My Journalistic Code

Who am I?

My name is Jessica Anna Swenson. I grew up in North Logan, Utah. I have a stay-at-home mother and a college professor father. I have three siblings, all younger. I belong to the LDS Church. I am currently a sophomore at BYU. I am majoring in linguistics, and I am pursuing a minor in editing. I love to read, write, know stuff, cook, be with friends and family, discover, crochet, ponder, and laugh.  As all these things influence me, they also influence what I think and do. These “biases” effect the way I view journalism.

This is my personal journalistic code. This is how I view journalism.

What journalism means to me:

            According to the Oxford English Dictionary, journalism is “the occupation or profession of a journalist; journalistic writing; the public journals collectively.”[1] It either describes the person or their work.

            Beyond stark definition, journalism is information. It is an expression of our desire to share stories with others. It is connection to the world. It is communication of societal values. It is the opportunity to become an informed citizen.

            I do not plan to be a journalist, but I plan to be a smart news consumer. I plan to be informed about the world around me. I plan to support the efforts of hard-working and ethical journalists by reading their work and subscribing to their service. I plan to support news organizations in the quest to inform citizens.

            Without the consumer there is no need for news. Without the news, there is no consumer. I hope to participate in this balance.

How I define excellent journalism:

            I will determine the types of news organizations of journalists I will support by applying the elements I have learned through this class. I will look for journalists who have the following code of conduct:

1.      Take truth as their first obligation,

2.      are loyal to the citizens,

3.      practice verification,

4.      maintain independence,

5.      serve as a monitor of power,

6.      provide a forum for public criticism and compromise,

7.      make the significant interesting and relevant,

8.      keep the news comprehensive and in proportion, and

9.      exercise personal conscience.[2]

First, Truth.

Most importantly, journalists should strive for the truth. “Truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.”[3] In other words, truth is eternal. To me, there are two kinds of truth. There are situational-specific truths and there are those eternal truths. Journalism has the ability to convey both. Stories are centered around the situational truths, giving facts and providing unbiased information, but they also convey these larger truths and values. Journalism frees us from the bonds of ignorance and, as better informed citizens, we have the knowledge we need to get involved and make in difference in the world.

It is important to remember that “comment is free, but facts are sacred.”[4] They must be held in the highest esteem by the journalist, because truth is exactly what journalism is all about.

Second, Loyalty.

            A journalist’s first loyalty should be to the citizens. The writers, compilers, and presenters of news, must have truth and accuracy as their primary goal. Information is what makes our society free and democratic. Because they connect the newsmakers with the news-consumers, their loyalty is primarily to the audience. 

“The greater the loyalty…toward the group, the greater is the motivation among the members to achieve the goals of the group, and the greater the probability that the group will achieve its goals.”[5] Loyalty will drive the journalist to act ethically.

Third, Verification.

            A companion to truth, a journalist should verify all their information, quotes, and facts. Preferably, everything should be verified with at least two sources, and these sources should be cited. Before anonymity is given, the situation should be given serious thought and the decision made with an editor. When mistakes are made, they should be acknowledged and corrected  quickly. “Verification is what separates journalism from other modes of communication,”[6] and that responsibility should be taken very seriously.

Fourth, Independence.

            “Journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know.”[7]  They should avoid any conflicts of interest, and be transparent when such conflicts are unavoidable. This includes race, religion, gender, economic class, nationality, and so on.

Journalists should also be independent from the material they cover. How else can they be the objective truth-tellers that citizens expect them to be? Yes, it’s hard to not put opinion into what we write, but journalists cannot let personal feelings into their writing. To do so would be unfair to the audience and unfair to the story and the truth.

Fifth, Monitor Power

Journalists are, in a way, the super heroes of the world. They're the ones who look out for the people by watching over the policy makers. It's their job to make sure the citizens know what is really going on by serving as their watchdog. It's also important to realize that this does not mean chasing down a scandal where one does not exist. It means finding the truth and telling the truth. If the large organization is actually being ethical and fair in its practices, then write that! It's not as exciting, but it's still truth.

