The Competitive Nature of Journalists

I believe that Journalists who drop their ethical standards to obtain the story that another competing journalist might obtain if they do not, is not worth the risk of jeopardizing their moral values. “If the nonethical value – getting a story of questionable merit – is chosen over an ethical value, at least the decision makers should admit that they have sacrificed journalistic principle to competitive instinct. Nor should the decision makers take solace from the likelihood that competitors will publish the story if they do not. Such a rationalization also should be recognized for what it is: sinking to the level of one’s least ethical competitor” (Foreman).

The Society of Professional Journalists contains a “Code of Ethics” that journalists are to abide by; which have specific points under a few main points which include; Seek Truth and Report It, Minimize Harm, Act Independently, and Be Accountable. Under the column, “Seek Truth and Report It,” I found a few sub-points that I believe some Journalists do not always follow. The very first point states “Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible” (Society of Professional Journalists). In today’s fast paced world I would question whether all Journalists fully test the accuracy of information from all of their sources. Under the column, “Minimize Harm” there is another sub-point that I do not believe is taken to the heart of every Journalist, which is, “Recognize that gathering and reporting of information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance” (Society of Professional Journalists). I greatly believe that the pride and overconfidence of reporters can have a huge effect on their judgment.

Ethical standards and moral integrity should be at the top of every reporters list, especially when it comes to questioning, interviewing and finding the details of every story. The competitive nature of reporters should never jeopardize their ethical standings and moral beliefs.

Soldier’s Nightmare

The uniformed soldier stepped into the classroom,

Document shaking in his hands.
His forehead creased with frustration, eyes drooped like a small puppy.
The ceiling lights flickered, as if trembling with fear, of the tale to come.
He began his story slowly.

Hundreds of soldiers invaded Baghdad, a land not theirs to take.
In the distance, there stood a dark haired boy, outside his home.
He bends down on the dehydrated dirt, grabs a circular object, playfully juggles it.
The soldier gets an order from his commander, “Shoot and disarm the boy!”
He is armed with a dangerous weapon… a grenade.
The soldier hesitates briefly, his weary body frozen in time
He has just been commanded to murder a child.
Obeying his order, he lifts his metallic machine gun and fires.
The innocent, lifeless body falls to the blood-soaked earth.

Afterward the drained soldiers approach the bloodstained body of the boy.
Their salty sweat pours from under their helmets and down their backs.
Wide open eyes reflect the mistake; parallel eyes reflect the damage done.
The alleged grenade was a water balloon.

This is a poem I wrote last semester for a creative writing course, the discussion in class today reminded me of it. I believe poetry can be very journalistic.

Bloggers as Journalists?

In the article on blogging, First amendment scholor David Hudson Jr states, “Blogs, or Web logs, fulfill this ‘participatory, speech-enhancing’ function, allowing individuals to become one-person online out lets of information covering subjects in detail. Blogs are online journals or diaries where individuals can post daily entries about the subject of their choice."

I completely agree with this definition of what a blog consists of but not all share this view. In the same article, Robert A Cox, president of the Media bloggers association states, “It is worse than useless because it is an empty vessel into which people can – and do – pour whatever meaning suits them at the time. This breads confusion… blogging is writing period."

Yet, Rebecca Blood author of Weblog Ethics has another view, “Weblogs are the mavericks of the online world. Two of their greatest strengths are their ability to filter and disseminate information to a widely dispersed audience, and their position outside the mainstream media."

Based on my experience as a blogger, I do not believe that blogs should be regulated for the content of their speech. I disagree with Sen. John Cornyn who states, “However, the relative anonymity afforded to bloggers, coupled with a certain lack of accountability… has the risk of creating a certain irresponsibility when it comes to accurately reporting information” (Hudson 2). In my opinion bloggers are not reporters; they are expressers of their own thoughts and feelings, so they should not be held as accountable for the same rules as journalists.