Assignment; In the Eye of the Beholder 1-Introduction: Thesis ...
JRN-333 Week-2 - Assignment; In the Eye of the Beholder 1-Introduction: Thesis statement; A: Where should journalists draw the “RED LINE” and who makes this decision? 2. Journalists are constantly under the stress of what to show the public and what to hold back. Sometimes the images are too shocking and appalling to show the general public. This has always been a dilemma for journalists and editors. A- In a textbook called Global Journalism from Ashford University the great photo journalist Gary Knight said he would not release some photos. Here is part of his quote; “Such as, photos of a deceased solider or civilian whose family was not mad aware or had given permission to release the photo. “ (Owen & Purdey, 2009, p. 82) A good journalist would not like the family finding about the death, with a picture over the airwaves. 1)The meaning of this supporting evidence will show you the importance of the “Red Line”. Although the red line is sometimes a personal opinion; except in cases of FCC rules along with state and federal laws. The journalists and the editor or manager of the news agency have to make the final decision in most cases. The FCC and journalists have had an ongoing battle over regulations, censorship, and the use of “Video News Releases”, without disclosure, for years. Here is a quote
on this subject; “The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) also filed a response in June 2005. The PRSA opined that VNRs are “important tools for communication in a free, open society” and too much government regulation could have a “chilling effect on open communication and work against providing the public with vital, interesting information from myriad points of view and sources.” (Aiello, L. 2008, para18) 1)The “so what” in this is; we are an ethical and law abiding society and certain rules must apply in all aspects of journalism. Photographs of deceased individuals without the knowledge or consent or pictures of children or minors are forbidden for a reason and should not be published to the general public. I feel most journalists know from education and working around other journalists, what to do and how to act in this sensitive field. I think most journalists want to give the truth with the least harm. I feel we should have a network or a group to join or at least an oath to take, and say you are going to abide by the Reuters rules. Here is what they say; “The 10 Absolutes of Reuters Journalism • Always hold accuracy sacrosanct • Always correct an error openly • Always strive for balance and freedom from bias
• Always reveal a conflict of interest to a manager • Always respect privileged information • Always protect their sources from the authorities • Always guard against putting their opinion in a news story • Never fabricate or plagiarize • Never alter a still or moving image beyond the requirements of normal image enhancement • Never pay for a story and never accept a bribe. “(Reuters Handbook, 2008). 1)The government seems the have the final say in where the “Red Line” should be drawn, but it is still a debate and the line between free speech and indecency is always a dispute. Here is a quote about this issue; “This is a fine line to walk. Broadcast TV (and radio) are regulated because the airwaves are a scarce resource, limited by the amount of frequencies. And the high court has allowed FCC limits on free speech because parents still need help – despite the V-chip and other technology – in protecting children from the emotional shock of vulgarities on broadcast TV during normal viewing hours.”( Christian Science Monitor, 2012,
para 4) so, this is just another example of the laws and ethical behavioral journalists must adhere to and know where to draw the red line in today’s world wide web journalism. In relation to two real world examples ; two good examples of this is when a professional journalist takes pictures of a disaster; they know what to show and which pictures should not be shown, because of the family or age or some other criteria. A non-professional who has not had the training or someone who is fighting for a cause would show inappropriate pictures. It’s like the pictures of the recent earthquake that were done by professionals, and did not show the faces of victims or minors. And then you have the images of the Islamic terrorist showing the beheading of a journalist. 4) The implications on the field of journalism will change because of the use of social media and the Insta-blogger. This has changed the way journalism is looked at today. Everyone is a blogger, food expert, or DIY person and it is all at the touch of your computer. The FCC is coming up with more ways to put restrictions on this type of communication also. Here is some information on this matter; “the rules, if approved, would establish first-time privacy rules for the companies that manage the traffic of the web and would create some of the strongest privacy regulations for any segment of the technology and telecommunications industries. It is the first major regulatory action covering
broadband providers since the FCC’s declaration last year that high-speed Internet carriers should be treated like utilities.”(Seattle Times, 2016, para 3). Because of the escalation in the internet, this is going to change how the world looks at journalism. In most cases, the “average joe” who is blogging, does not have the qualified education or training for the tough decisions to make, in being a journalist. There is always the exception, when the average citizen can show the correct professionalism and integrity to do a good job in public journalism. 5) The issues discussed will have implications and impact on everyone. The red line and how journalists use it or cross it will be debated for eternity. Also who will enforce it and to what degree, will always be disputed. Because of these ethics and laws, this is what you see, on the 6:00 o clock news. Journalists are like artist, in a way. They have a story to give or a picture to take and have a certain; creativity to use, while they are doing their job. The government and others have always tried to censor and squelch the creativity in artist. We still have the first amendment and can say what we feel, while still showing respect for the law and our fellow human beings.
