Journalism and Faith

It would be a lie to say that one's faith  had absolutely no influence on how one reports the news.  For most people, faith and religion is a part of who they are.  It has shaped them into the person and writer that writes for a paper or magazine.

NewsU.org has an article all about audiences wanting more religion news but it's the journalists that are reluctant to give it.  In this article, Eric Marrapodi, CNN Producer and writer on the CNN Belief Blog, says that audiences have always wanted more religions news but it's the mainstream journalists that are hesitant to cover such an issue because "sometimes that's difficult as a reporter to cover.  You don't want to appear biased."

I have to agree with Marrapodi.  It's a tricky thing for a journalist to take on a piece about religion.  They need to make sure their own religious views aren't present in the article and they also need to present the religion that is the focus of the article in an objective and balanced light.  In class we talked about how one would prepare to write an article about another religion.  I think you should do your research.  Learn as much as you can about the religion.  Read publications from the religion, speak to believers, google it.  Not only will this prepare you for the interview and help you ask hard-hitting questions, but I also think it shows respect.  It's like you are letting them know that you care and respect them enough to learn what you can about them and have come prepared to have an actual interview and not just an explanation session.

When we're children our neighborhood seems like the world.  But there is so much more to the world than our "little slice of Mayberry" as my dad would say.  Bill Keller, executive editor of The New York Times  said that "good journalism entails understanding more than just the neighborhood you grew up in."  We owe it to ourselves and our readers to learn as much as we can about the world around us and the people on it.

We need to find a balance when it comes to writing about religion.  The writer must be aware of his/her audience and their own, personal views.  Writing about religion is possible (and wanted).  We just need to make sure to be prepared when we take on such a daunting task.

let's talk ethics.

Ethics in journalism is kind of  big deal.  I mean if not, why on earth would the Society of Professional Journalists write an entire Code of Ethics?!  But don't be fooled into thinking that these ethical compromises are recent developments.  No sir, they've been around for ages.  I feel like whenever we think about the past (back in the "black and white" days of television and film) everything was perfect.  We have this thing I like to call Cleaver Syndrome.  Where we think everything back in the forties and fifties was peachy-keen and everyone was honest and hard-working and contributing to society.  Well let me tell you something, it wasn't.   Last week we had to watch a journalism movie for class and I chose to watch His Girl Friday.  And for some reason I was shocked when the reporters lied about what happened with Mollie Malloy and Earl Williams just to print a story and sell some papers.  Looking back I can't believe I was naive enough to think that in the beginning, journalists were as honest as can be and they've grown corrupt over time.

The Ethical Journalism Initiative has a fantastic editorial on ethical journalism and how they are starting "a new campaign to rekindle old values in media worldwide."  They go on to say how media and technology has greatly changed the face of news as well as it's quality.  It's websites and people like this that cause me to keep my faith in journalists.  Because there are just as many honest journalists as there are yellow journalists.  The Indiana University School of Journalism has a link that provides the reader with (what seems like hundreds) of ethics cases to help future journalists explore ethical issues in journalism.  I know many of us feel like we're invincible to the evil powers of bribery, money and fame, but the truth is, we won't really know until we're faced with those situations.  So there's no harm in reading through a few scenarios and deciding now what we will do in the future.

In The Elements of Journalism it says, "In the end journalism is an act of character" (230).  I hope that as we go out and begin our careers we remember that our journalism is a reflection of our character.  

watchdog

In class we discussed the idea of watchdog journalism.  And how it is the journalists job to "listen to public officials and watch what they do and see if they match up."  How else are we supposed to get the truth to the public?  The Neiman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University has a little section called Neiman Watchdog where they say: "The premise of watchdog journalism is that the press is a surrogate for the public, asking probing, penetrating questions at every level, from the town council to the state house to the White House, as well as in corporate and professional offices, in union halls, on university campuses and in religious organizations that seek to influence governmental actions."

The first definition dictionary.com gives for surrogate is: a person appointed to act for another; deputy.  So basically, as a watchdog journalist it is your job to act for the public, to listen for them and gather as much information as possible.  The public doesn't have the same access to the same resources (i.e. events, officials, influential people) that most journalists do so it is the journalists job to "see that people in power provide information the public should have."