Sixth, Seek Comment and Criticism

            Journalists used to be separate from the people, simply a small name on the page. Now, with the internet and social media driven world we live in today, this is all but impossible Journalists should keep the lines of communication open between them and the citizens. This can be accomplished by maintaining a Twitter account or by publishing a email address. Criticisms should be welcome and dealt with politely. “While criticism can be taken as hurtful and demoralizing, it can also be viewed in a positive way: it is honesty, and it can spur us to do better. It’s an opportunity to improve.”[8]

             

Seven, Interesting and Relevant

            Journalism is storytelling with a great purpose: to inform the citizens. Articles are more than lists of important information. For the world of journalism to survive, they must make the “significant interesting and relevant.”[9] The quality of the work is measured by how much it informs and captures the audience, and inspires them to act. It is important, though, to not cover fluffy stories for the sake of entertainment. “While journalism should reach beyond such topics as government and public safety, a journalism overwhelmed by trivia and false significance ultimately engenders a trivial society.”[10]

Eighth, Comprehensive and Proportional

            A journalist should not attempt to mislead the audience by distorting details. They should neither downplay or hype. They should always strive for accuracy. “Human emotion is at the heart of what makes something news. Once you try to manufacture it, or use it to bring attention to yourself, you have crossed the line into something there is already enough of--reality entertainment."[11]

Ninth, Personal Conscience

A journalist should not willing to sacrifice personal beliefs and convictions. When conflicts seemingly arise, they should carefully pray and ponder to discover their path. I expect journalists to make certain values a part of themselves, like integrity, humility, fairness, civility, and trustworthiness. These values should show through their techniques and reporting.

            Additionally, the “diversity of minds and voices, not just numbers,” in the newsroom is ensure accuracy when covering a wide variety of subjects.[12] Journalists should speak up when fairness and truth demands.

Conclusion

            Those are the things I find valuable in journalism.

The previous outline is multi-faceted. It is a list of what journalists should do, and who they should be. It outlines the guidelines and ethics they should follow. It also provides citizens a standard they can measure news writers and organizations with.

These are the kind of reporters I wish to see, and these are the reporters I will support as a consumer of news.

---

[1] "journalism, n.". OED Online. September 2011. Oxford University Press. 6 December 2011 <http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/101739?redirectedFrom=journalism>.

[2] Kovach, Bill, and Tom Rosenstiel. The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect. New York: Three Rivers, 2007. Print.

[3] Doctrine and Covenants 93:24.  Book of Mormon. U.S.A.: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

[4] Scott, CP. "A Hundred Years." Editorial. Manchester Guardian 5 May 1921. Guardian. 28 Nov. 2002. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2002/nov/29/1>.

[5] ThinkExist.com Quotations. “Rensis Likert quotes”. ThinkExist.com Quotations Online 1 Nov. 2011. 6 Dec. 2011 <http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/rensis_likert/>

[6] "Principles of Journalism | Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ)." PEJ | Understanding News in the Information Age. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://www.journalism.org/resources/principles>.

[7] "SPJ Code of Ethics." Society of Professional Journalists. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://spj.org/ethicscode.asp>.

[8] Babauta, Leo. "How to Accept Criticism with Grace and Appreciation." Zenhabits.net. 27 Sept. 2007. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://zenhabits.net/how-to-accept-criticism-with-grace-and-appreciation/>.

[9] Kovach, Bill, and Tom Rosenstiel. The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect. New York: Three Rivers, 2007. Print.

[10] Principles of Journalism | Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ)." PEJ | Understanding News in the Information Age. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://www.journalism.org/resources/principles>.

[11] Kovach, Bill, and Tom Rosenstiel. "Make the News Comprehensive and Proportional." The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect. New York: Three Rivers, 2007. 216. Print.

[12] Principles of Journalism | Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ)." PEJ | Understanding News in the Information Age. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://www.journalism.org/resources/principles>.

Movie Review: All the President's Men

This was not the first time I’ve seen the 1976 Academy Award-winning political thriller film All the President’s Men. The first time I was sixteen, a junior in high school, watching it at a party for my school’s newspaper staff. I was young, and though I was the news editor, I knew little of journalism. I enjoyed the movie: the tense and dimly lit scenes, the cracking dialogue, the way it gripped me and kept me on the edge of my seat. I chose it as my movie for my communications class because I wanted to see how taking the course had affected me. And when I watched it again, all those things still entranced me, but this time I had a deeper appreciation. Instead of simply enjoying All the President’s Men as a movie, I enjoyed it as an example of what a journalist should be. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, played by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, respectively, show the journalistic values of truth, verification, and, most obviously, watchdog journalism throughout the film.

Truth is at the heart of this film. The whole movie shows Woodward and Bernstein feverishly working to discover facts, dig deeper, and find the truth behind the break-ins at the Watergate Hotel. They potentially risk their lives to uncover the truth and refuse to stop their search for any reason. Now, many stories published by today’s news organizations do not require the journalist to risk their life, but the principle stands. Never stop looking for the truth. Never be satisfied with the half-truth. Work for it, go after it. The whole foundation of journalism is truth; you can never stop seeking it.

Another large part of the movie is watching Woodward and Bernstein struggle to verify the facts and truths they have found. This completely escaped my 16-year-old self. I didn’t understand why Bernstien would spend hours with a source (Judy Hoback, the bookkeeper for the Committee for the Re-Election of the President), just for a really difficult interview. Now, I understood the subtle interrogation and appreciated the quest for verification. Equally fantastic are the scenes where the two reporters track down independent sources to verify H.R. Haldeman’s involvement in the scandal. This all culminated with the tensest ten seconds of the movie: Bernstein calls a source and says he will count to 10. If he reaches 10 and the source is still on the line, that will verify the Haldeman is involved. The seconds tick; the source stays on the line. Truth is not enough. Journalists must verify everything.

Of course, the movie also showed the values of watchdog journalism. One of my favorite lines in the move is when editor Bill Bradlee sums up the importance of the story: “Nothing's riding on this except the first amendment of the Constitution, freedom of the press, and maybe the future of this country.” Journalists are expected to serve as a fourth branch of government, and make sure the interests of the citizens are being protected and preserved.

All the President’s Men is a fantastic movie. But more than that, it is a great example of the values of journalism. Because of truth seeking, verification, and watchdog journalism, the Watergate scandal was uncovered. While such large-scale scandals may not be in our future, we can at least apply those principles to every article we work on.

Week 12: Engagement and Relevance

Journalism is storytelling with a great purpose: to inform the citizens. Articles are more than lists of important information. As Elements says, for the world of journalism to survive they must make the “significant interesting and relevant.” The quality of the work is measured by how much it informs and captures the audience, and if it inspires them to act.

It is important, though, to not cover fluffy stories for the sake of entertainment. I really like this quote from the Project for Excellence in Journalism: “while journalism should reach beyond such topics as government and public safety, a journalism overwhelmed by trivia and false significance ultimately engenders a trivial society.”

So how do we tell engaging stories that will accomplish those goals? Follow some of the guidelines of creative non-fiction (which is also called literary journalism)! This instructable gives excellent advice, and this magazine publishes several great examples.

Journalists need to be good storytellers. Learn how to hook your audience and how to tell a story without fluff.

Week 11: Comprehensive and Proportional

According to Elements, the eight principle for journalists is that "journalists should keep the news comprehensive and in proportion." What does that mean? It means to tell the story accurately, to not leave out or over-emphasize details, to tell things as they are. Sensationalism is out, and so is downplaying.

Elements used the example of cartography: when drawing a map, cartographers are careful to chart accurately. Distortion is a bad thing: you don't want to misrepresent the size of the Coast of Important Information. You don't want to play up the Goldmine of Misleading Information. And for the love of journalism, don't plop the Sea Monster of Made-Up Facts in the News Article Ocean in the name of selling a few papers.

However, as Elements also points out, the metaphor can only go so far: cartography is an exact science, and journalism is not. "Proportion and comprehensiveness in the news are subjective." Journalists must find the correct balance between minimizing and hyping.

Elements has a great litmus test for deciding when a story has been hyped: "Human emotion is at the heart of what makes something news. Once you try to manufacture it, or use it to bring attention to yourself, you have crossed the line into something there is already enough of--reality entertainment."

