Values, Goals and Good Journalism Essay Example for Free

Values, Goals and Good Journalism Essay Power of the press†¦ Glory of the byline†¦ Thrill of being among the first to know†¦ These are just some of the legendary benefits that a person gets when he or she takes journalism for a profession. The public looks up to journalists as those who do very interesting things – meeting the rich and famous, having access to powerful people, experiencing heady encounters and getting paid for doing these things. However, power is always accompanied by a corresponding responsibility. Ideally, a journalist should present the truth about an event or issue. He must be well-grounded in the standards and ethics of journalism before he even attempts to write a story. He must bear in mind the importance of confidentiality, objectivity and fairness. He must understand that journalism is a presentation of facts and facts alone. There really are some instances when a writer tends to inject personal bias in the story he is writing. These happen when he inserts personal feeling and opinion and when he sees himself not as an observer but a participant in the event that he is covering. There are also cases when a journalist stacks the facts so as to prove one side of the story or to take the position the paper prefers. Personal biases must be set aside when presenting a news. What one writes reflects who he is. If his commitment to journalistic principles and public service is compromised with financial gains, this may lead to offenses such as libel, sensationalism, invasion of privacy, obstruction of justice, and obscenity. To prevent getting charged of any of these, the good values of a journalist must urge him to exercise good judgment which eventually shapes credibility. The best way to be the best writer, however, is to treat journalism as a vital calling. Every writing must be inspired by the manner the Bible was written. The Bible emphasizes the necessity of objectivity in reporting. As Luke writes: Since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. Objectivity must be transparent in all kinds of reporting. In recent years, priests’ involvement in sex scandals had been a sensitive topic worldwide. This is just right as journalists must carry out their duty of presenting even the dark side of the news. The Bible describes God as a creator and man as His image-bearer. Sometimes, a journalist needs to report on the contrast between man’s sinfulness and God’s holiness. Journalists do not have to preach in stories; however, they can work towards honest selection of details. There is no question about God’s involvement in human history. In Deuteronomy 29, Moses addressed the Israelites: Your eyes have seen all that the Lord did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land. With your own eyes, you saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders. But to this day, the Lord has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear. In writing his own piece, a writer must provide the context but must follow the Bible in depicting God’s grace and man’s sinfulness. If in the Bible Jesus says to Thomas, â€Å"Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed,† same goes to a journalist who does not go to press even when ten people tell him the same thing. In conclusion, good journalism entails truth-telling even when it hurts. For him to become the best journalist he can be, a journalist must possess only two things: commitment to truth and a biblical worldview in apprehending reality accurately. Reference Brucker, Herbert. Communication is Power: Unchanging Values in a Changing Journalism. New York: Oxford University Press. 1973.