Courtney Borg

Comms 239

Dale Cressman

April 12, 2011

Take Home Exam

Essay Number 1:

Objectivity is the goal that every journalist strives to maintain. Journalism’s objectivity

could be compared to the objectivity that scientists use when conducting an experiment. The idea

behind this is that even though a journalist may not be objective, the method in which he obtains

his information can be objective (Kovach, and Rosenstiel 83). Although we are all human and

we all have our own bias, the spirit of objectivity is what a journalist strives to achieve.

During the early years of American journalism, newspapers were affiliated with the

various political parties of the time. The majority of the stories were filled with bias towards the

party that they were affiliated with. Yet, over time the concept of “realism” arose during the 19th

century (Kovach, and Rosesntiel 82). This concept gave the journalists in America the idea that

they should drag as many of the facts out as possible and place them before the American public

and be very extreme in delivering the truth. Even though today we do not use realism,

objectivity developed from that realism. It is the way by which journalists develop and maintain

credibility and the process by which they gather their information. All principles of journalism

lead back to objectivity.

 Objectivity is also the separation of journalist from audience. Various journalists keep

their own personal beliefs and political beliefs from public knowledge in order to maintain their

objectivity, such as Anderson Cooper (Shea). It is my own belief that a journalist should keep

their opinions separate from their work. They should search for the truth and let the facts speak

for themselves and let the public decide their own opinions based off of their work.

According to the Agenda Setting Theory, the media sets the agenda for what the public

thinks about and what they consider newsworthy (Brooks 27). With knowledge of that theory, it

is a journalist’s responsibility to take a step back from their own opinions and decide whether or

not they are being objective and providing relevant information to the public. If they are not,

they should realize that they are setting their own agenda.

As a future journalist, I believe it is important to maintain objectivity. No matter how

hard it is to write a story, I plan to research and verify facts thoroughly and I plan to keep my

ideals separate from the stories I am covering. Objectivity is what gives journalists credibility

and therefore I will strive to be objective in everything write I as a journalist.

 Works Cited

Brooks, Brian S., et al. "News Reporting and Writing". Seventh Edition. Bedford / Missouri
Group. Page 27

Kovach, Bill, and Tom Rosenstiel.  The Elements of Journalism. 1st Rev.
ed. New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2007. Print.
Shea, Danny. "Anderson Cooper, CNN Tell Interviewers: "No personal
questions"." Huffington Post 14 Jan 2009: n. pag. Web. 13 Apr
2011. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/14/anderson-
cooper- cnn-tell_n_158023.html>.
Essay Number 2:

In February of this year, an article was released in the Rolling Stone. It was titled

“Another Runaway General,” and its contents claimed that General William Caldwell of the

United States army was using Psychological Operations, or Psy-ops, in order to “brain wash” top

senators and representatives. The article also claimed that the reasoning was to obtain more

funding for his operations in Afghanistan (Hastings). The author, Michael Hastings, had written

a previous article about General Stanley McChrystal and that article was partly responsible for

the removal of McChrystal as the commander of the International Security Assistance Force in

Afghanistan. Yet, this time, Hastings source was not as reliable as the source for his previous

article.

It is a journalist’s responsibility to the public to provide truthful reports. Nothing should

be added, they should not deceive their audience, and they should original. The Society of

Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics states that: “Journalists should be honest, fair and

courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information (Society of Professional

Journalists)." Providing truth is journalism. Without the truth, a journalist would lose objectivity

and credibility.

In order for a journalist to determine what is true, they need to go through the process of

verifying their facts. The Code of Ethics states that a journalist should do the following when it

comes to reporting the truth: “Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care

to avoid inadvertent error… Deliberate distortion is never permissible. Diligently seek out

subjects of news stories to give them the opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoing

(Society of Professional Journalists).” A journalist needs to check their facts before publishing a
news story. Referring to the Rolling Stone article, Hastings used only one source that claimed

that he was trained in psy-ops (Hastings). Yet, the source had never been trained psy-ops was

actually an Information Operations officer (Schachtman, and Ackerman). The article still raised

an investigation into General Caldwell, but even with the investigation, it still is important to

have facts right. From the beginning, Hastings should have verified the information that his

source was giving him and used multiple sources. Without verifying his information, the article

lacked a true sense of credibility compared to his previous article.

