When you read several different news articles, have you ever noticed that they contain some similarities but not all? Have you noticed when journalists and reporters publish information to the public that it sometimes does more harm than good? Many of us portray the media differently and view things from different perspectives. In my paper, I will discuss the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and how I would have acted as a media practitioner at the center of it.
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I have attached a relevant news story: http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/11/us/missouri-ferguson-michael-brown-what-we-know/ that briefly describes what took place on August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri. Michael Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson were
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40). Abiding by codes in the media industry is significant because codes promote ethical behavior. Don Lemon, a CNN journalist, spoke out and offered his own personal opinion that was directed to the parents of Michael Brown. He stated, “If any of you ever need anything, you know how to get in touch with me personally” (Byers & Gold, 2014). This was unethical because Don Lemon went from an independent journalist to clearly stating which side he was on. At all times, a journalist should and always remain unbiased when reporting. National journalists were injecting their own opinions for everyone to hear, which can make a situation more dangerous. People who work for the media should never state which side they are on so that there is not a lack of …show more content…
I believe that following these four principles properly will aid in more effective journalism. As a media practitioner, it is essential to not only seek the truth but also be able to report it to the public appropriately. Journalists should always be fair and honest when gathering and putting information together. Minimizing harm and acting independently in reporting is also crucial. Don Lemon did not follow either of these principles; he initiated more harm than good by expressing his own opinion. He should not have mentioned what side he was in favor of because it is unethical to do so as a journalist. Finally, being accountable is key in the media industry. If you show accountability for your actions, you likely will be perceived as credible and reliable. I would have utilized the SPJ Code of Ethics as a media practitioner, in this case, to address the audience
News organizations that report on stories in a fair, balanced and ethical manner are essential to the functionality of this nation. A citizen’s ability to make well-informed decisions hinges on a news organization’s ability to relay the most accurate information regarding the state of the nation, the changing condition of communities, and adjustments in the government. Journalism is no longer a one-sided conversation. Journalism is an interactive process that allows for readers and viewers to create a dialogue with journalists by utilizing mediums such as social networking sites and comment sections. Audiences have a say in what stories get reported and how news stories are presented to the masses. When news organizations fail to cover all
Theodore Dawes is a writer and reporter from Alabama, he uses examples from the frustration of the people in view of the media, and but brings a better understanding to the process that reporter and editors have to go though in creating a story. He states that objectivity has no existence in news reporting, but journalists still provide the truth that it does exist. Reporters have only so much face time to provide a segment, how can they possibly provide multiple sides of a story and not expect to get all of the facts. Editors and reporter have to make difficult decisions including, the morality of the story and what facts they can possibly leave out. Even though it seems the media is only trying to persuade and pick sides in a story, this
In the Journalists’ Code of Ethics is implemented to the media to keep the reporting of all journalists fair and non-judgemental. The professional standards
In journalism, an ethical dilemma is a complex issue or situation that often involves an emotional and psychological conflict between moral obligations and duties, in which to obey one would transgress the other. Within the media there are many stories that can be deemed an ethical dilemma; some more so than others. One of the most recent and prominent ethical dilemmas was the worldwide coverage surrounding the shooting of two American WBDJ journalists, Alison Parker and Adam Ward. Despite the fact that the shooter filmed the ordeal clearly showing the two slain journalists being shot, news outlets had picked it up and ran with the story, which ultimately went viral in minutes. This essay will analyse and thoroughly examine the reporting
What began as a peaceful demonstration over a week ago in Ferguson, Missouri, following the fatal shooting of an 18 year-old African-American man, quickly descended into violence and vandalism as protests turned into riots. On Saturday, August 9, Officer Darren Wilson confronted Michael Brown. The incident led to the shooting death of Brown, which sparked protests calling for an investigation of the confrontation. On Sunday August 10, however, the demonstrations turned to chaos as crowds began looting and vandalizing parts of the town, drawing national attention.
On August 9, 2014, a young, unarmed, 18 year old, black man named Michael Brown was shot to death six times by 28 year old, white police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, a town just outside of St. Louis, Missouri. Some say Officer Wilson was protecting his life, I call it police brutality. The brutality has led to an uproar of all day protesting and looting, and cops and even the National Guard are working double time to keep everything under control. There are many things that led up to the shooting.
