Personal Code of Conduct

Stephen Tanner

Dr. Cressman

Comms 239

April 13, 2010

Personal Code Assignment

Throughout the course of this semester, I have vigorously been studying different aspects of journalism. From journalism and ethics in the media to media and pop culture, my views on the role of journalism in society have changed dramatically. I have been able to study journalism from different perspectives, and understand it on a much deeper level.

Journalism for years has been getting a black eye in the public. I believe the reason why this trend has occurred is because of the mistakes of a few journalists. Some journalists have been unfaithful to their audience. An example of this comes from The New York Times reporter Jayson Blair. Blair plagiarized and lied in his articles to create sensationalism. After it was uncovered that Blair fabricated his articles, the Times fired him and wrote a 7,000 word apology on its front cover. The Times called it the ‘lowest point’ ever for the history of the newspaper.

Lies like these by a few journalists have given audiences everywhere a reason to distrust the journalism profession. I believe (and have made it a personal goal of mine) that journalists should have a code of conduct that seeks to rebridge the gap between journalists and their audience, the people. I believe that once journalism gains the trust of the public again, the press will have more credibility and power to keep organizations, businesses and governments in check. Through a strong relationship with the people, the press and the people will have power and a strong voice in society.

In order to reach this point in society, we must set a goal of excellence in journalism. In order to ensure excellence, there are certain points within journalism that should be questioned and revised. The Journalism Foundation has said that in order to obtain excellence in journalism, we must “invest in the future of journalism by building the ethics, skills and opportunities needed to advance principled, probing news and information” (see: http://www.journalismfoundation.org/default.asp).

Ethicly, journalists must treat their consumers and their sources, as well as their area of work, with respect. Without ethics in journalism, journalism just turns into a sloppy disgraceful perezhilton.com article, an area that journalism should steer far away from.

Journalists must also have skills in new technology and in writing. With recent booms in technology, journalists must keep up to date with certain forms. Social media websites, Twitter, blogs and youtube have created a whole new technological field for journalists to work in. If journalists skills are not involved in these new areas of communication, then they can expect to fall behind in their careers. Journalists are communicators, and if they do not have communication skills, then why call themselves journalists?

The news forum has been changing. How people get their news is constantly changing. In order to achieve excellence in journalism, journalists must be able to conform to the new media outlets, and embrace the new technology.

The journalism.org website sites many ways of how consumers get their news, and the new trends that will be important to consumers. In the new multi-platform media environment, people’s relationship to news is becoming portable.

Portable: 33% of cell phone owners now access news on their cell phones.

Personalized: 28% of internet users have customized their home page to include news from sources and on topics that particularly interest them.

Participatory: 37% of internet users have contributed to the creation of news, commented about it, or disseminated it via postings on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter.

(see: http://www.journalism.org/analysis_report/understanding_participatory_news_consumer).

Journalists must also find a way to still bring in viewership/consumerism for the boss, but also be independent from any outside sources. Independence is essential to journalism because it allows a journalist to take a neutral stance on a story. If outside sources are influencing a journalist, then he can not be considered fair and balanced in his work. A journalist must not allow advertising or other commercial considerations to undermine his independence. Journalists must have an independent state of mind. In order to achieve this, journalists must adhere to these three principles of independence in the field:

1. Adhere to the principles of truthfulness

2. Allegiance to citizens and community

3. Informing rather than manipulating

As the group that presented on “Independence from Factions” said, journalists must be “[Independent] from class, economic status, race and ethnicity”. By staying away from factions, journalists can be a beacon of light for everyone, because they represent everyone, and not one organization or faction.

For journalists, verification is important. Journalism is all about being the first on the scene telling the latest news, with the correct information. It is important to get verification from reliable sources before airing your story. If you don’t verify your sources, then you may air the wrong information and accidentally lie to your audience. This will then lead to your audience losing hope in journalism and have them get their news from other, more reliable sources. Journalims.org website defined verification as, “Seeking out multiple witnesses, disclosing as much as possible about sources, or asking various sides for comment, all signal such standards. This discipline of verification is what separates journalism from other modes of communication, such as propaganda, fiction or entertainment” (see: http://www.journalism.org/resources/principles). Through verification, a journalist can establish a name for himself, and create a stronger bond of trust between him and his consumers.

As a budding new journalist, I need to set up my own personal code of conduct. I believe that in order to succeed, I need to tell nothing but the truth in my career. However, I need to make my reports relevant to my audience, and I might have to add a hint of sensationalism in my work, in order to sell my stories. Without selling my work, I don’t believe I can succeed in this business. I have chosen this car career path because I believe it is the only career that brings you close to different people from all different areas of backgrounds. I have a true desire to be a voice of hope for the voiceless. This may sound cliché, but after studying and working in this field for over a seven-year span, I have come to the realization that everybody has a story. Everyone needs to have a voice, in what sometimes may feel like a voiceless society. It is with this desire that I want to become a journalist.