Movie Review OF THE Movie Nothing BUT THE Truth PDF

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MOVIE REVIEW: NOTHING BUT THE TRUTHThe movie Nothing but the truth is a movie about a Journalist, Rachel Armstrong that refused to give out her source to the law, she reported a story about the government and had made a promise to her sauce that she will never tell anyone about it the sauce is the d...

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MOVIE REVIEW: NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH The movie Nothing but the truth is a movie about a Journalist, Rachel Armstrong that refused to give out her source to the law, she reported a story about the government and had made a promise to her sauce that she will never tell anyone about it the sauce is the daughter of someone working for the CIA which is the government and the daughter leaked the information that was useful and interesting to Rachel the journalist When the government pressed charges against the journalist, they wanted her to tell them her source and she refused this showed how loyal and how objective this journalist is and sticking to the principles of journalists “protecting the source”. In this instance she implied the Traditional normative she did everything according how she was told to do by her publisher she said “we have to remain objective”. The journalist Rachel is a non-consequentialists because she didn’t think about what would happen if she kept on protecting her source but she didn’t stop or rather she didn’t care about the outcomes the fact that there was something driving her to go ahead with the story she went on. When this journalist was verifying the information to the CIA worker about the government she knew that their children go to the same school and she kept on emphasising that as she was trying to make the CIA worker to be the confortable or not to find her to be a total stranger. Then the Feminism ethic was portrayed when the Lawyer of Rachel was shouting Rachel about not giving up the source and risking her life by leaving her family behind especially as a “mom” he kept on by saying she has a daughter to raise how can a mother serve sentence while her son is growing without her .and that is when Rachel said it is not the males that can serve sentence she is also going to serve the sentence in prison. She continued to serve the sentence and remained truthfully to her source and that got me asking if we still have people who are like Rachel? The

journalist who stick to the principles? Rachel in everything she did she made sure she was following the journalistic principles. (a) Ideals that journalist hold dear in their quest to reporting the truth are:

KEEPING SOURCE CONFIDENTIAL

Generally in news reporting the identity of the source should be revealed, otherwise news consumers will not regard the news that is reported as genuine .the things news consumers usually do when dealing with the un sourced news story, especially if the story arouse one’s curiosity or interest, is to conclude that the reporter s made it up. When reporters are interviewing sources, therefore, the assumption should be that the identity of the source should be revealed unless a special request is made by the source to have his or her identity revealed In the event of the reporter agreeing not to reveal the source, he or she should not break the promise even if it means going to jail for refusing to disclose the source in the court of law. Not disclosing your source contradicts to the media regulations by the state so this means that by doing that you are the obstruction of justice however for journalists it is the right thing to because you will be sticking to your principles which you have to remain objective (Nel,2005,pg350).

USING

FORMULAS

WHICH

IMPOSSIBLE TO IDENTITY

MAKE

SOURCES

DIFFICULT

OR

According to Nel, 2005, Journalist use formulas, words and expression to cover up the source cases where they have promised not to reveal the source This contradicts with the consumers because they will find it hard to identify however it is very safe for the source for his or her safety.

On the other hand journalist will have to protect the source even if it means risking his or her carrier because of refusing to obey the law of the state. but at the end of the day the people of the State will be informed about what is happening around them and they will be aware.

NOT USING DECEPIVE METHODS

According to Francois,2005, “Lying in order to obtain information has been used by reports more or less successfully .This is a problem where deontological approach would cause problems ,The ethicality of lying depends on a number of factors including how big the lie is ,how profound or important information being sought is in relation to the lie etc.”.

Posing as someone is indeed, an ethical problem in news gathering and it is against the law in many countries although some desperate journalist does. This because they want to find truth and expose people that they have a story on them. Consequentialist actions on how serious

approach would judge such

the crime being committed is in relation to the

news being obtained and how essential the news is to the people it is meant to serve(Francois,2005,pg353)

However this is not the right thing to do because they need to follow the principle of journalism which is “discipline of verification” you verify information in the right way not buy lying this contradict with the laws of the state because false identity and lying in order to get information is not legal this may include recording people while you are have the conversation without letting that person know and using it against him or her to write a story. Once those who journalist that, their license could be taken away and their reputation could be ruined and also that can affect the reputation of the company working for.

NOT INVADING THE PRIVACY OF PRIVACY OF SOURCES

“The need for follow of information sometimes conflicts with the right of individuals to privacy .nonetheless ,even public officials should have some privacy ,under normal circumstances for example one cannot burst into a minister’s bedroom to interview” (Francois,2005,pg354).

Almost every state recognizes some right of privacy under the law. Most state laws attempt to strike a balance between the individual’s right to privacy and the public interest in freedom of the press. The two primary types

of

invasion

of

privacy

actions

are intrusion

upon

seclusion and publication of private facts. You can also be liable for portraying someone in a false light, misappropriating their image or

likeness, violating their right of publicity or even for fraud or trespass over gathering the news. Consent and newsworthiness are defences against privacy claims, but truth is usually not. Ask yourself some questions before printing private facts.

