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ethics
May 2009 
Journalism
Mona
Somebody PLEASE tell me what happened to journalism?? I remember studying in school... and a LOT of journalists should be out of a job by now! ...in fact, there should be hardly any left.
One of my favorite things to learn about in school were the laws and ethics pertaining to journalism. It's called "libel." If it's not true, you don't print it! Look on the magazine racks... rumored fights, break-ups, pregnancies, and "unnamed sources." That's not journalism!!! You don't quote a source unless you have a name. Otherwise, what's to stop someone from making up a quote and saying: "says a source close to the couple...."?
It seems that most reporters today use scare tactics and sensationalism to attract readers. That sickens me. Remember when gas in GA went up to almost $5 a gallon? There was no gas shortage until the news reported there was... when the entire state of Georgia rushed to the pumps to make sure they had a full tank of gas, that's when a gas shortage was created. Employees of both Quiktrip and BP told me gas was delivered on a regular basis, but when people panicked and drained the pumps the deliveries just couldn't catch up.
It seems to me if there is no news, people just start making up stuff... or they create news by scaring consumers. Honestly, it breaks my heart. It's something I love - bringing information to the masses. Journalism used to be about unmasking the truth... getting to the bottom of a story. Now it's all about making a deadline. Doesn't anybody check the facts?
I love to write.... but it seems as though journalism is a dying art. Someday I hope to be able to bring some integrity back to the profession. If I don't become a reporter or an editor, I'd like to teach journalism... maybe the next generation can bring it back to where it used to be.
Access: Public
Oh, goodness. And here I was just thinking about this and wondering the same thing.
I have to agree with you, Mona. When I go food shopping I am disgusted by the magazines they put in the check-out line. It’s hard to believe that anyone would buy them, but they must, otherwise it would do no good to put them there. I enjoy listening to intelligent journalism on National Public Radio, and I find what I consider to be good writing in Utne magazine. Wish there was more of that!
I have this weird notion that people tend to idolize celebrities in the same way they used to idolize scandalous Greek and Roman gods and goddesses - as if there is some sort of appetite for gossip that some humans just can’t seem to get enough of. Same thing with soap operas… Don’t mean to sound snobby, but these things seem to appeal most to the least intelligent people among us. And there are plenty of people ready to exploit the gullible!
I hope you will get back to journalism - and let’s hope for some positive evolution here!