ETHICS

ETHICS - The aspects, effects, and moral dilemma of diversity in the newsroom.

Ethics is an important part of journalism. In order to create the most fair and unbiased environment, it takes acceptance of diversity. This means acceptance of not only people that look different on the outside, but people who have differing points of view and who THINK differently. This is what it means to truly have diversity in the newsroom.

I think it's interesting how Juan Gonzales put it, "Editors have a tendency to create people in their own image. If the editor doesn't like you for some reason, you don't rise. So there's a self-selection process that goes on within the profession."

Although I only have a narrow-scope of experience in the journalism profession, I can say that I have seen this principle in action...unfortunately! I understand that news directors inevitably have opinions on what goes on the air, and the format and style of each story. However, I have had a few experiences where my opinion was different than the news directors, and so I was forced to either conform to his style or my story would not make air. It was an instance as simple as saying that there was a man with a shotgun in the room where a leopard was being operated on. The news director said that revealing a shotgun was present would be too graphic and disturbing for the audience. I, on the other hand, thought it was an interesting piece of information that many would enjoy to hear. After all, who would have the guts to operate on a leopard unless such precautionary measures were taken? Regardless of what I thought, I took out any mention of a gun, and my story went on the air. This is a small example that may seem insignificant, but I think it shows on a small scale what can happen in larger markets. News directors and editors do tend to look for people who share the same editorial values as they do. This is a natural thing to do ... but it may prove to inhibit diversity in the newsroom.

Another issue of ethics is when it is okay for a journalist to overstep their bounds. Bob Woodward said, "The best journalism is often done in defiance of management." I think it is true that some of the most pressing issues in the news may put the news organization at risk, and it sometimes falls to the journalist to take a stand and do what they feel is the best for the story.

This CLIP is the trailer from All The President's Men, and it shows how Woodward and Bernstein risked their jobs to uncover one of the biggest stories. I think as long as the reporter is not trading their personal standards to get a story, sometimes there are reasons to defy authority. I will say, however, that I think if such action is taken too often, a reporter will lose credibility and respect.