AVOIDING PACK JOURNALS “Pack journalism is when reporters agree to all report the same facts in the story so that if they are wrong, the blame would be less serious since everyone on the scene had made the same mistake” (Nel, 2005, pg356).This might be against the law to actually publish something that is not true because one didn’t verify the information

PLAGIARISM

According Francois, 2005, “News, like any intellectual property, is subject to copyright regulation, It is un ethical to pirate news and other information from other sources and parade it as yours”. Journalists need r that plagiarism is illegal so they have to understand that in any copy right law it is the manner in which the ideas are expressed that is protected and not Ideas themselves .He further state that if a reporter has to lift the story or information from another publication such as or news agency report, Copyright regulations require that the reporter gives credit to the owners of the story, but also to reporter’s media house which has lifted the story.it is against the state media laws to steal the work of others which is taking the story and make it as if it is yours, it is a serious matter and could even lead

one to jail when doing plagiarism, taking ideas and making the your own contradicts the laws of media by the state. Plagiarising is the same as stealing the work that is not yours. WITHHOLDING INFORMATION This is another issue confronting journalist .Withholding information also crops up in refuse to give evidence voluntarily in court cases ,no matter the proceeding at stake ,and many South African Journalists have even refused to testify when required to do so(Nel,2005,pg358). This contradicts the state Law because in order for something to be proven true or for one to be guilty they have to give out information so that the justice can be served.

(b)THE ETHICAL POSITION TAKEN BY THE MAIN CHARACTER “Mrs Amstrong” According to non-consequentialist, motivation is valued over consequences, which is beyond our control, an immoral motive cannot be justified by unforeseen good consequences but a good motive is worthy of value, The fact that The main character Mrs Amstrong had a good motive and wanted to cover the story and didn’t think about the consequences of that story she was working on. According to my point of view I place her as the non-consequentialist and cannot predict the consequences. She didn’t think about the consequences that, when they published the story how many people were going to be endangered.

And also when she didn’t want to

reveal her source, she was not thinking about the consequences that might have on

her career, when she wrote about the story that revealed secrets about the government .her first obligation was to the truth and wanted to let the public know about what she found out

about the government. She remained objective and

protected her source although she had put the life of Erica who works for the CIA at risk by writing about what was confidential about the government which she found out through Erica’s daughter (CIA worker’s daughter) her motive was to seek truth in all this and didn’t care about what was going to happen after and she remained truthful to her source. She served justice as absolute even if the majority of people didn’t benefit .to her it didn’t matter if only one person benefited; she risked her life and her career and her marriage and even left his son to prison to serve the sentence for the obstruction of justice which is no revealing the source. However, the situation that the main character is caught up in between an ethical dilemma which describes a situation where one is caught between two conflicting usually similar situations with the same consequences. This means that even if she revealed the source there would be major consequences that are going to affect her because it would mean that she is not

Professional or doesn’t keep her word or maybe thought of how it can ruin Erica (CIA worker) ,in any decision she was going to make she was going to be screwed either way.

(c) The Lives and independence of journalists continue to be jeopardised ,although there is a freedom of expression there are still major limitations on that freedom ,journalists go on the extra mile risking their families because they are protecting their source and according to the move the main character Mrs Armstrong

who is a journalist went extra

mile to risking

her family,

friends, and ad her life .I think the gratification is worth the trouble because she kept the journalistic principles which is something they have to do “protecting the source “she could have abandoned

her promise and confidentiality but

to

do so that would mean that no source would ever want to speak to her again and those source will never speak to her newspaper again and that would mean

breaking the promise that she told her source and that would mean she is not truthful and that would also mean she didn’t follow the journalistic principle and that would mean that she is un ethical. Those in power are only to oppress the media be it politics or just government and the people are the victims , government gains power through imprisoning .Imagine if journalists would back the laws of the government how people will know if the government is covering up .The people of the nation will not be able to hold in power accountable. What is the nature of the government when he doesn’t fear accountability? Imprisoning journalists as for other countries

and as for

countries who fear their services not countries that cherish to protect them. Government would be free from doing anything so the journalists helps the nation or the society by serving as a watch dog for the society or nation and by being the voice to the voiceless.

REFRENCE LIST 1. Nel, F, 2005, Writing for the media in Southern Africa, Oxford University press; South Africa; Cape town. 2. https://firstamendmentcoalition.org/resources-2/news-gathering/ 3.https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/nothing-but-the-truth-2009 4.http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/ETHICS_TEXT/Chapter_7_De ontological_Theories_Natural_Law/Natural_Law_Theory.htm

Name

Makhephula Yonela

Student No

201609480

Course

CMA 323

Lecturer

Mr Tebid

Assignment

Movie Review: Nothing But The Truth...