Now just because one is a watchdog journalist doesn't mean one loses their independence.  It is actually crucial for one to maintain their independence as a watchdog journalist.  In The Elements of Journalism it states that "journalists must serve as an independent monitor of power" (140).  It is vital that we continue to uphold our independence and try (as best we can) to present an objective viewpoint to present a fair story to the public.  

Now on to objectivity.  We discussed this a little bit in class and I don't think there is such a thing a pure objectivity.  Because we all come from different backgrounds and have had various events influence us and make us who we are, different things affect us.  Professor Campbell brought up what happened with 9/11 and asked Lakia, who is from New York, if she would be able to write an objective article on what happened there.  I don't think I would be able to.  Granted I didn't have a relative who worked there and was out of the office on a business meeting, but my older sister was on a ferry headed to go tour the Twin Towers and actually saw the planes hit the buildings.  I have relatives who were living in New York at the time and I remember how stressed my mom was, calling her siblings and father to make sure they were okay.  There is no way I would be able to write a completely objective article on that.  I feel it would be going against my personal code of ethics to not go to my editor and say "there is no way I'm going to be able to make this article sound objective and not get emotional about it, is there anyway I could switch with someone?"  And in my brain, it all works out.  I get a new story I can be (more) objective about and my editor gets a solid, less emotional story from a different writer.  

To verify or not to verify, that is the question.

Well how's about an answer...

ALWAYS VERIFY.

Because of the rush and pressure to be the first to report a story or break the news, I feel some journalists have become careless in their reporting.  It is becoming more and more common for journalists to publish their stories (online) and go back (after the story has been published) and make corrections.

 

Jim Hall, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board said the following in a meeting at the International Society of Air Safety Investigators: "Where once reporters would try to verify stories before putting them on the air, now, we constantly hear what can only be called rumors spread by what are considered legitimate broadcasters. How many times have you heard a reporter say, 'This isn't verified, but...' or 'A so-far unsubstantiated report says...' If it isn't verified, why are they broadcasting it?"

Hall later told the media to, "Take care."  He said that the rush to be first "can outstrip common sense and, in some cases, even common decency."

Hall said this in 1999.  I find it frightening to think that if this was a problem ove a decade ago, how bad has it gotten since? 

In The Elements of Journalism, Kocavh and Rosensteil say that "journalism alone is focused on getting what happened down right."  I don't think I could make up a more black and white statement.  We have talked about truth and loyalty in journalism and how journalism is almost like a sacred priesthood and covenant between the writer and reader.  Why on EARTH would we dare compromise that trust simply to be the first one to print?  If journalists keep publishing stories without getting their facts straight the first time, they're going to lose their readers.  Nobody is going to want to get their news from a paper or website that is constantly changing their facts.  Personally, I would rather get my news from a paper that has a verification process even if it isn't the first breaking story. 

I find that the more we talk about the ethics of journalism, the more I realize they're all connected.  I feel like if you break one "rule" you're breaking at least three more.  What baffles my mind is how people study this and they still go against everything they once believed.  Think about it, every journalist, great or small, started out where we are today.  A student, in a class, learning and growing and believing that they're going to be the person to keep all the rules and be completely unbiased and objective.  It's just sad for me to think of all those who have gone off the deep end so to speak and have put all morals and standards aside just to print a "good story."

"Journalism alone is focused on getting what happened down right."  Let's try to keep that in mind as we continue on with this little journalistic journey and remember our promise to tell the truth and get the facts right. 

Trust the Professional

In Thursday's class we discussed how journalism has been likened to a professional priesthood.  At first I thought, 'first covenant now this?!  Here we go again with the church-like references" but I really liked the way this one was presented.

Professional Priesthood is to "surrender to the higher calling of serving others."  I agree with this definition in regards to journalism being a professional priesthood.  As a future journalist I would hope that the readers and the audience I was writing for would have faith in me and what I was saying.

What is journalism (and Priesthood for that matter) without faith?  We must put our trust in the words we read, but we must not do it blindly.  I'm not encouraging skeptics out of readers, but I am instead advocating smart readers.  Don't tie yourself down to one paper or viewpoint.  Do your research.  Look at a few different perspectives and create your own opinion out of them.

