From Think Like a Journalist by Michael Bugeja (1)
“Journalists think critically. They often tell sources that they will contact them again with more questions about a topic or event.
Meanwhile, they are discerning how to balance a story so that it is fair to all parties. They want their stories to be balanced so that their reports are as objective as possible.
Let’s define these terms:
Fairness means making sure all viewpoints are included in a story. Reporters discern which viewpoints are more important than others in conveying the truth about a topic or event. If some facts detract from that truth, or are unfair, ethical journalists leave them out.
Balance doesn’t mean getting two equal sides of a story. It means discerning which side is more accurate and then gathering facts to make that case by detecting motives of sources and getting expert opinion to support or refute them.
Objectivity means seeing the world as it is, not as the reporter or reader would like it to be. Reporters discern whether they have any biases that might taint a story and, if so, how they might adjust for that when filing a report.
To think like a journalist, ask yourself:
(1) Michael Bugeja directs the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State University.
He is also an advisor and an editor at NewsTrust, a social news network devoted to quality journalism.
His Oxford University Press books include Living Ethics Across Media Platforms (2008) and Interpersonal Divide: The Search for Community in a Technological Age (2005), both of which have won the Clifford G. Christians Award for Research in Media Ethics.
His comments on ethics have appeared in The Economist, Futurist, New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor and USA Today.
Bugeja writes about technology and education for The Chronicle of Higher Education and other publications and online news sites. His scholarship has appeared in Journalism Quarterly, Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, Journal of Mass Media Ethics, New Media and Society, and other peer-review publications.
He is a former state editor for United Press International
“Journalists think critically. They often tell sources that they will contact them again with more questions about a topic or event.
Meanwhile, they are discerning how to balance a story so that it is fair to all parties. They want their stories to be balanced so that their reports are as objective as possible.
Let’s define these terms:
Fairness means making sure all viewpoints are included in a story. Reporters discern which viewpoints are more important than others in conveying the truth about a topic or event. If some facts detract from that truth, or are unfair, ethical journalists leave them out.
Balance doesn’t mean getting two equal sides of a story. It means discerning which side is more accurate and then gathering facts to make that case by detecting motives of sources and getting expert opinion to support or refute them.
Objectivity means seeing the world as it is, not as the reporter or reader would like it to be. Reporters discern whether they have any biases that might taint a story and, if so, how they might adjust for that when filing a report.
To think like a journalist, ask yourself:
- How do I feel when viewing news that omits a viewpoint or hypes another?
- Is the news or opinion politically or personally motivated, slanting truth to manipulate rather than inform?
- When I see a "hole" in a story missing viewpoints or sources how can I fill it with facts using online resources?”
(1) Michael Bugeja directs the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State University.
He is also an advisor and an editor at NewsTrust, a social news network devoted to quality journalism.
His Oxford University Press books include Living Ethics Across Media Platforms (2008) and Interpersonal Divide: The Search for Community in a Technological Age (2005), both of which have won the Clifford G. Christians Award for Research in Media Ethics.
His comments on ethics have appeared in The Economist, Futurist, New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor and USA Today.
Bugeja writes about technology and education for The Chronicle of Higher Education and other publications and online news sites. His scholarship has appeared in Journalism Quarterly, Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, Journal of Mass Media Ethics, New Media and Society, and other peer-review publications.
He is a former state editor for United Press International