Elements of Journalism

       As a journalist, I believe a main point of the Elements of Journalism is that journalism's first obligation is to the truth. In a world of technology, social networks are often times people's sole source of news. For instance, someone reads the newspaper and sees that the governor has stepped down and in response they post it on facebook. If that news is wrong then that person is wrong. People rely on the news to tell the truth not the semi-truth or what they think is the truth. If we disappoint our readers with lies than they will never trust us and journalism will be dead. An important aspect of this from the book is that the public must know and trust that what journalists write is not influenced by ads or someone paying them to write a certain review or to lie to the public. The people have a right to know the truth. Journalists can not take the word of one person as truth. They must take that word and verify it before publishing the final word. Originality is always better than someone else's word.

       Anonymous sources are accepted mainly following the Watergate Scandal. However, reporters must be very careful with the use of them. Everything they say has to verified and the journalists must make sure that there is no reason for the anonymous source to mislead them. They must get the facts and report them while assuming nothing in the process. If we dig out the facts as journalists then the truth will reveal itself, objective and bias free.

       Another point made is that with information comes democracy. Democracy is a government of the people and journalism is news of the people. When people have the ability to hear the news then they are properly informed and can choose what they want. They can protest the government from the journalism they hear through technology.

       A lot of people don't realize how much marketing has to do with journalism. Money is important. Bankrupt companies mean no advertisements. Journalists rely on advertisements greatly and when they fail layoffs and budget cuts follow. But, money or no money journalists must always remain faithful to their audience. If an advertisement doesn't seem right or will effect the people negatively then the journalists have the right to veto it before it hits the printers. The people's response is the most important and journalists are responsible for everything they post.

        A journalist should never call someone a name that hints at opinion. The example used being a terrorist is not also a “gunman.” A gunman is sexist and is not a title. Journalists should show who the person is through quotes rather than through an opinionated word. For example, “The man gunned down 100 people.” That sentence shows that he was a gunman.

       What I believe is the most important fact in this book is that journalists must serve to monitor power. It's as if when The Constitution was written it should have included journalists under the system of checks and balances. As in the Watergate case. Journalists help to point out to the people the wrong doings of people in power. If the government is doing something wrong then the people have the right to know about it and the government should be exposed for these wrong doings as well and punished accordingly. The press often acts as detectives in a way. However, this can be tricky because the press can be prosecuted for not giving up their sources or in some cases for giving up their sources. They can be thrown in jail for not telling and if they do tell, they can be sued. Journalism is risky in certain circumstances but the outcome is rewarding.

       The who,what, when, where, why, and how is very important to journalism because if the reader doesn't read your whole story then they will read the who, what....etc.. If the reader loses interest after they read the five w's then that is okay because they leave your story knowing the facts and that's all they need to know in order to pass the news on and to get your story out to the people.

       Mainly a reporter should: find the facts, double check the facts, report the facts, let the facts tell their own story, and never assume anything or write in anyway that will offend someone.