When I was in high school I was talking with my father about politics and I said, "Dad, people ask me if I'm a Democrat or a Republican, and I don't know what to say because I don't know what I am.  Which one is better?  Which one should I choose?"  I'll never forget what he told me, he looked me in the eyes and said, "Brissa, I can't tell you what to be.  You need to do your own research and find out what platforms you believe in and align yourself with the party that best fits your beliefs."  And that's what I'm telling you to do.  Find the truth yourself.  Trust in journalists because it's their job to find the truth and have the faith that they've done their work just like you've done yours.
(I hope all that redundant rambling made sense to you, because it made sense to me, but then again, i wrote it...)

Let's move on to world views shall we?  In The Mind of a Journalist we read that "[world views] provide us a means of protection from confusion, an ability to focus on what we think is important, and a way of defining what we see" (27).  I believe that everyone has a slightly different world view based on their geographic, economic and living situation.  But, yes, I believe that the world view of a journalist differs from that of an average person.  Journalist/philosopher Walter Lippmann  believed "that an individual citizen could not intuit truth because he or she is a create of a specific culture" (27).  I can't help but agree with Lippmann on this because, like we learned in one of our very first classes, journalists have a "nose for news" that is an acquired skill that grows and becomes stronger over time.

Loyalty

In class on Tuesday it was said that journalism is like a covenant with the public.  When this idea was presented, it gave me the impression that journalism was sacred, and I guess in a sense, it is.  The public is trusting us to give them the truth.  It's as simple as that.  As journalists, we have promised to be loyal to our citizens and as a result, they will be loyal to us.  Without readers, there is no point for journalists.  So why on earth would one want to jeopardize that special bond between reader and writer?  For a more in-depth look at the changing problem of loyalty in journalism, check out this article by Mark Doremus and Karen Slattery from The Digital Journalist.

I believe that loyalty is an element of journalism.  And if there are any journalists out there who feel the same way and would like to maintain that special loyalty with their citizens they should remember and cultivate these five characteristics:  commit to the citizens first, hire business managers who also put citizens first, set and communicate clear standards, have the final say over the news and communicate clear standards to the public.

As sad as it is, journalism is also a business and certain things just can't be ignored.  Because what good is journalism if it doesn't sell?  But then again, what good is journalism if it's tied down to the interests of its shareholders instead of the interests of the citizen?

Let's finish off with a little history review shall we?  Even from the beginning, newspapers have covered local news and international affairs, advertisers were sought out and new technology was changing the face of news.  Now if only the paper still cost us just a penny a day!  While there are many similarities between the news of yesterday and today, we need to remember that journalism has come a long way since the 1700s.  We no longer wait for the news to come to us, now, we go out and find the news.

I feel like journalism has come a long way, but it's still in it's young adult years.  It's mind boggling to think how far we've come in a few hundred years and how far we're going to go in a hundred more!

Side Note:  I figured that with how often we've mentioned this movie in class (especially while talking about the history of media structures) it'd be a sin not to include a clip.  Enjoy!

"Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone."

Even children know that telling the truth is always the best option.  Especially when it will eventually hurt someone in the end.  When have secrets ever been kept all the way?  How many times has a friend, sibling, co-worker or politician kept a secret from you (or the public) and had it stay a secret?  Allow me to answer, not very often.

I understand that in certain situations and stories it isn't necessary or polite to expose the truth (like when Lavender Magazine outed the anti-gay pastor as being gay) but for the most part, I think if it will help instead of hurt or harm the people, the truth should be told.  

In class we discussed how journalism's first obligation is to the truth.  I think that sometimes journalists might forget that.  Especially when getting caught up in a story that would be just a little bit better if certain facts were tweaked and a few quotes rearranged.  I am grateful for the Liberal Model used in the United States when it comes to how we get our news.  Hopefully we can continue trusting our journalists to give us the pure truth without being influenced by bribes or political parties for their own benefit.  

I just hope that as we progress with our careers and lives that we remember to be honest and truthful with our writings and actions.  I hope that we can remember that even though it might be hard to swallow, the truth is still the truth, and it's what the people need to hear.