Ethics

Journalists nowadays are not forced to be ethical and there is no law holding them to what the SPJ has put together as the four pillars of ethics. Journalists are simply being responsible citizens and accountable for their work. The four pillars of the SPJ’s code of ethics (http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp) go as follows: seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently and be accountable.


Starting with the first pillar, seek truth and report it, there should be an understanding that journalists must be honest, fair, and courageous when gathering, reporting and interpreting information (Willis, 50). It is important to know that journalists are dealing with other people’s lives and should treat that information with care and be just in reporting it. That leads us to the next pillar to the code of ethics, minimize harm. Journalists’ sources, colleagues and subjects all have their personal opinions, feelings and thoughts that they must keep in mind. It is crucial to be wise when asking questions during tragedy and grief, because you do not want to come off greedy or seem like you are pandering. A journalist must think on their feet and be able to work on their own without making mistakes and causing more drama than is necessary. That is why the third pillar of the code of ethics is to act independently. This pillar also means that when journalists are on their own in the field they have to be aware of their own feelings and thoughts and maintain an independence from those they cover. One cannot get too involved in their story so that their judgment is swayed one direction or another. That is why journalists have to be accountable of themselves and those they surround themselves with at all times. Which takes us to the fourth and last pillar, be accountable (http://bigthink.com/ideas/3307). Journalists have to abide by the same high standards to which you hold others. Be aware that mistakes will be made and journalists have to accept this and make sure to go back and correct them (http://www.regrettheerror.com/).

Watchdog Journalism

When a newsroom asks its journalists to have more watchdog journalism in their work, what does that mean? To answer that question we can start with journalism being the fourth estate and it being a fourth branch of the government. They act as an overseeing eye and are there to inform the people (http://tinyurl.com/3tzyez4). Charlotte Hall, Editor at the Orlando Sentinel, said simply, “Watchdog journalism is a state of mind for the whole newspaper: Journalism that gives power to the people.” In other words, the entire team of journalists has to be aware of what is around them and be willing to keep a look out for the rest of us, so we can be informed (http://tinyurl.com/3kle4xp). They are the private eye for the public good.

At the same time, many are wondering if some journalists and organizations are taking watchdog journalism too far and turning it into a form of amusement. It is being drawn out and it is a joke, sometimes to boost ratings. Liz Leamy, a TV reporter, says that it is the “just add water” investigative reporting. Some bad examples of watchdog journalism include, a news channel putting cameras up in a house to prove you can’t get all your carpets cleaned for $7.95. Another in the mid 1990’s claiming a bra’s internal wire could poke the owners. This is not watchdog journalism. It supposed to be reporting that looks out for the civic interests of the audience and uncovers real problems in the community and offers solutions. A good example would be Bob Woodward and Carl Burnstein’s reporting on the Watergate Scandal for the Washington Post (http://tinyurl.com/azyqy). Remember, the purpose as a journalist is to be a link between the news/truth and the audience. It is to empower them with the information by keeping an eye on your surroundings, reporting the events and providing possible solutions.

Independence in Journalism

Whenever I speak of independence I always think back to the colonial times when the settlers were trying to break free of England’s tight grip over the colonies and what that must have been like. Independence in Journalism is a little different, but it still means to separate yourself from, and not being subject to control by others. Independence is the fourth principle in journalism (http://tinyurl.com/djszyf). Meaning Journalists must maintain an independence from those people and topics they cover. A journalist can’t be swayed by outside forces in their work. Their stand must be equal and look at all sides of the event. This could be termed as independence from faction, or having a true set of ideas rather than a member of a team, someone who puts the audience first (http://tinyurl.com/3wp7py2). Journalist have to be committed not only to their audience but to themselves. A journalist has to promise themself that they won’t have any conflicts of interest while working on a report. This is defined as an independence of mind and is crucial to a journalist and their work, for there can be no obstacles while reporting. The book The Elements of Journalism says, “Friendship, opportunities, and flattery all will conspire to seduce the opinion writer to cross the line” (p. 120). Living up to this principle of independence of mind is very difficult, take the case of Maggie Gallagher (http://tinyurl.com/d2qczz). She was an outstanding journalist for the New York Post and was always making her stance clear on being honest and completely committed to your work. Then, Howard Kurtz, media writer for the Washington Post, finds out she’s writing under a federal contract to promote President Bush’s marriage initiative. She goes to defend herself, stating she wasn’t aware of an issue between the two jobs she had. Well, it is too bad she didn’t reveal her contract because she just shot herself in the foot by not opening up about this conflict of interest. The moral of the story is, don’t get yourself involved in journalism without maintaining independence from your work and personal life.