Week 3: Student Response and Assignment

ThursdayOct 19 at 4:29pm

Manage Discussion Entry

The first principal from the SPJ code of ethics I will discuss is, “Consider sources’ motives before promising anonymity. Reserve anonymity for sources who may face danger, retribution or other harm, and have information that cannot be obtained elsewhere. Explain why anonymity was granted.” Often people will not speak out unless given anonymity, especially those linked to political officials. To gain their trust journalist must stay true to their word. Conversely, not all sources are reputable either. As stated in chapter seven, “The press must be independent, skeptical, and irreverent...which ordains the press as the watchdog that alerts the public to government sins.”

The second principle, “Deny favored treatment to advertisers, donors or any other special interests, and resist internal and external pressure to influence coverage” from the SPJ code of ethics is highly important. A reporter must hold this principle to a high standard, to perform their duties. However, it can pose a challenge undoubtedly since “politicians desperately need the media to achieve their goals. Conversely, journalists need politicians to get information for important stories” (Graber & Dunaway, 2015). This dynamic can have reporters in precarious positions, but they must remain ethical and truthful as they are a conduit between the public and political honesty.

Thirdly, “Acknowledge mistakes and correct them promptly and prominently. Explain corrections and clarifications carefully and clearly.” In a political climate, you are almost guaranteed to hear it all; from pitfalls to scandal. People often come out of the woodwork and claim falsehoods about political candidates and officials. The press “became suspicious and adversarial, assuming flawed policies, sinister motivations, and deceptive spinning of news most of the time unless proven otherwise” (Graber & Dunaway, 2015). Press coverage of political scandal can be damaging if it isn’t corrected right away and in a bold manner.

-Mallory Murray

References

Graber, D., Dunaway, J. (2015). Mass Media and American Politics, Ninth Ed. Sage Publications,

Inc:Â Thousand Oaks, California.

Society of Professional Journalists. (2014, September 6). SPJ Code of Ethics. Retrieved October

18, 2017 from https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp.