Seven Ethical Dilemmas Journalists Face - (Wai Yan)

Journalists have a 'Code of Ethics' in which they have to follow to really be regarded as one. This 'Code of Ethics' includes areas of seeking and reporting the truth, minimizing harm, acting independently as well as being accountable. It's not a unlawful crime to not fulfill this code but it sure is in the journalist's world, where journalists are required to be ethically right as they deliver information to others. With this 'Code of Ethics', there comes problems and journalists face some perplexity. There is a group of ethical dilemmas that are rather commonly faced by journalists at many points of their time in their life as journalists. It can be known as the "Seven Ethical Dilemmas Journalists Face". There are seven of it as stated in the header, varying from 'conflict of interests', 'plagiarism', 'anonymous sources', 'offending or distasteful content', 'invasion of privacy', 'bias' and 'commitment to accuracy'. It may seem as if all are equally matched in terms of importance or they are meant to be, but in my views, there is one which is able to rule out all of the rest. It is nothing other than the journalist's commitment to accuracy.

A journalist's very main job is to deliver to you information which is true, or in other words, correct and precise information. So if the factor of accuracy is compromised in the information/ resources he delivers, is that still journalism? I don't think so and this is why I feel that this factor is of utmost importance to the other factors as it determines a journalist whether he is a 'legitimate' journalist or not, as it determines the definition of journalism. Always remember, not publishing information is almost always better than publishing inaccurate information.

Seven Ethical Dilemmas Journalists Face - Jason

I find that as a journalist, the worst dilemma would be conflict of interest as it would be hard to separate the writer's own feelings and what the truth is. An example would be if a journalist was asked to cover a story about a certain company in the the stock market that was recently losing money, and that reporter is heavily invested in a the company’s stock, it might change how he/she writes about the company. Even if it doesn’t affect the story. Whats more, if the readers discovers about it, it could raise doubts about anything else he/she wrote in that area. Currently, newspaper and magazines companies have been trying to reduce such issues and certain journalists would also go to the extreme of not voting in the presidential elections, just for the sake of avoiding a conflict of interest if he/she is making a report about it.

Seven Ethical Dilemmas Journalists Face - WenFeng

To me the worst dilemma is Biasness. Biasness cause you to feel in favor or preference towards a particular thing and usually comes at the expense of other things.  It may be applied to people, situations, and various other circumstances.  Being biased may also mean being one-sided as a person may prefer a certain thing over the other regardless of seemingly good points.

Seven Ethical Dilemmas Journalists Face - Eunice

I feel that the most severe ethical dilemma is offending or distasteful content. As a journalist, sometimes it seems impossible to run a story without offending, insulting or displeasing someone however there are still moments when journalists must learn to not cross the line. Journalist have the responsibility to know how to present their information to the public in a professional, polite way which will enable all members of the public to read it without taking any offense by the remarks made. Even the smallest offensive remarks presented by the journalist can be a mountain out of a molehill as members of the public are usually quite sensitive over some topics. For example, religion. No matter how minor the insult or offense is, it can cause a huge argument which may escalate into a larger scale. Unwanted and maybe unnecessary problems will stir up thus creating a huge burden not only to the journalist himself/herself but also the company and the people around them. 

Seven Ethical Dilemmas Journalists Face (Clemens)

To me the most severe dilemma is biasness because if you know or like someone you might be inclined to help them out and portray them in the right light. This is extremely important that journalists are not biased to anyone and keep a neutral position.

Seven Ethical Dilemmas Journalists Face - Ian

I personally think the most severe one is biasness. With enough said, the biggest thing about it to me is that it can really affect a great deal in small or big affairs. With it, it could influence and implant ideas or viewpoints that highlight a certain party's better side. This could especially be a great deal in presidential elections. It would affect the entire country or even the world and cause a great deal of damage if the journalist's bias party did something disastrous.

Seven Ethical Dilemmas Journalists Face (Yun Shu)

I feel that the most severe ethical dilemma is "Commitment to accuracy". The main purpose of a journalist is to report accurate information to the public. If the information is not even accurate or trustworthy, hardly anyone will read it. Furthermore, the inaccurate information might cause harm to some innocent people.