- What are the three most important core values you think journalists must have in today’s world? Why?
Objectivity: The ability to be objective and un-bias is, in my opinion, most important. Being able to write a balanced story protects a journalist from being bias and potentially influencing readers/viewers to feel a certain way. If an interview subject trusts a journalist to tell their story truthfully and without personal opinion, it’s incredibly important to do just that.
Curiosity: I also believe it’s integral for a journalist to be naturally curious. If a journalist is inquisitive, questions things and has a desire to find truth and value in a story, it’s likely the story will be better.
Integrity: Having a strong moral compass is also integral to being a good journalist. If an interview subject gives you information that would be great for shock value, but would simultaneously ruin someone’s reputation, it’s up to the journalist to make a moral decision. If a journalist doesn’t have integrity, it’s likely their stories will be dishonest and potentially immoral, and hurt people.
- How can those values be useful in approaching digital tools we have today to produce good journalism?
Integrity is vital as a journalist, particularly on digital platforms. It’s important to constantly be thinking about morals and the potential consequences of posting a story that hasn’t been properly researched or fact-checked, because once it’s online, it’s there to stay. There’s no room to post a story and simply delete it; once it’s out there, it’s out there. Publishing a potentially defamatory story could ruin a journalist’s career, and the subject of the story. Furthermore, the digital world is growing at such a rapid pace and reaches a much larger audience than traditional print, so the consequences of posting a story without considering the morals are much larger. Posting a story without taking time to be objective and truthful can have serious consequences for both the journalist and the interview subject.
- OPTIONAL: Can you find at least one example of good online journalism that reflects these values? Make sure you provide a link to the example/s.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-16/melbourne-homelessness-meet-the-citys-rough-sleepers/8357618
To me, this story published in The Age is a great representation of integral journalism. The story gives a voice to the homeless and humanises them. It doesn’t paint them as vulnerable or helpless, but charismatic and interesting. The story works to show authentic representations of who they are and what they’re going through.
