"Journalism's first obligation is to the truth. On this there is absolute unanimity." For a profession whose sole purpose is to find and report the truth, journalists are awfully distrusted by people today. Journalists have a reputation as people who are only interested in themselves or money. I must acknowledge that there are journalists in the US today whose ethics are questionable and who manipulate and twist facts because of competition and sensationalism. I do believe there exists an erosion of journalistic ethics in some ways because of corporate or political agendas. But I believe, more often than not, that journalists strive for truth. And to them, truth and accuracy means everything.
In class, I had the opportunity to listen to John Hughs, a Pulitzer prize winner and editor of the Christian Science Monitor and Deseret News. He argued that the errors of few are used by critics to impune the reputation of journalists everywhere.
Journalists often go up against lawsuits and scandals in order to expose the truth.
In 1972, burglars were caught breaking into the Watergate hotel, Democratic Natl. Committee offices. The investigative journalism of the Washington Post unearthed ties to Nixon's reelection campaign. Reporting and investigations lead to the resignation of the president and several of his advisers. This was a triumph of investigative journalism. Because of news gathered by the Post, public pressure forced Nixon to eventually resign.
Journalists are not perfect. Truth is complicated especially in a world where perfect objectivity is impossible. But I trust there are many journalists who work to assure that their facts are straight, their sources are valid, and transparent.
Journalists today do report the truth. I do not, however, trust journalism blindly. I instead strive to be a citizen who is a consumer, devourer, and debunker of the media. In a world where there are journalists who sacrifice ethics for self interests, perhaps this is the only solution.
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