Ethics: What I Would Have Done

Many ethical decisions in journalism are best guesses; rarely is there an obvious "right" answer. We look at the circumstances, apply our values and aim to do the most good and the least harm. In the messy real world, never is that ratio 100 percent good/zero percent harm. It's subjective as hell, but that's the way the world is.

But here's what I would have done, and why:

On Sept. 11, 2001, I would have shot and decided to run the Falling Man pic. To me, it is the most powerful symbol of the day. 9/11 wasn't about airplanes hitting buildings; it was about 3,000 individual people, with lives just like you and me, who had to make horrible death-or-death decisions like, "Do I fall 102 stories or do I burn to death?" That picture brings home that this was humanity at its worst in an incredibly powerful way.

But it may have been too powerful for that day.I think on Sept. 12, 2001, I would have regretted that choice. That's because in reality, there was a ton of public fury over the publication and airing of jumper pics, like the Falling Man one. The public was spending far more time considering editorial judgment (arguing if it was death porn) rather than editorial content (the humanity behind 9/11).

The point of how we write a story or what photo we use is to highlight the facts, meaning and content of the subject we're focusing on, and not distract from it. On 9/11, at least, the pic was a distraction. With the next-day perspective maybe I would have run it Web-only with a disclaimer, or run it well after 9/11, when the wound wasn't as raw. 

Now, I'm not saying I wouldn't have run pics showing humanity, or even the brutal side of 9/11. It's just I think I would have edited more carefully to show pics that make the point of human tragedy without alienating my audience. Journalism without an audience simply isn't journalism. There's no perfect way to measure that; I would have to consider the facts, then the audience and where it draws the line, and make an educated guess.

You need to share what you see. That doesn't necessarily mean every literal thing you see -- like the Falling Man -- but it does have to be something that is representative of all the things you saw and heard. Maybe another image would have done that, while being more receptive to the audience. Maybe Falling Man would have been better considered by the audience well after that day, after wounds have been allowed to heal somewhat.

Then again, the root of the word news is new. That's no accident; it's news only if it's new, or recent, or revelatory. Is it news if I hide it when it matters most: right when something is happening? Maybe not.

Yes, you want to tell stories truthfully, even if the truth is brutal. But you don't want to distract from the story's underlying point, either. And we have to serve the audience when they want or need news. Our challenge is to reconcile those three factors, even when it's hard. Like it was on 9/11.

I would have taken the starving girl/vulture pic, and I would have run it. But I would have done something else in-between those actions. I would have taken the girl to a first aid station after getting the pic.

Just taking the pic and doing nothing else is not a good choice, in my view. This wasn't an instance where there were hundreds of people waiting to die, all of whom one journalist couldn't help. This was one child; one child is doable.

But helping the girl without taking the pic I find to be a bad choice. First, the way journalists help the most people while hurting the fewest is by sharing horrible things happening beyond the horizon of our audience. How can they possibly decide this is  tragedy and want to make a priority of helping if they don't see how bad it really is there?

Second, we are not there to be aid workers; we are there to be journalists. That's the reason we're there. That's why our news organizations paid for us to go. We can't forget what our job is. It's just that we don't forget we're human, either. We can be both simultaneously. What's more, we need to be both at the same time, never forgetting one or the other.

Given that explanation, I would have done exactly what was done regarding the Vietnam War burned girl pic. I would have taken the pic, illustrating what war really is: not just tanks and explosions, but the very real human carnage of an innocent and terrified girl having her clothes burned off. I would then have done whatever I could to help, like the journalists did in this case by securing medical treatment for the girl.

And then I would have run the pic; again, a story (or pic) without an audience isn't journalism. You need to share what you see.  That's why we were there in the first place. And we do no good to the masses if we don't share what we discovered.

What do you guys think on my points? Give it some thought. Quite often, there is no "right" answer in journalism; rather, there's a bunch of good answers. What we look for is the best solution, even if it's imperfect (and it usually is).   

