "wall" in journalism between the reporters/producers and the advertising/sales people. If a company is clear about their standards, they can avoid compromising their loyalty to the citizens. Check out the following links to some of the major news company standards:

New York Times - (click on A1 for statements about loyalty to citizens)
Washington Post

Here's another link to an example of loyalty issues in journalism:

LA Times editorial clashes with advertising

Truth in Journalism

Truth is the essence of journalism. As journalists, we are truth seekers! And as far as the truth goes, there are two tests to make sure we are honest. First, the facts need to be straight. We cannot fabricate truths, and we should not omit facts that are necessary for understanding the complete truth. Second, we need to make sense of the facts. A journalist should state the truth clearly enough that it cannot be misunderstood. The delivery needs to be clear and honest. Sometimes a journalist will claim to be truthful when they are really intending the message to serve another purpose, or to persuade viewers to think a certain way. This is journalism bias. Bias comes in many forms (religious, political, advertising, corporate, racial, etc.). Check out this LINK to a video that explains media bias. It's a project done by some journalism students ... and it has some interesting insights.