I thought that this last week was a very interesting class. The case study on ethics really made me think what I would do in those situations and how my values would play out in  real world situations. I think it is especially important to us as BYU students to have set values and ethics because we end up representing more than just ourselves and our businesses. I think that ethics are chosen and that we simply have to cement out ethics now so that when situations arise it is an easy choice what we will do in any given situation. 

I think that case studies are the best way to learn what our ethical standards are and how we need to change them. According to the Indiana State School of Journalism,  journalist ethics come down to four things: 1. Seek Truth and Report It, 2. Minimize Harm, 3. Be Accountable, and 4. Act Independently. http://journalism.indiana.edu/resources/ethics/

In our case study in class, my group talked about the guy mowing the lawn naked. When we were talking about it we found it relatively easy to figure out what we would do; however, it became harder when people started asking questions and we became responsible for our choices. It seems obvious that newspapers should only print pictures that enhance their story. In this case it seems that the paper printed such a large and questionable picture for shock value. I think that it was unnecessary. http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

I think that the biggest worry for me is peoples online ethics when their not accountable to anyone. I’m interested to see how that effects their stories and coverage. Here is some informations on online ethics. http://www.ojr.org/ojr/wiki/ethics/

Watchdog Journalism

I think one of the most important functions of journalism is to watch the Government and big businesses. I agree with what the group said that often times that function of journalism is trivialized. I know that we use watergate as an example in every class, but it really is one of the best examples. Journalists made a huge difference in our country and in public opinion. http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Journalism-Newspeople-Completely-Updated/dp/0307346706

I do think that sometimes journalists are too focused on this function. Sometimes there isn’t a groundbreaking story. Journalists sometimes look over important stories just because it doesn’t involve an important person.  http://www.fair.org/media-beat/010308.html

As far as language goes. I think that in most cases report language is crucial. It gives a serious, formal, informed opinion. Sometimes however, it can be overly dry and can take away from the message. http://businessjournalism.org/2010/10/29/how-to-build-a-personalized-accuracy-checklist/

Independence

 Journalists must maintain an independence from those they cover. This is an essential part of journalism. (http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Journalism-Newspeople-Completely-Updated/dp/0307346706) We must present an unbiased view of the facts to cover stories correctly. I think that with all the new media forms, journalism independence will suffer. In the past people were exposed to general news every time they read the news paper. Now people can bypass that news and just straight to whatever news interests them. This means that the public will have to make a greater effort to know what is going on in the world.

At the same time the technology is also allowing people to access more resources than before. Journalists who are not independent from those they cover will be easily revealed in this new environment. http://www.kcnn.org/principles/independence_in_journalism In an ideal world news would be completely unbiased; however, this is not an ideal world or society. Journalists are loyal to employers who are in turn loyal to their owners. The public needs to be aware of these situations.

I think that there is a place for both fact and opinion in news; however, it needs to be clear which is being presented. Articles need to be presented objectively. Bloggers or reviewers need to clearly state that they are sharing their opinion and not hard fact. After all comment is free but facts are sacred.    http://www.fair.org/media-beat/010308.html