Ethics: A Code To Follow

Listed below is the Code of Ethics from the Society of Professional Journalists, the nation's leading organization of journalists. I strongly recommend you print out the code and keep it handy for however long you are a journalist. The principles offered within can help you guide an ethical and responsible response to numerous situations: 


SPJ Code of Ethics
Download a printable copy [PDF]

Preamble
 
Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist's credibility. Members of the Society share a dedication to ethical behavior and adopt this code to declare the Society's principles and standards of practice. 

---

The SPJ Code of Ethics is voluntarily embraced by thousands of journalists, regardless of place or platform, and is widely used in newsrooms and classrooms as a guide for ethical behavior. The code is intended not as a set of "rules" but as a resource for ethical decision-making. It is not — nor can it be under the First Amendment — legally enforceable.

For an expanded explanation, please follow this link.

Seek Truth and Report It
 
Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.

Journalists should: 

— Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible.
— Diligently seek out subjects of news stories to give them the opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoing.
— Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources' reliability.
— Always question sources’ motives before promising anonymity. Clarify conditions attached to any promise made in exchange for information. Keep promises.
— Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.
— Never distort the content of news photos or video. Image enhancement for technical clarity is always permissible. Label montages and photo illustrations.
— Avoid misleading re-enactments or staged news events. If re-enactment is necessary to tell a story, label it.
— Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public. Use of such methods should be explained as part of the story
— Never plagiarize.
— Tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience boldly, even when it is unpopular to do so.
— Examine their own cultural values and avoid imposing those values on others.
— Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status.
— Support the open exchange of views, even views they find repugnant.
— Give voice to the voiceless; official and unofficial sources of information can be equally valid.
— Distinguish between advocacy and news reporting. Analysis and commentary should be labeled and not misrepresent fact or context.
— Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two.
— Recognize a special obligation to ensure that the public's business is conducted in the open and that government records are open to inspection.

---

Minimize Harm 
 
Ethical journalists treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect.

Journalists should:

— Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by news coverage. Use special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects.
— Be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy or grief.
— Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance.
— Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy.
— Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.
— Be cautious about identifying juvenile suspects or victims of sex crimes.
— Be judicious about naming criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges.
— Balance a criminal suspect’s fair trial rights with the public’s right to be informed.

---

Act Independently
 
Journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know.

Journalists should:

—Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
— Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.
— Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.
— Disclose unavoidable conflicts.
— Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable.
— Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage.
— Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; avoid bidding for news.

---

Be Accountable
 
Journalists are accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and each other.

Journalists should:

— Clarify and explain news coverage and invite dialogue with the public over journalistic conduct.
— Encourage the public to voice grievances against the news media.
— Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.
— Expose unethical practices of journalists and the news media.
— Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others.

---

The SPJ Code of Ethics is voluntarily embraced by thousands of writers, editors and other news professionals. The present version of the code was adopted by the 1996 SPJ National Convention, after months of study and debate among the Society's members.

Sigma Delta Chi's first Code of Ethics was borrowed from the American Society of Newspaper Editors in 1926. In 1973, Sigma Delta Chi wrote its own code, which was revised in 1984, 1987 and 1996.

Job Shadows: What You Saw, Part 2

Here's a sampling of some of the various job shadows done by you all (this will be updated as job shadow reports are turned in, so please check back frequently). Take a look and see what you can learn from everyone's visits. There's a lot of good stuff here to help you decide what you want to do with your lives; what you need to be doing to get there; and what to expect when you do get there.

Please give each one of these a quick read as they come in, will you?

*****

For my job shadow, I went to MSU Board of Trustees meeting at 9:30 a.m. October 30^th in the Hannah Administration Building with RJ Wolcott, a reporter with the Lansing State Journal. The meeting lasted about 2 hours. The school administrators talked about many events in the school, such as a science project for students, and funding.

            When I arrived at the Hannah Administration building, RJ led me to the meeting room. In the meeting room, there are special seats for all the journalists. There are two huge cameras behind the meeting room. To be honest, this meeting for me was really tedious, because the school’s administrators used some terminology to introduce their program for school. RJ told me that it is really difficult sometimes to understand what people are talking about if you do not know the terminology they are using, so we need to prepare for what they might say beforehand. Moreover, RJ told me the materials that you get from an interview could also be used for future stories, so he stories notes all the time. 