The day of the shooting, Michael brown and his friend, Dorian Johnson walked into a Ferguson convenience store. Surveillance cameras captured a man
On August 9, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri, Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson are seen robbing a convenience store. They were caught on surveillance cameras and someone at the store makes a 911 call and then police were dispatched to Brown’s location. When Officer Darren Wilson encountered Brown, Brown was unarmed but he assaulted Wilson, and Wilson shoots at Brown. Two shots to be exact. First shot was in the police car, where the altercation took place. Then the second shot was outside on the street, where Michael Brown was attempting to flee the scene. The injuries of the shots placed on Brown were fatal. Brown died shortly thereafter on the street in Ferguson, Missouri. The aftermath of this shooting was very outspoken and noticeable. Ferguson residents were greatly angered by the death of Michael Brown. Residents claimed that there was no justice in shooting an unarmed man, and that police officer Darren Wilson should be fired from his position and punished for the death of Michael Brown. From personal experience on what I saw from the media was very shocking to me. After the death of Brown riots broke out with protestors storming the streets, and looting of businesses. The police faced the riots in protective gear, and used rubber bullets, and tear gas to disperse the crowds in the streets. Eventually the governor of Missouri declared a national state of emergency. And the National Guard was sent in to protect the city. Finally the trial for Michael Brown was going to take place after several weeks. Prosecuting attorney Robert McCulloch announced that the grand jury decided to not indict Officer Wilson for any crimes in regards to the shooting of Michael
The summer of 2014 in Ferguson M.O. there was a black teenager by the name of Michael Brown. Brown was shot by a white police officer at the end of that summer. When Brown was shot this caused a worldwide debate between a person's race and the policing that is done in America. After the occurrence of this shooting tensions ran high in Ferguson when it comes to race. According to BBC News, from the time that officer Darren Wilson confronted Brown, it only took three minutes from the confrontation to when backup came and found Brown dead. At the time of the shooting Dorian Johnson who was a friend of Brown’s and was there. Johnson said that everything started at the window of the police car. An unnamed witness said that officer Wilson tried to get out of his car but was pushed back in and punched. Wilson reached for his gun, and Brown grabbed it from him. This is what caused the gun to go off inside the car. She said that when Brown ran off he turned around to taunt Wilson when he was told to freeze. Brown then started to run at full speed toward Wilson, and that was when he was shot dead. The unnamed witness’s story matches the one that officer Wilson gave in front of the St. Louis grand
The mass media is responsible for providing the general public with information regarding current events and issues that are occurring in the world. In addition, journalists have the ability to influence and impact individuals’ ideologies about certain topics by the way they present the information, either in a positive or negative manner (Beckford 1994). On the other hand, scholarship strives to methodologically and critically study and analyze a phenomenon in order to present factually correct information. Furthermore, this paper will discuss the difference between journalism and scholarship, and will use the tragic incident that occurred at Waco as an example to illustrate each fields differences in discussing/reporting the events that unfolded.
Shortly after stealing from a convenience store on August 9th, 2014, Michael Brown, an African-American, was shot and killed by a white Ferguson police officer. Immediately, tensions between black citizens and police officers soared. Chaos erupted throughout St. Louis. Hundreds of protesters lined the streets, buildings were set on fire, businesses were destroyed, and many hard working citizens lost a substantial amount of money. The situation became so intense that police officers were forced to use tear gas and riot gear to control the crowds. Protesters blocked heavily traveled roads in an effort to gain the attention of the public and the media. Police officers' lives were altered drastically; they worked many hours of mandatory
It can be said that the mainstream American news media holds objective reporting in a high regard, and rightfully so. Such a journalistic culture finds its roots in the Fairness Doctrine, a policy implemented by the Federal Communications Commission in 1949(Boliek) in response to muckraking and irresponsible journalistic practices of prior times. The Fairness Doctrine mandated that news organizations provide contrasting views of controversial issues in an equal manner. Though the Fairness Doctrine was repealed in 1987, and its official language removed in 2011, the effects of this policy still seem to play a significant role in the mainstream media (Boliek). It can be argued that the residual effects of this policy have mutated into a heavy emphasis on fairness and balance (in some cases, and in other cases not as much) that has made many journalists lose their focus on what objectivity actually means.
To fully understand we much focus on these three aspects of the issue. Above all, it is the media's job to publish what is true. It is its job to give the audience news and that of truthful news. The most serious concern with the media is that what they reveal to the audience must be true because as a society we are greatly influenced by what we read, hear, and see through the press. This is why libel is more serious than privacy issues. Publishing false or inaccurate information directly is the biggest, and most devastating thing a journalist or media can do. That is the
Nowadays journalists have the responsibility to report facts as accurately, objectively, and disinterestedly as is humanly possible. ‘’The, honest, self-disciplined, well-trained reporter seeks to be a propagandist for nothing but the truth’’ (Casey, 1944b).
Throughout a journalist’s career, it is probable that he or she experiences an ethical dilemma or two. It is the journalist’s job responsibility to do everything in his or her power to make the news as accurate and honest as possible. In the movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, the main ethical issue that occurred was the KVWN Channel 4 News’ sudden rehiring of Ron Burgundy after he had been fired. Burgundy should not have been allowed to return because of the negative impact that he made on the audience after he said, “Go fuck yourself San Diego” at the end of a newscast.