Jessica
JRN 201 – Section #14582
Mar. 18, 2016
Honors Blog Post IX
Jessica
JRN 201 – Section #14582
Mar. 18, 2016
Honors Blog Post IX
Journalism Ethics
In the scenario in which the mayor of my town has been arrested for allegedly participating as a kingpin in a major drug smuggling ring, the question of journalism ethics comes into play. Treading this story would take tact and quick thinking as every other news outlet will also be trying to get their hands in the latest update.
With the options presented, it seems to me that option "D" is the worst possible option. As a journalist, it's our responsibility to chase leads and sources. Waiting for information to pop into our lap would be lazy journalism.
Option "A" is the most tempting, but it would also be the most ineffective and unprofessional. As I mentioned, every outlet will be chasing a comment. Because of the flock of reporters, there should be no need to be chase these updates as they will come regardless if you participate or not. And with a person of presidency in the hot seat, rumors are likely to spread quickly.
As a reporter, I would follow a combination of both option "B" and "C" . While a PR statement falls into he risk of being one-sided or bias, it has more weight I would think as a source. Additionally, I would also seek out other sources perhaps within the family or authorities to see what other parts of the story I can piece together. Lastly, I would schedule an interview with the mayor himself. After the rush of the breaking news, I think the public would like to hear a more deeper story about the matter.
In the scenario in which the mayor of my town has been arrested for allegedly participating as a kingpin in a major drug smuggling ring, the question of journalism ethics comes into play. Treading this story would take tact and quick thinking as every other news outlet will also be trying to get their hands in the latest update.
With the options presented, it seems to me that option "D" is the worst possible option. As a journalist, it's our responsibility to chase leads and sources. Waiting for information to pop into our lap would be lazy journalism.
Option "A" is the most tempting, but it would also be the most ineffective and unprofessional. As I mentioned, every outlet will be chasing a comment. Because of the flock of reporters, there should be no need to be chase these updates as they will come regardless if you participate or not. And with a person of presidency in the hot seat, rumors are likely to spread quickly.
As a reporter, I would follow a combination of both option "B" and "C" . While a PR statement falls into he risk of being one-sided or bias, it has more weight I would think as a source. Additionally, I would also seek out other sources perhaps within the family or authorities to see what other parts of the story I can piece together. Lastly, I would schedule an interview with the mayor himself. After the rush of the breaking news, I think the public would like to hear a more deeper story about the matter.
