Because I'm without an intriguing topic for this week, I'm writing about journalism's continuous dedication to the facts. Despite Janet Cooke's fraudulent Jimmy's World article for The Washington Post, and Jayson Blair's plaigarized work for The New York Times, the world of journalism still exists and is still dedicated to the facts and finding the truth though some professionals have taken advantage of society's trust.
Journalism has been given chance after chance by society despite the possibility of some lone journalist sitting in his cubicle writing fiction and passing it off as fact. Even though some believe print journalism is dead or dying, it continues to be a necessity. Regardless of past scandals and inspite of semi-popular belief, the world of journalism will continue to grow and evolve, ethically and technologically.
So why does society continue to rely on media (of all forms) for information? Journalism has been here longer. It has a much better reputation than blog sites and message boards. We have seniority here. That doesn't say that we are given permission to lie to the public; it means that we are human and we've made mistakes in the past. Because of our history, we are rightfully the best source because we have progressed and learned from the errors of our peers/coworkers in the past.
1 comment:
I agree with your comments. However, in reading them, I reflected back to your lament a couple of blogs ago regarding the insistence by some of reminding others of past mistakes in reference to May 4. Should ethical scholars then bury the Janet Cooke episode once and for all and refer only to the most recent ethical problems? Just a thought.
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