A journalist must remain independent from their audience. It is one of the many ways

they remain objective in writing a story. The Elements of Journalism states that a journalist must

maintain independence in order to keep their focus (Kovach, and Rosenstiel 118). In order to

remain accurate in their reporting they need to be separate from their audience. That example

can be seen through several journalists across the nations who refuse to share their political

beliefs and other private matters with the world. They believe that revealing their private beliefs

to their audience voids their objectivity and credibility. Referring back to the Code of Ethics, a

journalist should avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived (Society of Professional

Journalists). A journalist who is directly involved with the story they are reporting cannot report

that story according to the Code of Ethics. They should remain independent from what they are

reporting. That does not mean they should not have an opinion, but that if a conflict of interest

can be found, they should let a more objective journalist report the story.

Another part of providing truth to the public is being transparent. “This responsibility

requires that journalists be as open and honest with audiences as they can about what they know

and what they don’t (Kovach, and Rosesnstiel 92).” Transparency means that a journalist does

not hide any information from their audience. It is also a key to gaining credibility. During a
time where the public’s trust of journalists is low, credibility is important. Credibility leads to

trust which comes from a journalist remaining transparent.

Yet, how does one maintain the past principles of journalism when it comes to faith and

journalism? Is it possible for a journalist to be truthful when it comes to sharing empirical truth

even if it conflicts their own personal beliefs? It is important for a journalist to remain

independent as previously stated. According to The Mind of a Journalist, religion and

journalism are similar because they are both seeking for the truth, even though the truth they are

searching for is quite different from one another (Willis). Yet, while religion searches for the

answers to life, journalism searches for truth in the everyday life, whether it is government

corruption or what is happening in Afghanistan.

In order for a journalist to remain objective they should be careful when reporting on

stories that involve their religious beliefs. If the story involves their religious institution, it could

lead to personal conflicts of interests, which as stated before is against the Code of Ethics.

No matter what a journalist does, they need to be honest with their audience. If

remaining objective is a key part of journalism, the key to maintaining that objectivity is by

being truthful. Journalists should strive to search for the truth and continue to remain objective.
 Works Cited

Hastings, Michael. "Another Runaway General: Army Deploys Psy-Ops on

U.S. Senators." Rolling Stone23 Feb 2011: n. pag. Web. 13 Apr
2011. <http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/another-
runaway-general-army-deploys-psy-ops-on-u-s-senators-
20110223>.
Kovach, Bill, and Tom Rosenstiel.  The Elements of Journalism. 1st Rev.
ed. New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2007. Print.
Schactman, Noah, and Spencer Ackerman. "‘Illegal Psyop’ Neither Illegal
Nor Psyop, General’s Lawyer Ruled."  Wired 27 Feb 2011: n.
pag. Web. 13Apr.<http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/02/lawyer-
told-general-his-spin-wasnt-illegal-psyop/>.
Society of Professional Journalists. Code of Ethics.
< http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp>
Willis, William James. The Mind of a Journalist. Thousand Oaks, CA:
SAGE Publications, Inc., 2009. Print.
Essay Number 3:

The rise of the Internet has produced several problems for the journalism industry. As

online news becomes more readily available to the public, the audience has started using the

traditional news outlets less and less. With less use of the traditional media outlets, advertising

revenue declines and then what is to become of journalism industry? In order for journalism to

thrive in the changing environment, the industry needs to evolve and maintain a way to make a

profit from the online news environment.

In a recent article in the Washington Post, Tom Rosenstiel states that one of the five

myths about the future of journalism is that journalism will be fine as soon as the advertising

revenue catches up (Rosenstiel). The article also states that advertising revenue on the Internet

mainly goes to search engines such as Google (Rosenstiel). The journalism industry may be

heading to the online world, but in order for the industry to thrive, a solution for revenue needs to

be found. Whether it be switching to paid online subscriptions such as the New York Times is

currently doing or continuing the struggle in gaining advertising revenue, the industry will find

which method will help them gain profit in the new environment.

