The crucial need for ethical journalism

Devin Owen
MSMU Class of 2026

(3/2024) Whenever I go home and visit family, I always make a point to stop and see my grandmother. It has become a sort of habit for us to sit in the living room and talk about everything under the sun. Her favorite topic, though, is what she’s reading in the news articles on her phone. It’s common for her to complain that journalists are writing about all of the bad things that are happening in the world, and she always asks, "Why can’t they just talk about the good things?" It’s simple: if we only focus on the good, we’re creating a blindness to the bad around us, and while that might be something that makes us feel better, it does us no good in the long run. Edward R. Murrow—every journalist’s idol—was an American broadcast journalist and war correspondent who emphasized and advocated for the importance of revealing the facts and following a path of truthfulness in journalism. Yes, it might cause uneasiness, discomfort, and many other negative feelings, but being truthful in our articulation of facts and events is crucial to journalism as a whole. What good would it do us to sugar coat everything?

To start, let me brief you on a crucial definition: ethical journalism is the practice of reporting news and information in a manner that is truthful, accurate, fair, and respects the dignity, privacy, and rights of individuals. Without adhering to the basics of ethical journalism, writers could report fake news, spread lies, and let rumors circulate in a way that is neither fair nor accurate to any party involved—said parties being written about, the writers themselves, and especially those reading. To thoroughly report on a topic such as this, my boss recommended that I watch the film "Good Night, and Good Luck" which represented the fight Murrow fought for ethical journalism. The film depicted how Murrow challenges Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist crusade—where McCarthy used his political platform to spread hearsay and abuse his power to create restlessness—using his television program "See It Now" to expose McCarthy's tactics and defend the rights of those accused of being communists during a period in which McCarthyism existed and created hysteria. This was a pivotal turning point for American journalism because we were shown just how important it is to tell the truth when reporting!

When asked why it’s important to have ethical journalism my brain kind of word vomits: every thought about ethics kind of just spills out without any particular clear form. So, going point by point of the mess in my head, I’d like to explain why ethical journalism is super important to society. First, the truth: granted I’ve already said a little bit on this topic but that’s because it is absolutely the biggest part of the concept! Truthfulness goes hand in hand with facts, and as journalists we are asked to report the facts. For a journalist, telling the truth is a form of creating a bond: it is essentially the foundation of trust between the media and the public. Part of Murrow’s advocacy for ethical journalism was built on telling the truth. His argument was that truthfulness is essential for maintaining the integrity of the press and ensuring that citizens are well-informed participants in democracy. By reporting the truth, journalists uphold their responsibility to serve the public interest and hold those in power accountable; we cater to the people because it is only right that they get all the facts in order to make well-informed choices, and they can’t do that without the truth. Murrow had famously said, "To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful." Another point of ethical journalism is respect. Not only is respect crucial for those and that which we’re writing about, but it also applies to those who we are writing to. There is a certain dignity that comes from respect, and it solidifies that foundation of trust I mentioned earlier. Respect in journalism also serves to create credibility for the journalist! For me personally, I know when I’m reading something in the news, I want to be reading it from a credible source/writer. What’s the point of reading the news if it isn’t going to be accurate? Additionally, respect in journalism helps to ensure fairness and accuracy in reporting, because it encourages journalists to approach their subjects with empathy, understanding, and an open mind. We can’t write the facts with bias, so keeping an open mind to new ideas is crucial.

Transitioning from the broader discussion of ethical journalism, let's delve into why journalism holds particular importance in local areas. The significance of journalism in a local area is similar to that of what we’ve already discussed about the importance of ethical journalism: it provides the facts and creates a foundation of trust and respect. However, most importantly it creates a voice for those in the community. Local journalism homes in on the issues/events that directly affect those in the area; it is a much more specific form of journalism. Consider if we, as the Emmitsburg News Journal, were to write about the events in Ocean City, Maryland rather than those in Emmitsburg: how does that benefit us as a community, if we aren’t hearing of the events of our community in the local newspaper? Journalism in local areas is essential for building informed, connected, and resilient communities. It plays a crucial role in promoting transparency, accountability, civic engagement, and economic vitality at the grassroots level. Without local journalism, communities are denied of crucial information about the current events that directly affect their lives.

Speaking of current events and ethical journalism, accuracy is crucial to the concept. It ties into the basics of ethical journalism: journalists have an ethical responsibility to report the truth as best they can because it creates the foundation of truth between media and audience. Accuracy is a fundamental principle of journalism, so adhering to this principle is essential for upholding professional integrity and serving the public interest. We want to be able to have all the facts and truthful information before we make choices that might be considered a leap in some situations. Ethics are crucial to journalism, the factors of the concept ties into every aspect of journalism we see and without these qualities, journalism would be nothing more than hearsay.