Accuracy is without a doubt one of the top guiding principles a journalist has to follow. As it is stated in Thom Lieb’s All the News, “if a piece of journalism is not accurate, it has no value.” The public watches the news on a daily basis to keep up with what is going on in the world and they make plans and reach conclusions based on what information is proved to them. Reaffirming that the facts are correct is a simple and easy thing for a journalist to do. Misinformation can lead to a variety of consequences that can be avoided.
Objectivity is crucial to a story that a journalist is covering. They must keep their opinions to themselves and out of the story so as not to come off as trying to influence the public. People do not like to be misled or forced to only hear one opinion in regards to what is being reported, they like to make up their own minds. A journalist’s job is to provide all of the important information to the public so that they are well equipped to make decisions on a variety of topics.
Plagiarism and fabrication are also notable rules to abide by, as they are one of the most common ethical issues journalists face. It can be easy for a journalist to be tempted to take a short cut when faced with deadlines. However, with the technology that is available today, it is easy to get caught. Journalists can lose their jobs over reporting information without giving credit to where it is due. It can lead to giving whatever news organization you work for a bad reputation that could end up hurting other people’s jobs besides your own.
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