Honesty in Journalism

I feel that a good reporter has to seek the truth and be honest in his report of it. The main reason that this is important to journalism is that people turn to journalists, wether they are published in the newspaper or on television, for the honest story. Without honesty in journalism the world would be full of untrue rumors spawned by a nasty game of telephone. An example of why journalism is important is when Dan Rather reported on false papers about George Bush's involvement, or lack of, in the Vietnam war. Because the documents were later found to be false and from an unreliable source, Rather lost his job and the station lost it's credibility.

This aspect of journalism also brings us into the importance of being unbiased when reporting on an issue. As Mr. Hatten says, journalists shouldn't tell us what to think, but they should tell us what to think about. I believe that this should remain true in any type of journalism, because showing both sides of a story is a major part of seeking the truth. A reporter shouldn't see only what they want to see, but what is really there. An example of this in journalism is that many people have accused the Star Tribune of being biased, and for this reason have stopped buying it.

However, I believe that the biggest incentive to being honest is that you will build a better relationship with the people that you interview, and therefore will have a better chance of getting the big scoop. For example, if you had a private interview with Barry Bonds, and then went on to write an article using out of context quotes in order to make him look like a cheater, he would probably not want to work with you again. On the other hand, being prompt in returning phone calls and writing the truth from both sides of an argument is the best way to get a good reputation and to stay honest in journalism.