After finishing my journalism degree at Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, I continue to establish myself as a creditable broadcaster. With a thorough grounding in the industry through several internships and my work at WOUB, I am ready to jump into the real world and hit the ground running. My ideal first job will be working as multimedia reporter for a local television market. My position will require me to be a multi-platform, multitasking journalist; flexible to the changes the future holds for our industry. Local television news remains the most prominent news source for Americans. Although the model of local television will continue to change, I wholeheartedly believe television on a community level has true staying power.
Each day I will report to work ready to write, shoot, script and edit the stories that most affect my viewers. Community interaction is what excites me most about this business. I must learn to be the eyes and the ears of people everywhere: in the courtroom, at the scene of the crime, behind the doors of the private interview. In my career, I hope to focus my work towards a less-sensationalized version of television news. Writing with confidence, awareness, and skepticism is the most important skill a journalist of any medium can possess. Through practice and discipline, I will continue to hone this skill along with further developing my news judgment to make quick and competent newsroom decisions.
In every task as a multimedia journalist, I will turn to the following five values that outline my ethical liabilities:
- Credibility
- Transparency
- Responsibility
- Integrity
- Accountability
Credibility is the most important asset value to my work as a journalist. It is the cornerstone of our business; what sets us apart from the other storytellers. In an era of self-proclaimed news, credibility is what will set us apart from the bloggers and the opinions. Credibility will make us the source people look to for information and make our stories more valuable than the story found somewhere else. All the other values contribute to our credibility. Truth in the words, pictures and process of multimedia reporter leads to credibility. The pace and possibilities of increasingly technical multimedia reporting make deviating from the truth tempting. My code outlines the importance of using technology wisely, but not in a way that will alter the story.
Transparency is vital to the public’s understanding of journalist work. The transparency of our process and ourselves will help viewers to comprehend our work and trust our credibility. The public relies on our information for important uses, and it is only fair that we are as transparent and truthful as possible. Conflicts of interest plague journalists, as we are people first and foremost. In every situation, I pledge to suggest alternatives that do not involve deceiving my viewers. The profitability of news is another area in great need of transparency. Although news is a business, our business decisions must be made in the light of day.
We have a responsibility to our fellow journalists, the public and ourselves. It is my responsibility to fulfill my role as a reporter for my newsroom as well as m viewers. As television newsrooms lose staff and resources, the managing a demanding workload can be difficult. Responsibility is a reminder that the right way will always beat the easy way. It’s better to be late. It’s better to give up on the story that didn’t materialize. Anything is better than being wrong. Our responsibility also plays into our integrity. Many of my ethical discussions have revolved around the pressures of a constant deadline. Each communication must carry the same ethical weight of truth. Whether a tweet, an online story or a broadcast, show respect for the viewer by holding each piece of work to the same high standard.
Fulfilling the role of journalist with integrity is simple. Treat every person as we would want to be treated. And to keep ourselves in check, accountability is necessary. We must be cognizant of our power in the public eye, but be careful not to use it for motivations. To do so would be a violation of the public’s trust that established the power in the first place. Serve as a liaison between the public and their reality. But do not alter that reality. The real world provides ample interesting stories to be told. I will seek them out and share the benefits of truth in the open.
Follow me to Twitter where I share the codes I use to write and report ethically.
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