What a Journalist Is

              Throughout the semester and looking back at my first blog post, I have discovered that I have learned as much about what a journalist is as I have what a journalist is not. Let’s start with what a journalist is not (that way we can end on a better note of what a journalist is.)

What a journalist is not:

 I used to view a journalist as a world traveler and adventurer who spends their time investigating exciting stories and interviewing high profile and influential people. Not to downplay the life of a journalist, but I now laugh at what I thought it was like. A journalist’s role is not to be an activist or to “make the world better” by screaming their opinion in everything they write. A journalist has a much bigger and broader role.

 Now to talk about what that role is:

                Even though not very many journalists have the adventurous life, they do play a very important role in society. We have constantly talked about the watchdog role that a journalist plays and have referred to is as “the fourth estate” or another check on the government; a way to monitor the powerful and help be a voice of the people. Their loyalty is to the citizens and their main objective is to provide information that enables the people to be free and self-governing. If you ask me, that is an honorable role to play.

 

The Society of Professional Journalists does a good job of difining what a journalist is in their

 SPJ Code of Ethics.

To Be Objective, or Not to Be

To me, the true definition of objectivity in relation to journalism consists of three things:

1.      Fairness. In order to be fair, a journalist must be as somewhat neutral. This does not suggest that a journalist must be completely free of emotion or opinion. The way I see it, an article or any written piece void of emotion is gutless and makes me uninterested as a reader. The journalist must capture emotion, but rather than getting carried away with their own, they should strive to capture the emotion of the people and the story they are reporting on. In doing so, they must also be respectful to those involved.

2.      Focusing on community values rather than personal values. There are many values that are accepted among large communities, and a journalist who focuses on those values will not only be expressing his/her own, but will also be staying true to their community. 

3.      Staying true to the facts. Not only is this important for staying objective, but it is also a huge factor in credibility. A journalist has to be careful how they portray emotion and opinion, but facts are always objective. 

These three things are all, in my book, part of objectivity. Objectivity allows journalists to report with the reader in mind. This kind of unselfish reporting helps provide a framework to function ethically as a journalist.

Check out this interesting site to learn more views on objectivity. 

Motivation

Selfishly, my first motivation for becoming a journalist was to have adventures! I love seeing new places, experiencing new things, and meeting new people. My dream journalism job would be to cover international news, traveling to different countries and being immersed in different cultures. I have come to the realization, however, that many journalists don’t actually get out much. Aside from that, a mother that is constantly traveling would not be ideal for a family.

Now if I were to go into journalism, my main motive would be to make a difference through reporting worthwhile news. I liked what Willis considered to be true reporting- the urgent kind where the little things don’t matter anymore because something bigger is happening. While those stories are often tragic and urgent, they are life-changing. It would be incredibly moving to be able to honor people through writing and give others hope through inspiring stories.

Aside from other reasons, becoming a journalist is a great way to be informed and involved in one’s community as well as in the world. I would love to have a career where the significant part of my job was to be involved and informed and then to involve others by informing them.

“A Girl in the Window” is an example of the kinds of life-changing articles I would live to write as a journalist. It is a Pulitzer-Prize winner, but that is not the point. The point of writing these kinds of stories is not to win awards, but to be inspired, to change, and then to change others for the better. 

 

Exaggerated News

Stories can get blown out of proportion in ways other than exaggerating the facts. The report on the ‘Fantasy Slut League’ discovered at Piedmont High school is a great example of this. It is about a league popular among many of the athletes and other students which encouraged and pressured students into engaging in inappropriate activities with the opposite sex. The article was not based so much on facts as much as it was based on interviews of many of the students who attend the school and were involved in the scandal.

The biggest mistake in this article that possibly blows it out of proportion is their failure to define and clarify “sexual activity.” According to students who wrote what they considered to be a more accurate report , “Most of the 25 sophomore, junior and senior girls interviewed for the story said that while they thought the league was degrading, they also believed Principal Rich Kitchens didn't properly define "sexual activity," or "hooking up," as it pertained to the league, in his letter to parents…Of the 25 girls, 24 initially defined "hooking up" as making out, and not necessarily sexual activity, according to the student newspaper's report.”

The article also claimed that alcohol was directly related to the activity, specifically being used to impair judgment and control. Students claim that while there is often alcohol at the parties, it is not a main contributor to the behavior (though that is very debatable).

To make this story more accurate, the reporters should have done a better job at defining “hooking up” and “sexual activity.” With that, they should have been more specific and clear with those definitions when interviewing the students.

 

Sounding Interesting Without Being Sensational

It is most definitely possible to make a story interesting without making it sensational. Making a story interesting is all about how the journalist writes the story. There are many tools and methods a journalist can use to do this. 

After reading and discussion in class, these are some of the methods I think are really helpful:

 Show instead of tell. We have talked a lot in class about how showing is much more interesting than telling. Good descriptive words and phrases help the reader enter the setting of the story. When in the story, the reader is much more likely to care about what he/she is reading. Did you know Wikipedia has a page called “Show, don’tell”?

Use Interviews. Another tool used by journalists is interviews. Interviews provide an inside look at what someone may be thinking or feeling. Emotion brings a huge element of interest to a story.

Be aware of the length. The length of a story can make a big difference in how interesting it is. Even a very intriguing story can lose the attention of readers if it seems never-ending. On the other hand, stories that are too short may not delve deep enough into the issue to really get the reader’s attention.

These are just some of the ways that a journalist can make a story interesting without compromising the facts of story. 

Why tell the story when you can show it so much better?

 

When a journalist fulfills his/her duty of informing the people, there is always a reaction to what is reported. Without providing a public forum, where people can express their responses and ideas, a journalist can inform the public, but cannot guarantee freedom and self-government. Information alone does not make one free. Freedom and self-governing comes with voice and action, and that is what a public forum provides citizens. Without a “marketplace of ideas," the people's ability to voice their opinions is limited. With a public forum, however, they are enabled to act rather than being acted upon. Soon, the citizen’s role becomes less passive and more active. The world needs more involved citizens, and that is what public forums encourage.

 

Public forums do have some downsides. Because they are so easy for anyone to access, discussions turn into debates and unproductive arguing. Part of the role of a journalist, when providing a public forum, is to monitor the forum. A good and beneficial forum is factual, diverse, and truthful. The journalist has the role of a mediator which means they must stay unbiased and encourage compromise.

CreateDebate  is an example of a public forum that is probably more of a debate room than it is a sophisticated discussion. People are encouraged to ask controversial questions and everyone digs into it. VTdigger is a better example of a beneficial forum. They have factual news and places to leave comments.