Addtionally, this Poynter article gives the criteria for hype:

1. Amount of coverage: How much time and space is this news occupying?
2. Dominance of coverage: Is this news taking over a platform (website, newscast, front page) and/or dominating several platforms?
3. Prominence of coverage: How prominent is this news? Is it leading a newscast, on the front page?
4. Type of coverage: Is the news trivial or vital? Are respected newsmakers acting as if it’s vital? Is the event unexpected, rare?
5. Tone of coverage: How urgent is the message, how intense the delivery? Are the graphics and images conveying crisis?
6. Context of coverage: What else could or should be receiving our attention instead?

So don't hype.

Week 10: Religion and Journalism

Okay, don't shoot me, but only one thing ran through my mind as my COMMS 239 class discussed religion and journalism: absolutely and without a doubt, my religion comes first.

I am not willing to sacrifice my beliefs and convictions for anything. And that's probably one of the reasons I've decided to get out of the journalism game. That's right, I'm switching majors: being a reporter was not right for me. Instead, I'm running away to the delightful land of linguistics where I can read newspapers and enjoy the work of journalists without having to worry about being one.

Back to religion and journalism.

Despite the stark conflict, these two actually have a lot in common. Foremost: their top and guiding principle is that of seeking truth. Journalists and the religious are expected to work hard with integrity, humility, fairness, and trustworthiness. They are expected to live up to certain standards. Both want what is best for the people and both (should) promote freedom.

However, journalists should work hard on being unbiased, whereas organized religion is greatly biased toward their own beliefs.

So how do journalists reconcile those two things? I don't know. It is a deeply personal decision, I'm sure. Perhaps you can follow David Waters of the Washington Post, who said, "Our personal faith deeply affects who we are and what we believe, but it doesn't always have to affect what we do." Personally, I hope my faith and beliefs always affect what I do, and that I will always live by the standard set for me by my religion.

But then again, I'm not planning of being a journalist.

Another issue with religion and journalism is how reporters report on religious things. Religion is such a huge part of the lives of the majority of this country's citizens. Isn't it biased to ignore religion altogether when reporting? This article from ReligionWriters.com presents a compelling case for religious reporting.

I appreciate the motto of The Religion Newswriters Association: "[We envision] religion reporting and commentary informed by civility, accuracy, fairness and insight."

And that should be the goal for all of us.

Week 8: Watchdog Journalism

Lets be honest. I say "Watchdog journalism" and you think "Watergate!" or "The Pentagon Papers!" Those are very good things to think of. Both are excellent examples of time where journalists fulfilled their role in being the Fourth Branch of our government. However,watchdog journalism is not just watching the government. It's any public official or organization.

Lets look at fictitious journalists in popular culture: Clark Kent aka Superman. Vicki Vale from Batman. Peter Parker aka Spiderman. Polly Perkins from Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (which is a wonderful, strange movie). April O'Neil from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. These are all EPIC characters who do what? Seek for the truth, and vow to present that truth to the masses.

Of course, the super heroes on that list to a little more than chase after and write the facts, but the metaphor holds. Journalists are, in a way, the super heroes of the world. They're the ones who look out for the people by watching over the policy makers.

It's our job to make sure the citizens know what is really going on by serving as their watchdog. It's also important to realize that this does not mean chasing down a scandal where one does not exist. It means finding the truth and telling the truth. If the large organization is actually being ethical and fair in it's practices, then write that! It's not as exciting, but it's still truth.

And truth is what we do.

Week 7: Independence in Journalism

From Elements: "[Journalism's] practitioners must maintain an Independence from those they cover." This includes race, religion, gender, economic class, nationality, and so on. This all makes sense to me--how else can we be the objective truth-tellers that citizens expect us to be.

Recently I was talking to a friend who attends USU. She was ranting about an article she had read in the school paper, the Statesman. It was a news article with an obvious slant, and additionally she felt the bias was a stance that only someone uneducated about the topic would take. I listened to her talk, and read the article, all the while taking notes about how I could avoid making the same mistakes.

The truth is, it’s hard for us to not put opinion into what we write, especially young journalists like us. But we cannot let personal feelings into our writing. To do so would be unfair to the audience and unfair to the story and the truth.

I really like the quote “comment is free, but facts are sacred.” Everyone has an opinion, but not everyone has the truth. As a journalist, my job is to find and present that truth, and I hope I always maintain the independence I need to accomplish just that.