Along with the rise of Internet publication, the online world gives citizens a part in the

journalism industry through blogging and websites such as YouTube. These outlets allow the

citizens have part in the industry giving their voice and opinion on the news stories. Citizen

journalism has taken a center stage recently because the violence in the Middle East. The only

way to verify the facts that are coming out of that area is through the citizen journalists (Fassihi).

Citizen journalism, as the journalism industry evolves to suit the change of environment, will

become an aid to journalists. The citizens’ information will continue the public forum that
journalists provide. Blogging and such will provide points of views that a journalist cannot share

because they must remain objective.

Objectivity and training is what divides a journalist from the rest. A journalist follows

the Code of Ethics, the standard of the industry, which is provided by the Society of Professional

Journalists. A normal citizen does not have to follow these of Code of Ethics because they are

not subject to it because they are not considered professional journalists. Even under the law,

citizen journalism is not protected. Although there is no federal protection of journalists, various

states across the nation have laws called shield laws which protect a journalist from revealing

their sources in a state court. Citizen journalists, under these laws, do not have the luxury of the

protection. If summoned to a court of law, they must reveal their sources.

Along with the rise of citizen journalism, questions arise over sites like WikiLeaks and

over people like James O’ Keefe. Should they be considered journalism? While both provide

the truth to the public, they do not have the same control, such as the Code of Ethics, as

journalists.

While in the future the website could become a source for journalists, but WikiLeaks

cannot be considered journalism while it has a lack of ethics associated with journalism. It is

part of the extreme of truth by giving all of the information. Journalists should minimize harm

that could happen from their news stories and that they should realize what could happen from

the release of information (Society of Professional Journalists). WikiLeaks, on the other hand,

has endangered the lives of thousands of United States troops overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq

(Mackey). While revealing government documents is part of watchdog journalism, endangering

parties who are not directly involved is not a part of it. The creator of WikiLeaks, Julian
Assange, claims that the website is designed for the public interest, but according to the Pew

Research Center, 60% of the public believe that WikiLeaks is detrimental to the public interest

(Pew Research Center). If the website was designed for the public interest, then why do

Americans believe that WikiLeaks is harmful to it?

James O’ Keefe, like WikiLeaks, is an example of modern muckraking. He has done

several investigative pieces in various organizations, such as the very recent sting on Planned

Parenthood and even the trap with then NPR senior vice-president Ronald Schiller (Cohen). As a

self-proclaimed muckraker, he investigates organizations and tries to reveal the truth to the

public, but that does not mean he is a journalist. As a journalist, one must be ethical and follow

the code of ethics provided to us by our professional organization. According to the Code of

Ethics, a journalist must avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information

except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public (Society of

Professional Journalists). The methods in which O’ Keefe has used to obtain his news stories have

been questionable and surreptitious. Therefore the information provided by them can be considered

distorted.

A journalist should always search for the truth and follow the Code of Ethics as they stay in

that search. A person who follows the code should be considered a journalist because they are

following the industry’s professional organization’s code. As the environment of the industry

changes over time, I feel it is best for journalists to follow the Code of Ethics. If we treat citizens with

respect, they in turn will treat us with respect. It is the golden rule, after all, to do unto others as you

would have them do unto you. Being honest and transparent with citizens will help them be honest

and transparent with journalists.

 Works Cited

Cohen, Rick. "Why Sting Operations Cheapen Public Policy Discourse." The Nonprofit
Quarterly(2011). Web. <http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/index.php?option=com_
content&view=article&id=10816:why-sting-operations-cheapen-public-policy-
discourse&catid=149:rick-cohen&Itemid=991>.
Fassihi, Farnaz. "Syria Rallies Grow in Face of Threats." Wall Street Journal. 1 Apr. 2011.
Web.13 Apr. 2011. <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870453020
4576236463818851514.html>.
Kovach, Bill, and Tom Rosenstiel.  The Elements of Journalism. 1st Rev.
ed. New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2007. Print.
Mackey, Robert. "WikiLeaks: No Harm, No Foul." Web log post. The Lede. New York Times,
11 Jan. 2011. Web. <http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/u-s-officials-
reportedly-said-wikileaks-revelations-were-not-damaging/>.
"Public Sees WikiLeaks as Harmful." Pew Research Center. 8 Dec. 2010. Web. 13 Apr. 2011.
<http://pewresearch.org/>.

