Let's Mourn: Ethical Journalism

We often hear ethical journalism being thrown around much like how people bring up clean eating and spirituality to assert I’m better than you. Yet how many people in the biz actually practice it? Then there’s this whole debate of whether or not you’re a real journo. 

The commonly agreed-upon principles of ethical journalistic practices are;

Seems simple, right? Then why has practice become such a hotbed of gaffes? What even is journalism? Well, basically you just journal things. The job entails that you document events as they are. Yet too often theories fall into the mix. 

Heck, even Bridget Jones was a journalist and she got the unbiased documented reasons. 

Why are we seeing analysis all too often in the news? Can't you just give us the facts like our accountant would? Well, that is justified arguing how the layman won’t understand the nuances of just information that need to be filled in.

Yet the theories that are sprouted in the news are exactly scientifically tested, are they? They’re not even tested based on any method in social sciences either. 

Then YouTube conspiracy theorists like Haqeeqat should qualify too, no?

It seems we’ve come to a point in our consumer society where labels are based on the factory. It’s still dairy: if a dairy manufacturer produces it regardless of the disclaimer not dairy. Hence if it comes from a traditional news outlet like the paper or TV then it’s news. Simultaneously, did you know bloggers and e-journos aren’t considered real journos by traditionalists? That’s why they’re not allowed to be members of unions. Despite their tendency to believe stuff online. 

Ya’ know, like all the theories surrounding COVID-19, when people were legit given screentime to share ridiculous tips like using a blow dryer in your mouth and drinking that gawd-awful herb Sana Maki. A recent example would be outlets sharing theories surrounding the Noor Mukadam murder. From the driver bringing in ransom money, to the killer’s confession. This isn’t something the police shared. Why document/journal this and share it with the whole world? Then again, it would be unethical for police to share crucial investigative developments like that. Ya’ know, since it affects the defendants’ ability to build a defense and all. Yet, everyone knocked themselves out sharing. 

While the community is okay with fellow traditionalists, not even printing or airing tractions. As well as going off on Internet theories, they’re not okay with bloggers digging up data online for stories. Ya’ know, data stories, since it cuts costs, and reduces the hassles of reporting. 

There’s no doubt its field reporters that dug up stuff like investigative reports, is it worth spending all that capital on them to ask questions like, “So what’s your relationship to the victim?”. The law should prosecute a crime regardless of a convict’s feelings. Psychologically, people can justify their actions as a result of the situation, their feelings, etc, as explained by Melitta Schmideberg.

“The impairment of reality sense, the lack of thought for the future, the denial of unpleasant facts and possibilities, an almost delusional belief in his own cleverness and ability to escape detection are characteristic of many criminals.”

Perhaps journos too are the same. Turning a job description that literally requires them to just document as is, into a ‘calling’. Their way of fixing society, exerting influence. Perhaps social work and volunteering out to soothe that anxiousness, cause your job sure isn’t supposed to. 

It works both ways with deterrence from journalizing facts as they are, for fear of prosecution. Again, that’s letting fears and feelings get in the way. Professional standards even require you to place your life before all else. While we fail to acknowledge how messed up it is, people can’t do their job and maintain their fundamental right to life, simultaneously. 

Maybe that’s just our society, in particular, where just about everything morphs into something else, why would we expect better from those that document things. I guess now we just wait for it to fade out and be replaced, as is the cycle in human civilization.