I MUST say whilst journalism is a field that is fast becoming very popular compared to a few years back when many regarded it as a “mediocre job”, there is a colossal interest in how we come onto stories, rework them and publish them for public consumption.
I have come across people who would shake me off once I had introduced myself as a journalist, probably because they have had pretty bad experiences with the media or perhaps because they are guilty of previously using the media to set agendas and have dismally failed.
While without being ashamed I still introduce myself as a journalist even when I am caught in a moment where I am wining and dining with the elite and politicians.
The long and the short of this job is that it’s not a Mickey Mouse job because it is as serious as any other “high profile” one – the only catch being you have to sift through some untruths to get to the Gospel truth. You are paid to filter information and get to the bottom of it and of course get as close as you can to the whole truth.
My experiences in the newsroom have shown that spin-doctor and agenda setting is the order of the day and if you are not careful you are drawn into an issue that is used as a smokescreen to hide even much more darker secrets.
So where does the art lie in entertaining agendas yet staying truthful to the ethics of journalism?
While we are constantly on the phones trying to get different versions many time you are told “I won’t comment, it’s a lie” and end up running the story anyway since you afforded the person a right of reply just for them to call you the next day and insult you for the work.
So do these people think newspapers are re-cylce bins there to “correct” and “retract” statements whilst we go lengths to try and get the “real version of the story”?
And this is what blurs the boundaries of what is termed as media ethics as your quest to report, accurately, fairly and objectively is compromised by those that undermine the power of a journalist to report objectively, truthfuly and fairly.
As I begin my journey in a new and different newsroom I take up the challenge once again to get to the bottom of it.
– Eewa
Rochelle Neidel