Journalism Tech Blog – Journalism Core Values

The most important core value of journalism is integrity in my eyes. In order for journalism to serve its purpose to inform the public and act as the ‘fourth estate’, a journalist must write and report with integrity. In cases where integrity is jeopardised, people involved may be harmed and truth may be sacrificed in order to satisfy editors. Another key trait that a journalist must possess is perseverance, as it is rare that stories will fall on your lap. To produce good stories you must call and/or people to attain the information you require, even if that means waiting extended periods of time. Some stories can feel as though they are going nowhere as well, but (as cliché as it sounds) it is the journalists that are willing to stick it out and put in the extra effort that will succeed. Also, independence is another important characteristic for a journalist to have as news that is influenced by others or higher powers is not genuine. A lack of independence can result in biased and influenced reporting which is detrimental to the end product.

What are the three most important core values you think journalists must have in today’s world? Why?.

We are seeing a shift towards digital media in the ‘digital age’ that we live in, so it has become all the more crucial to ensure integrity remains in journalism. ‘Clickbait’ is a phenomenon that has come about through digital news and it has the potential to make integrity take a back seat over getting ‘reads’ or ‘clicks’. Social media sites such as Twitter have made getting the news out ‘first’ almost more important than getting the facts right or ensuring you are doing no harm as a journalist, which is a cause for concern. While these innovations have positives for journalism, it is integral that we ensure that journalistic integrity comes first. Likewise, we must also remain patient and not worry as much about having to get the information we report out there ‘first’.