The Credibility of Journalists

Journalists like to see themselves as being the watch dogs of society, the government and big business. Unfortunately the actions of some journalists have created a public view which suggests that journalists are unethical. Two articles I recently read highlight some of the more dubious issues surrounding journalism. The articles bring into question the ethics and accuracy of the profession.

Article 1

The article, Ethics: Sticky Issues in Gumshoe Journalism (Time, 8^th August 1988), is about the tools being used by investigative journalists to get evidence to support their next big story. The focus is put on hidden cameras and recording devices. The ethics of such practices is questioned in the article.

Both journalists and private detectives play an important role in uncovering wrongs. They can get into places and gain evidence where police have been reluctant to investigate or don’t have the resources. Examples mentioned in the article, such as illegal gambling, are difficult for police to monitor because, as soon as the perpetrator realises there are police watching, they close up shop. Journalists can attain a deeper level of cover.

There still needs to be a look into privacy issues as well. In the article, Attorney Paul Hannah says that “the bedroom is absolutely inviolate”. While I believe this holds true, in the years past since this article was written, the views might have changed. There are recent examples where the bedroom has been violated but I have not heard of legal action being taken. One example is the television show Cheaters; in which private investigators follow cheating partners and film the evidence. Another example is when reporters filmed Shane Warne in a hotel with two women. I would consider a hotel room to be a bedroom and it has been violated. While his wife would be interested, was it really necessary to carry out surveillance to uncover the “scandal”?

Article 2

The article, Shattered Glass (Vanity Fair, September 1998), is about former journalist Stephen Glass who was revealed to be creating fictional articles and passing them off as real stories. He went to extraordinary lengths to make the stories to appear genuine by creating false documents and evidence. He also managed to hold back criticism and doubts on his work through his likable personality and ability to spin stories.

This article raises the important issue of accuracy and integrity in journalism. It is amazing that amount of effort that went into the works of fiction. It is not just laziness, as would have been expected from a false report. The picture that the article painted of Stephen Glass almost made me feel sorry for him. He seemed to come second to his brother through childhood and was unable to please his parents. He always needed to prove himself and was self critical. The article suggests that he was just trying to make stories more interesting. He was looking for acceptance. While the issue of sensationalising comes up frequently in the media, what Stephen Glass did was beyond sensationalising. Journalists are a group that the public should be able to trust.