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:
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