RJ told me this was not a really long meeting. He said he had experience of having a three-hour meeting at MSU. In this meeting, different administrators talked about parking lots, a science project, a lab program and MSU’s funding of repairs to the Breslin Center. RJ took a lot of notes for the funding. He told me that school puts in millions of dollars for this so it is what we need to pay more attention to. RJ said you should focus more on the most important news. Sometimes not every story is really important even though they are interesting, like the science project in this meeting.

At the end of the meeting, all journalists were interviewing different people. RJ interviewed two people among about 50 people because those were the most helpful to his story. They included MSU President Lou Anna Simon. RJ said when you know who is the most vital person to your story, you should try your best to talk with that person.

After the meeting, RJ took me to the MSU library where he always writes story as a journalist, because he thinks the school library is not as noisy as his office. After he finished his story for the meeting, he showed me how he published the story and how to put pictures in the story and how to perfect the story before he published it.

Then I interviewed RJ for some general questions. RJ told me he works as an education reporter because he thinks education is important and fundamental for every person, and he has passion about it. RJ told me being a journalist is not easy work; that I need to talk to people more often, even though it might be a little bit hard initially to talk to people. But practicing many times will make you be more comfortable to talk to people. Moreover, RJ told me we should find the topic we think is interesting for us. 

I asked RJ what should I do in college to be a good journalist in the future. He told me we should learn many skills that others might not have. He said that when we have something different from others, our opportunities of getting a job would increase. For example, if we know how to take a good photo, know how to use Photoshop, how to write articles and make a video, we will have more advantages than people who just know how to write.

RJ reminded me that we need to have an internship between sophomore and junior years because if we start as a senior, that is too late.

Sometimes I think interviews are really hard for me because the language barrier. But RJ told me I need to practice more so the language barrier will not be a challenge. But the most important thing is that when we talk to others, we need to be kind to make others comfortable, and start with easy questions. Before we have the interview, we can search for information about the person you want to talk with.

In this meeting, there was so much information I think was equally important. So I asked RJ how did he determine the news value? RJ told me we should find out what most people want to read about. What is the most interesting news for the audience? That is really important to determine what should we write in the news.

It is a really awesome experience for me. This is my first time to know how journalism works, how to prepare good journalism, and what should we do to prepare be a journalist.

MM #2: What You Did:

In order received. Off we go:

* Dimitri B.: Textbook prices video and blog posts and tweets #emptywalletsmoretextbooks

Creative with B-roll here, using books tossed onto a pile and a highlighted receipt. 

* Emily L.: party complex video and blog posts and tweets #cedarthoughts

While the first assignment was to have blog posts cleaved by preview and recap, on this one it was to find the best way to split content. Here, we split it by the reputation of a riot-ish apartment complex in one post, and what its' rep does to MSU's rep in the other.

The problem with the video was the use of a photo from mlive.com. If we did not have expressed written consent to use the photo, then we broke federal law and committed a copyright violation. It's not enough to cite the source; we need permission, in the same way you can't just take my coat and wear it around town as long as you tell people it's mine.

* Will T.: living on-campus vs. off video and blog posts and tweets #wheretolivejrn200

Again, we cleave the blog posts logically, between the pros of on-campus and the pros of off-campus living.

* Krista W.: lottery for schools video and blog posts and tweets #michiganlottofund

With text let's be aware of the background and make sure that the captions stand out. The first caption in black against a dark background was awfully hard to read. Plus, watch for background noise.

* Katie M.: student organization video and blog posts and tweets #mbsforall

B-roll should be active. The B-roll of the speaker speaking to a group was good. TheB-roll of her just standing there could be better.

* Caitlin D.: underage drinking video and blog posts and tweets #greekfakeids

For videos, we still need to follow basic principles like offering firsthand last name attribution on first reference.

* Gabriella G.: Greek life pros and cons video and blog posts and tweets #greekornah

Again, a logical cleaving of posts: one is pros and the other is cons. Regarding the video, good lighting is important. Make sure you're shooting in a place that is well-lit toward the front of your subject (and neither dark nor backlit!).

