Decision-Making In Journalism

Last Updated on March 3, 2024 by Asfa Rasheed

Great decision-making largely depends on a journalist’s accessibility to reliable information and the ability to employ the principles of fairness, the duty of confirmation, and conflict of interest. Follow these principles for good decision-making in journalism.

What Are The Core Principles Of A Decisive Journalist? 

Ethical journalism is a push towards a free exchange of information that is reasonable and explainable. It is built on a strong foundation of integrity.

• Search for the facts and report them as they are. Use conventional ways to obtain information where possible or go undercover if necessary. Gather genuine information as they are — not as they are perceived to be. 
• Don’t commercialize humans: feeding the public’s hunger for the latest news might lead to overlooking insensitivity on the part of a preserved group. Inclusive reporting while making use of acceptable terms is encouraged. Don’t infuse personal bias into issues that are quite straightforward.
• Show reference where appropriate and don’t report plagiarized data. Attribute a previous work when cited in a report.
• Carefully verify before disseminating: verify every piece of information, especially accusatory statements or revelations, before going public with the report.
• Maintain consistency across all channels. A journalist’s job is to remain truthful in the face of apathy and correct a report if there is updated information or a revelation of mistaken identity.
• Encourage public opinion: Not only in leadership issues but also in the topic of journalism. Getting feedback from the public will help to improve clarity and remind the journalists involved that their legacy lies with the common man. 

Additionally, providing adequate training to upcoming journalists and passing years of experience to them like the Canadian Association of Journalists does will ensure continuity of nation-building journalism as affirmed by Adrian Harewood, Andree Lau, and others even with their busy schedules created time to train entry-level journalists during the 2020 mentorship program.

The Good Dividends Of Journalism In Democracy

As mentioned earlier, the loyalty of decisive journalists lies with the general public, not the government, influential class, not a certain group. Delivering top-notch journalism “without fear or favor” fuels the wheels of democracy. Not getting too attached to the citizens is not advised, either. Rather than being attached to a group, journalists act as a watchman over the government as well as the citizens. They try to be as transparent as possible, especially during national decision-making periods like elections or referendums. Journalism is like any other profession, not easy but a fulfilling profession. There are many successful journalists like Nick Gamache CBC. At CBC, he served as a reporter and producer before eventually moving to Ottawa, where he acted in varying capacities in radio and television broadcasting, as well as writing and editing for CBC’s online platform. Nick Gamache CBC played an instrumental role in planning and executing CBC’s 2015 Federal Election coverage.

Conclusion

So, it is vital to note that the decisions made by journalists can make or break society. Compromised journalism is, in effect, a defective democracy. Making decisions is a challenging task but if you believe that what is right should be done, then making decisions is not as hard as it seems.

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