Midterm Blog Post
The news media plays a vital role in society as communicators of important information to the public. People rely on the news media for information that affects their daily lives. For the relationship between the news media and the public to work effectively, trust must be present.
Unfortunately, there are journalists and news outlets who have taken advantage of this trust and forgotten journalistic standards in sourcing information, verifying sources, and ensuring accuracy. This has led to an increased distrust in the media by the public.
Along with maintaining ethical standards, journalists must strive for accuracy in their work because the public is trusting that the information news organizations present is factual. According to the article, Verification as Strategic Ritual, journalists are trending toward a unified set of values of accuracy which is vital to quality journalism. The article mentions that “the single most frequently and clearly stated value expressed in journalists’ self-identification is a drive for accuracy.” Accurate news is what separates quality journalism from the vast array of information on the internet.
According to a Gallup/Knight Foundation 2017 Survey, American Views: Trust, Media, and Democracy, within the news media, “Not only is more information readily available, but so is more misinformation.” Because of the internet age and the variety of ways to consume news, it is much more difficult for information to be accurate and verified. However, journalists should not compromise in this area. Journalists must remember the trust that has been given to them by their communities and the nation to present the accurate news of the day.
Accurate and verified information from qualified sources is the foundation for quality journalism. According to the article, Verification as Strategic Ritual,“The quest for accuracy in journalistic practice might be seen as an ongoing process that starts before, mingles with, and continues after each specific act of reporting.” Striving to accurately present information is an important aspect of each step of preparing and presenting news.
A journalist’s goal must be is to present the facts of a story and this provides them credibility and reason for the public to trust the information they are providing. In the film, Shattered Glass, Glass used fictional sources and presented information that was inaccurate. Glass completely disregarded journalistic standards in sourcing his information which ultimately led to him losing all credibility.
Journalists and news organizations must search for ways to build and maintain the public’s trust. The community Journalism model mentioned in Community Journalism: Relentlessly Local, by Jock Lauterer, is one that sets up local papers to build and maintain trust in their communities. Lauterer writes that community journalists are a part of the “AAA Club” meaning that they “Strive to be Accurate, and because we are Accessible, we are more Accountable.” People trust the journalists in their communities because they are available to them and know them and this, along with accuracy, builds credibility which leads to trust.
An accurate news article begins with one’s sources; journalists must seek out information from informed sources to be able to build an article on factual and important information. Verifying these sources is also a vital aspect of present accurate and trustworthy information to the public. In the film Shattered Glass, because Glass’s sources in his articles couldn’t be verified, this put the credibility of the entire magazine at stake and Glass’s editor could no longer trust him and eventually had to fire him.
Lauterer discusses how journalists must be immersed in the communities that they cover and that “the purpose of your paper is to serve your community- pure and simple.” To truly serve one’s community, information must be accurate, honest, and trustworthy. If it isn’t, you are doing a disservice to the community and hurting the reputation of the paper or news organization that you work for, similar to the situation in the film, Shattered Glass.
Unfortunately, there has been a decline in public trust of the news media. According to the 2017 Gallup/Knight foundation survey, “most Americans believe it is now harder to be well-informed and to determine which news is accurate.” Also, from this survey, 43% of Americans have a negative view of the of the news media, and 33% have a positive view, 23% are neutral.
The survey shows that most Americans believe that the news media critical to society and that the media’s most important roles are “making sure Americans have the knowledge they need to be informed about public affairs and holding leaders accountable for their actions.” However, most Americans do no think the news media is accomplishing this role well. This increased negative view of the news media hurts the role of journalism. Public trust in the media is extremely important because without journalism, citizens cannot be informed and there is no democracy.
Lauterer also writes that journalists must remember to be a person first and reporter second. Once people in the community get to know you and your work, it will create trust and open doors for stories and interviews. Building relationships with people builds trust.
Remembering to be a person first and a journalist second applies to every journalist whether you are a working for a local paper or a national news corporation. This principle reminds journalists of the ethical standards they must hold to. Journalists must have a the conviction to present accurate, verified, and properly sourced information to keep the public’s trust and maintain an effective relationship with the public in a democracy.