Rosenstiel, Tom. "Five Myths About the Future of Journalism." The Washington Post: National,
World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - Washingtonpost.com. Web. 13 Apr. 2011.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-the-future-of-
journalism/2011/04/05/AF5UxiuC_story.html>.
Society of Professional Journalists. Code of Ethics.
< http://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp>
Essay Number 4:

As young reporters in 1972, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein teamed together and

revealed to the world the incidents of the Watergate scandal. Their news stories led to the

eventual government investigations and resignation of President Richard Nixon. Those stories

are one of the greatest examples of investigative journalism. They investigated the government

and revealed the truth to the American public. Yet, could their stories be considered watchdog

journalism or muckraking journalism?

The idea of watchdog journalism refers to the idea that the free press is the guard for the

public from tyranny. According to The Elements of Journalism the watchdog principle of

journalism means “watching over the powerful few to protect the many.” The focus of watchdog

journalism is purely those who are in charge, whether it be corporate executives or the

government.

The tag of watchdog journalism is given to many different modern programs, such as the

television program “60 Minutes”. Yet these programs cannot be called watchdog because they

do not do the investigations themselves nor do they focus on the “powerful few” (Kovach 150).

In order for the program to be considered watchdog, the focus needs to be on the elite who are in

power. They need to protect the public from harm.

Muckraking, on the other hand, became very popular during the nineteenth century and

the early twentieth century. According Kovach, muckraking was the original form of

investigative journalism. Being a muckraker has always been seen as a negative term for a

person. Yet, the muckrakers were the ones who brought about government, societal, and various

other reforms such as the case of Ida Tarbell. Probably one of the first famous muckrakers of the
nation, Ida Tarbell was known for investigating and reporting John D. Rockefeller’s negative

business practices in the oil industry. Her dedicated, personal research led to her revealing

Rockefeller’s underhanded business practices to the public. She investigated through hundreds

of papers and information in order to report successfully.

Muckraking involves direct, personal investigation where no information could have

previously been found by others; watchdog journalism involves direct investigation and using

previous investigations. A watchdog journalist focuses on those who are in power, the elite.

They monitor them, waiting for a moment the elite overstep boundaries, and then they warn the

public. While watchdog journalism exclusively relies on journalists, a muckraker does not

necessarily need to be a journalist. An example of a muckraker who was not a journalist would

be Upton Sinclair. While his book The Jungle revealed horrendous conditions of the meat

packing industry and led to the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act, all of the

characters and the story line of the book were fictitious (Humane Society of America). A

journalist will use actual people and cover actual events.

Yet it is a journalist’s responsibility to provide the people with the truth. When

government breaks the law, a journalist is responsible for letting the public know the truth.

Many believe that currently the watchdog press is dead and that journalists have become the lap

dog of government (Thomas). A journalist should not just rely on the government for their

information; they should take the government’s information with a grain of salt and question

whether or not what the government is saying is true. That is the goal of watchdog journalism.

The watchdog press is meant to protect the public. It gives a voice to those who do not

have a voice among the powerful elite. Without the success of watchdog journalists such as Bob
Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the government would not be in check and would run over the

public that supports them. Therefore, journalism should continue on reporting the corruption of

the American government and revealing the truth.

 Works Cited

 Humane Society of the United States: "The Jungle: Upton Sinclair's Roar Is Even Louder to
Animal Advocates Today," March 10, 2006.
Kovach, Bill, and Tom Rosenstiel.  The Elements of Journalism. 1st Rev.
ed. New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2007. Print.
Thomas, Carl. "White House Press Corps Is a Lapdog, Not a Watchdog." The Olympian. 30 Dec.
2010. Web. <http://www.theolympian.com/2010/12/30/1489436/white-house-
press- corps-is-a-lapdog.html>.