* Jaylyn G.: alternative spring break video and blog posts and tweets #sbjrn200

If you have a caption then there's no need for the source to also say who they are, thereby freeing up a few seconds for them to talk about the issue, rather than to redundantly identify themselves. Plus, let's make sure we meet assignment requirements, like having two human sources on tape.

* Jingwen Z.: doing internships video and blog posts and tweets #doitnowintersnhips

With blog posts, be sure to start with first attribution rules. Don't assume people read the previous post, and that they will know who someone is by their last name. A significant amount of people who are starting following your blog at the latter post won't.

* Laura B.: broke college students video and blog posts and tweets #brokeatmsujrn200

Another example of a logical cleave between blog posts: one defined the problem and the other offers solutions.

* Xin W.: video game culture video and blog posts and tweets #msuvideogameculture

The best B-roll shows what someone is talking about. If a story is about video gaming, then the best B-roll is showing people playing video games.

* Starria C.: traditional media going digital video and blog posts and tweets #digitaleraoutreach


Another good break between blog posts: one is about what a magazine is doing to be digitally present, and the other is how the audience is reacting to that.

But we're missing hyperlinks in one post. The requirement was two hyperlinks per post; not simply four hyperlinks total. Let's make sure we are using hyperlinks throughout what we offer digitally, and not just clumped together in one spot.

* Cyndi R.: student support groups video and blog preview and recap and tweets #minoritiesformsu

With the blog posts, we need to make sure that each can be read independently. So, it doesn't really work if you end one post with a question and then start the next post with an answer to that question because if a reader started following your blog with the latter post, they will have no idea what you're starting with.

* Kayla R.: social media video and blog posts and tweets #yikyakmania

Not enough B-roll with the video. Video is a visual medium. It's not enough to have people talking; we have to show people doing what is being talked about. We have to find ways to tell the story in a visual manner, and not just visually show interviews.

* Brittany F.: student voting video and blog posts and tweets #msustudentvoting

Make sure that we give captions enough air time to be noticed, read and understood. The question caption around the 30-second mark barely lasted two seconds, by my count. It felt even shorter. 

Plus, too much reliance on screen shots for B-roll. I get this isn't an easy story to visualize, but we'd be better off finding things via Google to then go and shoot as opposed to shooting Google.

* Gabby B.: eating healthy video and blog posts and tweets #keytohealthystudents

One more good split among blog posts: one is how students think they're eating healthy, and the other is what experts say really is eating healthy. Just think of a logical way to split your story into different sub points via post.

* Adam T.: smoking ban video and blog posts and tweets #msutobaccoban

Simple yet strong B-roll here. It's a story about a smoking ban; we show people smoking in different environments.

* Abby B.: winter fashions video and blog posts and tweets #frigidfash

JRN 200: Your Weekend Homework

Easy-peasy: in addition to all the other stuff previously assigned, in the 10th edition of Reporting For The Media please read chapters 6 and 7 (p. 129-186) before Monday, Nov. 23.

Out-Of-Class #2: A Pretty Good Example

JRN 200

6 November 2015

Broke College Students

A common stereotype associated with college students is that they’re broke. While other factors may play a part, the costs associated with college may be what are mostly to blame.

            According to a 2015 report done by CollegeBoard, “the average published tuition and fee price of a full-time year at a public four-year institution is 40 percent higher, after adjusting for inflation, in 2015-16 than it was for 2005-06.”

            According to CollegeBoard’s report, in-state tuition and fees at four-year public institutions increased at an annual rate of 3.4 percent per year, beyond inflation, between 2005-06 and 2015-16.

            Prior to adjusting for inflation, the annual increase for in-state students at four-year public institutions was $265 annually, according to CollegeBoard’s report.

            Val Meyers, an Associate Director for MSU’s Office of Financial Aid, said “schools had to raise tuition, we have to fund it, if we’re not getting it from other places we get it from the students and their parents.”

            Meyers said that the recession helped cause federal and state funding for the university to drop, and that most of the state money MSU receives goes to needy students.

            Meyers also said that the need for student aid has gone up, but as the economy has started to level off a bit, so has the increase for student aid at MSU.