References: Aiello, L., & Proffitt, J. M. (2008). VNR Usage: A Matter of Regulation or Ethics?. Journal Of Mass Media Ethics, 23(3), 219-234. doi:10.1080/08900520802198177 Monitor's Editorial, B. (2012, June 21). After Supreme Court ruling, FCC must give clear indecency standards. Christian Science Monitor. p. N.PAG. Retrieved from EBSCO/host Owen, J. & Purdey, H. (Eds.). (2009). International news reporting: Frontlines and deadlines. Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Reuters Handbook of Journalism, 2008 Seattletimes.com (2016), business/fcc-proposes-privacy-rules-for-internetproviders
on this subject; “The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) also filed a response in June 2005. The PRSA opined that VNRs are “important tools for communication in a free, open society” and too much government regulation could have a “chilling effect on open communication and work against providing the public with vital, interesting information from myriad points of view and sources.” (Aiello, L. 2008, para18) 1)The “so what” in this is; we are an ethical and law abiding society and certain rules must apply in all aspects of journalism. Photographs of deceased individuals without the knowledge or consent or pictures of children or minors are forbidden for a reason and should not be published to the general public. I feel most journalists know from education and working around other journalists, what to do and how to act in this sensitive field. I think most journalists want to give the truth with the least harm. I feel we should have a network or a group to join or at least an oath to take, and say you are going to abide by the Reuters rules. Here is what they say; “The 10 Absolutes of Reuters Journalism • Always hold accuracy sacrosanct • Always correct an error openly • Always strive for balance and freedom from bias
• Always reveal a conflict of interest to a manager • Always respect privileged information • Always protect their sources from the authorities • Always guard against putting their opinion in a news story • Never fabricate or plagiarize • Never alter a still or moving image beyond the requirements of normal image enhancement • Never pay for a story and never accept a bribe. “(Reuters Handbook, 2008). 1)The government seems the have the final say in where the “Red Line” should be drawn, but it is still a debate and the line between free speech and indecency is always a dispute. Here is a quote about this issue; “This is a fine line to walk. Broadcast TV (and radio) are regulated because the airwaves are a scarce resource, limited by the amount of frequencies. And the high court has allowed FCC limits on free speech because parents still need help – despite the V-chip and other technology – in protecting children from the emotional shock of vulgarities on broadcast TV during normal viewing hours.”( Christian Science Monitor, 2012,
para 4) so, this is just another example of the laws and ethical behavioral journalists must adhere to and know where to draw the red line in today’s world wide web journalism. In relation to two real world examples ; two good examples of this is when a professional journalist takes pictures of a disaster; they know what to show and which pictures should not be shown, because of the family or age or some other criteria. A non-professional who has not had the training or someone who is fighting for a cause would show inappropriate pictures. It’s like the pictures of the recent earthquake that were done by professionals, and did not show the faces of victims or minors. And then you have the images of the Islamic terrorist showing the beheading of a journalist. 4) The implications on the field of journalism will change because of the use of social media and the Insta-blogger. This has changed the way journalism is looked at today. Everyone is a blogger, food expert, or DIY person and it is all at the touch of your computer. The FCC is coming up with more ways to put restrictions on this type of communication also. Here is some information on this matter; “the rules, if approved, would establish first-time privacy rules for the companies that manage the traffic of the web and would create some of the strongest privacy regulations for any segment of the technology and telecommunications industries. It is the first major regulatory action covering
broadband providers since the FCC’s declaration last year that high-speed Internet carriers should be treated like utilities.”(Seattle Times, 2016, para 3). Because of the escalation in the internet, this is going to change how the world looks at journalism. In most cases, the “average joe” who is blogging, does not have the qualified education or training for the tough decisions to make, in being a journalist. There is always the exception, when the average citizen can show the correct professionalism and integrity to do a good job in public journalism. 5) The issues discussed will have implications and impact on everyone. The red line and how journalists use it or cross it will be debated for eternity. Also who will enforce it and to what degree, will always be disputed. Because of these ethics and laws, this is what you see, on the 6:00 o clock news. Journalists are like artist, in a way. They have a story to give or a picture to take and have a certain; creativity to use, while they are doing their job. The government and others have always tried to censor and squelch the creativity in artist. We still have the first amendment and can say what we feel, while still showing respect for the law and our fellow human beings.
References: Aiello, L., & Proffitt, J. M. (2008). VNR Usage: A Matter of Regulation or Ethics?. Journal Of Mass Media Ethics, 23(3), 219-234. doi:10.1080/08900520802198177 Monitor's Editorial, B. (2012, June 21). After Supreme Court ruling, FCC must give clear indecency standards. Christian Science Monitor. p. N.PAG. Retrieved from EBSCO/host Owen, J. & Purdey, H. (Eds.). (2009). International news reporting: Frontlines and deadlines. Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Reuters Handbook of Journalism, 2008 Seattletimes.com (2016), business/fcc-proposes-privacy-rules-for-internetproviders
