In the Element’s chapters, the topic of truth and loyalty came
up a lot. I think that a lot of the reason behind citizens’ mistrust in
journalists comes from the number of journalists, editors or CEOs in the past
that manipulated or abused that trust. It’s always difficult to gain back trust
after it’s been lost. Another part of the Element’s chapters that caught my
attention was Walter Lippmann’s explanation for journalism. He really broke it
down to a science, and it shows how very disciplined the job has to be. A part of the reading that took me by surprise was
journalists’ need to remain separate/independent from things that they cover
and reading about William Safire’s description of Independence of Mind. This
ties in with the principle of remaining unbiased. It was really shocking
reading about the many journalists who were fired on the spot for supporting
things they believed in, but they were breaking the rule against participating
in political activity while working as a journalist. During the News Reporting readings, there was a chapter on
interviewing, which I really found helpful. I liked the comparison of
investigative reporters to attorneys. After working in a law office I
understand how having a question ready for every possible answer is vital, and
it can also really make a difference in an interview.
I agree on how interesting it was to compare journalism with a science. It became defined as a methodology with rules and regulations, even though there were and still are conversations trying to decide what defines the truth.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of loyalty resonated with me as well. I feel like I inherently trust certain journalists over others - not even because one is more trustworthy than the other - but because I've found a consistency with what he or she said.
Sydney, so glad that you mentioned interviewing: this is going to take a lot more of your time this semester than worrying about going undercover. Interviewing is a science and an art. Like scientists, journalists most often begin with an hypothesis (an idea about how something works) and use reporting to test it, revising the hypothesis when it no longer explains what we see before us. Just like science. Over time, we get closer to truth.
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