The Public, Journalism, and News Media

 The Public, Journalism, and News Media

Journalism has long shaped the stories told to audiences. Selecting which stories are told and how they are told is based largely on the type of content the audience expects, as well as following news values to deliver content the audience can also trust. 

 


The ethical news values highlighted by Wilkins, Painter, and Patterson (2022) that journalists are expected to uphold are:

Accuracy

Confirmation

Tenacity

Dignity

Reciprocity

Sufficiency

Equity

Community

Diversity

The Media Insight Project (2018) asserts, “the public says it wants accuracy – for the media to verify and get the facts right”, as the number one value for journalists to deliver. This chart from the Associated Press ranks aspects of journalism that are most important, for both the public and journalists, showing similar results. 


Faria and Almiron (2021) assert that, “a human-centered approach to communication and media ethics should thus abandon the delusional quest for efficiency and replace it with values rooted in the sacredness of human life, such as truth, human dignity, and non-violence” (p. 212). 

When using social media networks, “AP journalists who have confirmed urgent breaking news should not share that information over social accounts until they have provided it to the appropriate AP desk and done any immediate reporting work that is asked of them. Exclusive material and important tips should not be shared online before the related story has been published”. This demonstrates that journalists are constantly pressed for time but are committed to providing accurate information to encourage trust with the audience.

Furthermore, “people want context and background in their news coverage – and journalists want to provide it. But the majority of the public thinks the press has veered too far toward opinion” (Media Insight Project, 2018). Regardless of the complexities that arise while disseminating content to the public, the audience is factored into the story when following news values. This is supported by Moore, Murray and Youm (2022) stating that, “traditional media works to keep up in this environment, covering what the citizenry is buzzing about, with professional journalists providing context, fact checking, and commentary on the trending stories of the day” (p. 132). The public’s recognition and influence of these values influence how news is delivered. 


References

Faria, C., and Almiron, N. (2021). From the horse’s mouth: a non-specialist framework for media and communication ethics. Ramon Liull Journal of Applied Ethics, 12, 207-233. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.34810/rjeav1n12id389312

Media Insight Project. (2018, June 11). What the public expects from the press (and what journalists think about it). American Press Institute. https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/publications/reports/survey-research/public- expects-from-press/

Moore, R. L., Murray, M. D., and Youm, K. H. (2022). Media Law and Ethics, 6th Edition. Routledge. https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781000439830

The Associated Press. (2023). News Values and Principles. https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/downloads/ap-news-values-and-principles.pdf

Wilkins, L., Painter, C., and Patterson, P. (2022). Media Ethics: Issues and Cases, 10th edition. Rowman & Littlefield.



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