Who won the latest election? What is happening to our countrymen fighting overseas? What exactly are the ramifications of that bill passed in the Senate last week? How do we, the people, obtain the answers to these questions that arise in our minds? Journalists. They have an extremely influential role in society – they play a major role of informing the public on important issues. This may seem simple enough, but there is a huge responsibility placed on their duty: information must be reported accurately and objectively. However, this is much more difficult than it sounds, especially in a world that is notorious for the obscene amount of information that is constantly transferred between individuals and groups and nations. To defy the personal agendas and present data without biases needs considerable discipline and commitment to absolute truth.
Irresponsible journalism comes in many forms, whether it is omission of information, subtle skewing of facts or blatantly falsifying the data. In general, the public seems to hang on to any headline in the media that is sensational rather than taking the time to assess the validity of the source. One great example is the recent report on the cost of president Obama’s recent visit to India. It caught the attention of many and it was reported that the three-day trip had an exorbitant expense of $200 million. But this anonymously announced information could not be supported and was blatantly proved false by later investigations and responsible journalism. It was stated later that the trip cost a total of 50 million with the 2,000 people who accompanied and the 870 hotel rooms that had to be rented for them. Reports like these painted a negative people to the American people, wrongfully portraying President Barack Obama’s administration as excessively wasteful. Even after the corrected information was announced, people seemed to still be attached to the previously stated numbers. These kinds of misconceptions could unfortunately alter the course of history and lead to undesirable effect on mankind. People have a right to demand for honest, accurate information and most definitely do not need exaggerated reports, information taken out of context, or altered stories.
Responsible journalism is not merely acquiring and announcing the right information. The term also entails being thorough and comprehensive on various facets of the story. A great example is the Watergate Scandal. It was one of the largest political scandals in U.S. history, which lead to the fall of Richard Nixon. When investigators Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein looked into the case, they believed it was just a simple break-in. But through diligent investigation and reporting, Watergate snowballed into a huge scandal that lead up to the impeachment of President Richard Nixon. The previously unknown information was acquired by the two investigators for about 2 years and unraveled over a period of time with opportunity for all parties involved to tell their side of the story.
Dexter Filkins won the Pulitzer Prize for his dispatches and excellent journalism on exposing the true facts on the president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai. Only after his report, the public realized that the Afghan president was receiving bags of money from the Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This was encouraging business between the Taliban and the Iranian government, two entities that had been a nightmare for the United States government in its effort against terrorism. Dexter Filkins had not only done intense investigations in a very discrete and secretive political dynamics, but ensured that he refrained from prematurely publishing the article for any of its sensational effect! His reporting has been rated as one of the Top Ten Works of Journalism of the Decade.
Before online newspapers and the television came about, propagating news was a slow process. People relied on definitive information and could not afford to spend on publishing or printing the wrong news. For example, when the smallpox epidemic struck the U.S. in 1837, people had to stay informed- and it was a matter of life or death. This could not be done in real time as any effort to convey information could require days, if not weeks, to spread. News of the disease spread far slower than the disease itself. In contrast, our ability to spread information across the globe appears to be just one mouse click away. This ease of dissemination has allowed the world to promote any message rampantly and the pace of spread in most cases is proportional to the sensationalism than truth. Rumors crosses the globe as wildfire across a dry jungle and public interpretation is as varied as the variety of news itself that is frequently reported today.
It is unquestionably the responsibility of the journalist to stay with facts and take the time that is required to confirm the credibility, validity and focus of its pertinence to the betterment of humanity. However it is no excuse for indulging in such myopic pursuits as their role in making an indelible mark on mankind. Now more than ever, we, the journalists have a monumental impact on the way that we, the people, function in everyday life. Much like a terse message on any typical beer commercial, maybe the next warning to come from the Office of the Surgeon General to journalists everywhere should be: please write responsibly.
