Journalism's

Job: Accuracy & Honesty in the News

Intro to Journalism

Warm up 1.) How important is it for journalists to be honest in their writings? 2.) What should a journalist do when they make a mistake in an article after it has been published? 3.) What should happen to a journalist if they are caught lying? Reading Journalisms job: Accuracy & Honest in the News
http://cincinnati.com/nie/archive/05-27-03/

May 2003 has been a tough month for The New York Times, one of the nation's leading daily newspapers. Earlier this month, their staff reporter Jayson Blair was publicly pegged as a liar and a thief. Investigators have so far found evidence of fraud, plagiarism and errors in 36 of 73 articles written by him between October and April. And just last week, on Friday, May 23, the Times reportedly suspended their national correspondent Rick Bragg, a Pulitzer Prize winner, for two weeks. In the Editors' Note printed with the Corrections that day, the newspaper stated that a feature story, published nearly a year ago about a Florida oystermen, had been solely credited to Bragg. Instead, the Times should have also credited freelance journalist J. Wes Yoder, who did much of the field reporting for the story. Although Yoder, interviewed by the Columbia Journalism Review, believes he and Bragg did nothing unethical and that the story was accurate, the Times is clearly nervous about anything that might erode its reputation as a trustworthy news source. But The New York Times isn't alone in occasionally uncovering gaps in accuracy or breaches in ethics among their ranks. And every incident potentially undermines the integrity and credibility of the journalism profession. Think about it: If a newspaper -- knowingly or unknowingly -- publishes fiction as fact, then how can the public trust that what they read every day is truthful and accurate? Reporting the news honestly and fairly is an important job, and it's also a difficult one. Reporters must research a subject or issue, interview people, pay close attention to detail, and write an interesting and balanced story -- often while working on a tight deadline and juggling several other stories at once. Unfortunately, errors sometimes get published in the process, whether it's because a reporter blatantly lies or because an editor doesn't question or double check all the facts. Sometimes a typo simply gets overlooked. Discussion 4.) When dont you believe a. Something your friends say? b. Something you family says? c. Something you read? 5.) So what obligation does the news media have to its readers, and possibly to society as a whole? 6.) In general do you feel that newspapers in Korea are honest?

Instructor: Joe Milan Jr.

Journalism's Job: Accuracy & Honesty in the News

Intro to Journalism

7.) Take a moment and look up the word propaganda in a dictionary. Can you think of any examples of propaganda? 8.) What can you do to prevent journalistic errors(not grammar, etc.) in your writing?

Instructor: Joe Milan Jr.