Broadcast Journalism I Chapter 12 Notes PDF

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Broadcast Journalism I: Chapter 12 Walter Cronkite and Ethical Journalism The careful gathering of facts, packaged into a newscast where objectivity was paramount, became the high standard for each broadcast. Walter Cronkite ended each "CBS Evening News" broadcast with the famous words "And that's the way it is." His closing tag was a benediction on the day's events. Your ethical decisions could affect friends, families and loved ones long after you have moved onto your next job in another market.   

Values: The beliefs we hold deep in our hearts Ethics: A code that guides our conduct Journalists have formal professional codes of ethics that are written down, as well as more personal, unwritten codes

Professional Journalism Organizations  Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ): The code applies to print, broadcast and multimedia journalists. SPJ's mission states that a free press is the cornerstone of our nation's liberty  Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTDNA): In an effort to broaden its membership to include online journalists. Was started in 1946 for managers in broadcast news  National Press Photographers Association (NPPA): Founded in 1946 in an era when the press was fighting the government over camera access to courtrooms. This organization for news photographers across all media platforms holds yearly regional and national workshops CRONKITE Code of Ethics Credibility Responsibility Objectivity Nonpartisanship Kindness Integrity Truthfulness Ego Management Credibility  Credibility means being believable; Credibility is the foundation of one's professional reputation and builds a relationship of trust between you and the audience  You earn your reputation for credibility one story at a time. As your stories meet with the approval of your audience, peers and professors or bosses, your reputation builds and your credibility grows  The key to gaining credibility = Fact-based Journalism o Know your facts o Research, double-check and synthesize: Detailed fact collecting gives you the elements you need to craft credible sentences

Fine-Tune: To achieve credibility as a news writer requires a willingness to finetune copy over and over until the deadline forces you to release it o View facts as the building blocks of a story: Brick-solid facts are the building blocks of which broadcast and all formats of news stories are constructed; Factchecking is critical to the journalist's routine; Learn to be your own disciplined factchecker to gain and maintain your credibility How do you maintain credibility?  Correct factual mistakes quickly and carefully  Develop a credible list of sources and mine them: They can provide scoops that help you break a story; They contribute to the building of your reputation; Never pay a source or offer or suggest any favors or compensation How do you lose credibility?  By making mistakes: This can happen in various ways, sometimes by accident, such as careless failure to double-check spelling  By burning a source: Revealing someone by name or supplying some other identifying references after agreeing not to do so Guard your credibility as carefully as you do your personal reputation, or run the risk of being reprimanded or fired o

Responsibility  Responsibility is taking ownership of your actions; Journalists shoulder a responsibility to do and responsibility to be  The responsibility of the reporter is to do news work - to interview, write, shoot, edit, produce and upload/broadcast (all within the framework of fairness)  Agency is a concept based on the idea of having the freedom to choose and to act; Free agent journalists know where their loyalties belong: With the Public  While working as a free agent delivering on deadline, you're responsible for being loyal to those who write your paycheck: the station or website where you work  One group you never have to be responsible to is Advertisers Objectivity  Objectivity begins with accuracy, the careful collecting of facts by the reporter or the camera's chip  Be the catalyst that helps them through sound bites and visual images to from their own ideas BAFT TEST Balanced Accurate Fair True Nonpartisanship  Still, it is your responsibility to your employer and your audience to remain nonpartisan or neutral  Once you have determined your personal political beliefs and principles (write a list), you must keep you opinions to yourself

Kindness  Be kind to your audience: Kindness means remembering that the story is more important than you are; This attitude is tested when you meet people in public who might recognize you; Be Approachable  Be kind to your Co-Workers; Help create a newsroom culture of support and cooperation; Focus competitive attitude on the station across town, not at the reporter who works alongside you; Share credit for success widely  Be kind to your sources; Kindness shows your credible, not irrational Integrity Integrity, which encompasses truth, credibility and responsibility, forms the bedrock of an individual's personal journalism ethics; Integrity is who you are when no one is watching Outside influences  Pressure from advertisers might tempt you to compromise your personal ethics. Don't give in  Never should a reporter change a story angle or drop a sound bite at the request of an advertiser Inside influences  Find a balance between maintaining your ethical standards, aggressively seeking opportunities and going the extra mile that will give career breaks without smashing others down. It's tough to do Truthfulness The commandment not to lie crosses all religions and belief systems 1. Tell the truth 2. Keep your word, always 3. Respect the rights of others 4. Avoid harming others 5. Don’t break the law Ego Management  The root cause of professional jealousy is a selfish ego. Managing your ego could prove he toughest part of your career. Tough because you have to be your own PR agent, which means you have to promote yourself, and that takes self-confidence and self-esteem: Components of a Healthy Ego  Controlling your ego begins with a clear vision of who you are personally and professionally. After setting your career goals, set up an internal checks and balances system to ensure that you remain true to who you are as a professional and as an individual A journalist's code of ethics is composed of three codes: 1. Your Personal Code 2. A Station Code or company mission statement that you adhere to as part of your job 3. A Professional Code upheld by a journalism organization such as RTDNA or SPJ...