Before I started this class, I really thought I knew what a professional journalist did. I was absolutely sure I wanted to go into journalism as a career and knew that I was cut out for it. Now that the semester is over, I still know I want to be a journalist, but my ideas about what I’m getting into are very different.
Journalists do not just seek truth. They are literally the watchdogs of society. Journalism is considered the fourth estate, and therefore a free press is crucial for democracy. Journalists are responsible to expose wrongdoings in society and make it possible for these issues to be resolved. Journalists must not let themselves forget what true investigative reporting is. It is not about exposing how dirty your kitchen mop is making your floor, it is about revealing injustice in today’s world. The Center for Investigative Reporting explains this well in their bio: “We arm the public with thoroughly reported stories that offer deep explanations of complex issues.” A journalist must have the courage, rigor and skepticism to do this.
Journalists cannot be completely unbiased. We cannot separate ourselves from our worldviews or who we are but we must be willing to put them aside and report the facts. We cannot be dependent on factions. If we are, our audience will assume we have an ulterior agenda and we will lose credibility.
Journalists must find the news to report that will be relevant to their audience. Part of this is not shying away from religion. Religion touches everything in American society and as such, is a major part of our culture. It is often the reason why people act in certain ways and do what they do. Therefore, it would be irresponsible and ignorant to deliberately exclude that side of the story. The University of Missouri has a course called “Religion Reporting & Writing.” The course overview says, “It is impossible to be a journalist and not understand something about religion. Religion has been at the center of events and movements for several decades… No other topic is as complex or nuanced as religion…Most people, including journalists, know little about faiths outside their own.” Before this course I had not thought about this side of journalism before, and I realized that I am also guilty of knowing little about religions outside my own. As a result, I have decided to minor in Middle East Studies in order to increase my understanding of Islamic culture and religion. I feel like all journalists should have some education in a religion different from their own. We are supposed to be the estate that arms the public with the information they need to know- we need to understand our audience.
Journalist is independent, but not isolated. In order to fairly represent our audience, we must be a part of society, but not dependent on factions. A journalist’s first loyalty is to the truth and the citizens. Sometimes, a journalist will be assigned a story that would be a conflict of interest for them to cover. A journalist must have the courage to look past their competing loyalties and be first loyal to the truth. The Poynter Institute’s website features an article called “Tensions of the Trade: Competing Loyalties, Conflicting Interests.” It says, “Journalists have the unique and essential role of seeking the truth and reporting it as fully as possible. That primary duty is partly built on the principle of independence. Journalists should not allow undue influence from others or their own self interest to erode the independence that could in turn corrode the integrity of the journalism.”
A journalist is called to the trade and must respect their position as a trusted truth-giver in society. A journalist isn’t perfect at all of these things, but is hopefully working toward being better at what she does every day. I hope that when I become a journalist I will be always working at being better at what I do because I know I have been given a sacred responsibility.
