Inspiration?

So, put bluntly, this blog died. Opps…

I convinced myself I wasn’t ready to maintain a blog I really wanted everyone to see and, more importantly, I wanted to let recruiters/potential employees to look at. I told myself I “just really didn’t have the time” to make Converged Life “presentable.” But I’m calling bullshit on myself.

I blog all the time! I blog for my sorority (not embarrassed, we have an awesome blog with multimedia and some great posts) and for my J-School classes (they are simple weekly blogs, but I enjoy keeping them even if it’s just to show my teachers I am doing an assignment). I even run the website for my soccer team! But for some reason, at the beginning of this school year, I convinced myself that the ‘unveil’ of Converged Life needed to be stopped and put off for awhile.

I am over that idea now and ready to really put some effort into keeping this blog. I am going to lighten it up, make it more enjoyable and less “journalism” focused. I may comment about J-School life and issues in journalism, but I will be bringing a lot more entertainment and “fun” content in as well.

What brought on this sudden change you ask? Well a good friend of mine who I talk to on the “check out this awesome social media site” level and the “Piano Bar was packed last night” level, wrote this ‘advice’ to college kids column. Check it out at daniellesotherblog and see what her recommendations were about the way to get though college. Maybe you too will get inspired to do something…

The Journalist’s Creed and Me.

 The Journalist’s Creed by Walter Williams 

 

ABOVE Wordle’s interpretation of the Journalist’s Creed  BELOW the actual text

I believe in the profession of journalism. 

I believe that the public journal is a public trust; that all connected with it are, to the full measure of their responsibility, trustees for the public; that acceptance of a lesser service than the public service is betrayal of this trust. 

I believe that clear thinking and clear statement, accuracy and fairness are fundamental to good journalism. 

I believe that a journalist should write only what he holds in his heart to be true. 

I believe that suppression of the news, for any consideration other than the welfare of society, is indefensible. 

I believe that no one should write as a journalist what he would not say as a gentleman; that bribery by one’s own pocketbook is as much to be avoided as bribery by the pocketbook of another; that individual responsibility may not be escaped by pleading another’s instructions or another’s dividends. 

I believe that advertising, news and editorial columns should alike serve the best interests of readers; that a single standard of helpful truth and cleanness should prevail for all; that the supreme test of good journalism is the measure of its public service. 

I believe that the journalism which succeeds best — and best deserves success — fears God and honors Man; is stoutly independent, unmoved by pride of opinion or greed of power, constructive, tolerant but never careless, self-controlled, patient, always respectful of its readers but always unafraid, is quickly indignant at injustice; is unswayed by the appeal of privilege or the clamor of the mob; seeks to give every man a chance and, as far as law and honest wage and recognition of human brotherhood can make it so, an equal chance; is profoundly patriotic while sincerely promoting international good will and cementing world-comradeship; is a journalism of humanity, of and for today’s world.

Yesterday I ranted (okay maybe not a rant, but I did bring an unusually critical tone) in my post about ‘checkbook journalism.’ In the post I cited Walter William’s Journalist’s Creed. So, staying on the track of ethics I decided to republish the creed in this post and also create a visual interpretation of the creed through the powers of Wordle.

Every time I have the urge to take a short-cut in reporting or find myself wanting to bring a bit of sensationalism to an event I am covering, I think of this creed and get that guilty feeling in my stomach (side note: I most often breach this ‘guilt pit’ when calling home to check-in and let my parents know that I go to bed at ten every night and always eat my vegetables). The creed hangs in the journalism school at MU for a reason and maybe it should be hanging around an executive office at NBC too.

SPJ calls out NBC ‘checkbook journalism’.

I am no journalism ethics expert, but I did take (and pass) Principles of American Journalism as a prerequisite class for the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Based on what I have learned, what can be read in Walter Williams famous Journalist’s Creed and what common sense dictates – yes, NBC did cross lines. As happy as I was to see full coverage of the story, NBC acted in the definition of ‘checkbook journalism’ and whether or not it effected the reporting done, it did give NBC an unfair advantage in working with the sources. NBC fell right down the slippery slope of journalism ethics with barely even a wave to everyone else stuck at the top of the hill. Read the Society of Professional Journalists criticism of NBC’s actions.

NBC News’ ‘checkbook journalism’ crossed ethical line (12/28/2009)

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists’ Ethics Committee is appalled NBC News breached widely accepted ethical journalism guidelines by providing the plane that carried David Goldman and his son Sean back to the United States from Brazil after a high-profile custody battle.

NBC conducted an exclusive interview with David Goldman during the flight it financed and another exclusive interview once the Goldmans returned to the United States.

Journalists know this practice as “checkbook journalism.”

The SPJ Code of Ethics urges journalists to act independently by avoiding bidding for news and by avoiding conflicts of interest.

By making itself part of a breaking news story on which it was reporting — apparently to cash in on the exclusivity assured by its expensive gesture — NBC jeopardized its journalistic independence and credibility in its initial and subsequent reports. In effect, the network branded the story as its own, creating a corporate and promotional interest in the way the story unfolds. NBC’s ability to report the story fairly has been compromised by its financial involvement.

“The public could rightly assume that NBC News bought exclusive interviews and images, as well as the family’s loyalty, with an extravagant gift,” Ethics Committee Chairman Andy Schotz said. The news media’s duty is to report news, not help create it. The race to be first should not involve buying — directly or indirectly — interviews, an unseemly practice that raises questions of neutrality, integrity and credibility.

“Mixing financial and promotional motives with an impartial search for truth stains honest, ethical reporting,” Schotz said.”Checkbook journalism has no place in the news business.”

The SPJ Code of Ethics also urges journalists to “clarify and explain news coverage and invite dialogue with the public over journalistic conduct.”

“NBC must now, belatedly, explain why it entangled its news reporting and corporate interests in this story, as well as the terms of any deal it made with the Goldman family,” Schotz said. “NBC also is ethically bound to adequately disclose its active role in the story in each of its future reports on the Goldmans.”

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well- informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For more information about SPJ, please visit www.spj.org.

Link: http://ow.ly/QwL2