Verification

No one can argue against the importance of verification in journalism. Verification is how stories are corroborated. Verification is how we find the truth. Oftentimes sources have their own agenda. With verification, journalists can weed out the misinformation. Bill Kovach & Tom Rosenstiel state in their book Elements of Journalism that verification is the "beating heart of credible journalism in the public interest." There are several threats to verification in the journalism industry. Two of which are the pressure to publish news immediately (while it's still news) and the pressure to publish news that is already "out there." Both of these threats go directly against verification. One example of a verification dilemma could be when journalists encounter news of a story from a source that wants to be kept anonymous. This story may be hot news of a scandal in the White House. The source says you cannot use his name with the story. However, there are no other people that can corroborate what he is saying. What do you do? Granted, journalists are encouraged to verify all of their sources before publishing. This may mean that you can't run the story. Doesn't the public have a right to know what is going on? Should you simply run the story without any source? Journalists need to cover their bases. What if the source has a separate agenda other than the truth? What if he is trying to sabotage a government official and you help him do it? Journalism can be a sticky situation when it comes down to verification. My conclusion is better safe than sorry.

The Profession

The profession or the priesthood of journalists? In the Mind of a Journalist, Jim Willis writes "Journalists see journalism as a kind of professional priesthood in which they, much like the clergy or even police officers, surrender to the higher calling of serving others." I think the term priesthood is far too spiritual of a term to use for journalists. Priesthood denotes serving others in behalf of God. It denotes authority. Journalists are not inextricably linked to holiness where they are called on by a higher source to serve others. Journalism is a career. It is a job. Journalists have a duty to report news, to be the fourth estate providing checks and balances, to serve their audience. They do not act in behalf of God. Journalists' duty is not a sacred duty, it is simply an important duty. I can understand how people want to distinguish their careers as something they are not. Perhaps it provides them with something to talk about at the bar. Instead of speaking of journalists' priesthood duty, let's focus on their professional duty. Willis states further, "The media provides counterbalances and checks on the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of American government." Journalists allow us to stay close to what each of the branches are doing. Spreading news prevents any branch from becoming too powerful. Through the news, citizens can unite together easier. People can know what is going on and incite change where needed. Journalists' duty to report the news should not be taken likely. However, to say there is a priesthood of journalists would be overreaching.

Pew Media Study

Despite popular opinion that Americans get most of their news from the television, Pew Research Center recently released research findings that suggest we should not discount local newspapers, Web sites, and even word of mouth as news mediums.

Pew's media study found that television used primarily to get information about the weather, traffic, and breaking news. Newspapers and their Web sites were used for getting information on a wide variety of other topics from local government updates to crime reports. The study also found that word of mouth (through text messages/twitter posts) is the second most common means of news distribution on the local level.

These findings were a compilation of over 2,000 adults that were surveyed.

I would agree with the findings of this study. If I were asked where I got most news from, initially I would think from the television. However, upon closer observation, I would say that word of mouth is one of my bigger news mediums. I often here people talking about "breaking news" in my classes. I inquire about what they are discussing because I am unaware of the news. After class, I often research the topic further on the Internet. I would imagine I am not the only one that uses this same method of discovering news.

Journalism and Loyalty

A conflict of interest can often lead to detrimental consequences for those involved. For instance, in the legal profession you would not have the same attorney represent the plaintiff and the defendant. There would clearly be a conflict of interest. The attorney would not be able to unbiasedly represent either client. The attorney may also be tempted to push an agreement through that would have the biggest payout for his firm. Luckily in the legal profession, the duty of loyalty to the client prohibits an attorney from representing any other party whose interests conflict with those of a current client. Conflicts of interest cannot always be avoided. In journalism, situations can arise which cause a conflict of interest. Journalists have a loyalty to their company who employs them, as well as, a loyalty to citizens. For example, if you work for ABC News and you discover a disheartening story about Disney should you refrain from covering it because Disney owns your news organization? The journalism industry would say no, you should report the story. Your first loyalty is to your audience. Almost all news organizations have a code of ethics which includes the importance of delivering truth to the audience. This can be hard if you feel your job is at stake. As journalists we have to make a commitment that no matter whether we lose our job or not, we will pursue the truth and deliver it. Journalists can only operate if people trust what they write. Once you lose your credibility, it is tough to regain. Each journalist's actions reflect on the newspaper as a whole.