These statistics don’t even cover the costs of living that college students also have to worry about.

            Michigan State University freshman Keondanaya Sturdivant has a scholarship that covers her full tuition, and her only expenses are room and board, since she lives on campus, she said.

            Despite the fact that Sturdivant is paying significantly less than some other students because of her scholarship, she sais she still stresses out about paying for room and board.

            “It didn’t really hit me until like maybe mid-September, when my bill was due, and I had to take out a loan,” Sturdivant said.

            According to CollegeBoard’s report, the average cost of room and board at a four-year public institution is $10,138, for both in-state and out-of-state students, which is $352 more than last year.

            The average cost of room and board for a private four-year nonprofit institution is $11,516, which is $354 more than last year, according to CollegeBoard’s report.

The $5,000 loan she took out is something that also serves as a stressor for Sturdivant, who is already working at Sparty’s and sets money aside each month to pay that loan off, she said.

            Sturdivant said that after completing the required training that comes with taking out a loan at MSU, she realized she could begin paying off this loan and avoid paying for interest, which would happen if she were to wait to pay her loan off.

            According to a national financial wellness study conducted in Fall 2014 and Winter 2015 by Ohio State University, 64 percent of students use loans to pay for college, and more than one-third of those students use loans as their primary source of funding for their tuition.

            One of these students is MSU freshman and in-state student Audrianna Gibson, who also has a scholarship to help pay for MSU, she said.

            “I don’t come from like, an affluent background so I really have to rely on scholarships and loans, so I have to do that extra effort in order to pay for college, and there’s not a guarantee that I’m gonna be able to stay here, so that’s like, the biggest stressor on me,” she said.

            Gibson said that stress is something she deals with every day, and that she definitely wants to get a job soon to help alleviate that stress.

            Gibson also said that she thinks that a lot of other students feel stressed about financing school and other costs associated with college, since there are “different people with different circumstances” on different campuses.

            According to OSU’s study, 72.19 percent of students feel stress regarding personal finances.

            “Nearly 60 percent of all students agree that they worry about having enough money to pay for school,” the study said.

            Students aren’t the only ones taking out loans, either. Rochelle Rivera, an out-of-state student at MSU, said that her father is paying for her education, and has taken out loans to help pay for her tuition and room and board, which also includes her meal plan.

            Rivera’s father is paying for her education while he is still paying off loans he took out from when he was in school, she said.

            “My dad is 40 years old and he’s still paying for his own college loans, so he’s basically paying for two schools at the same time. It’s a lot of sacrifice and stress.”

            Taking out loans may also affect a student’s major choice.

         “If you want to just have an education in something that may not make you a ton of money, that’s a really hard decision to make now,” Meyers said. “If you’re borrowing $100,000 you really wanna make sure you can pay it off.”

            Rivera, a social work & international development major, said she finds it interesting that the bills for her college education are higher than what her salary will give her, but she doesn’t let that affect her major choice because it’s what she’s passionate about.

            “I hear all the time that people are so sick of their major but they have to do it because that’s what’s gonna give them money, and that sucks because that’s not what life’s all about,” Rivera said. “I know of people who are not doing what they want just because they need the money.”

Word count: 929

Sources:

·      Val Meyers, Associate Director, Office of Financial Aid, 517-353-5940, meyersv@msu.edu

·      Keondanaya Sturdivant, 313-753-5336, sturdi12@msu.edu

·      Audrianna Gibson, 269-364-8157, gibsonau@msu.edu

·      Rochelle Rivera, 939-475-9998, rivera33@msu.edu

·      CollegeBoard Report: http://trends.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/trends-college-pricing-web-final-508-2.pdf

·      Ohio State University Study: http://cssl.osu.edu/posts/documents/nsfws-key-findings-report.pdf

REWRITE GRADE: (redacted)

INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS: A SOLID JOB, BUT STILL TOO NARROW. WE SHOULD HAVE SPOKEN TO PARENTS AND THE PEOPLE WHO AUTHORED THE STUDIES WE CITED. STILL, NICE WORK.

JRN 200: An Announcement From The J-School