Journalists lose sight of real duty

Wednesday, October 7, 1998

Journalists

lose sight of real duty

CLINTON: Scandal-hungry reporters exercise poor judgement, fail
public

The past nine months have provided a daunting challenge for
members of the journalism field. Newsrooms are driven less by
ethics and more by profit and competition. Amidst an atmosphere of
capitalistic obsession and reckless reporting, journalists have
chosen to ignore the principles of their trade. Rather,
"journalists" have evolved into merchants selling their wares. In
the rush to get the story, media members have failed to remain
informed, credible and responsible.

The media have blanketed the public with near-sensational
accounts of President Clinton’s sexual encounters with former White
House intern Monica Lewinsky. When the public wondered, "What’s the
story here?" the media’s answer, on almost every front page and
lead story on broadcast reports, was this: Sex is the issue,
stupid.

Although journalists had the decision-making ability to cover
the news they found pertinent, they ignored these factors. Perjury
and a president’s possible impeachment became secondary details.
The story wasn’t about the consequences of the president’s actions.
The story was about the details of what had happened within dark
recesses of the Oval Office between the president and a (then)
21-year-old woman.

Every explicit, sexual detail became available to the public –
whether it be on Internet sites or in unedited publications of the
Starr report. And on Sept. 22, the TV airwaves showed the public
the accused president in full view. In response to competitive
pressure from five cable channels, CBS, ABC and NBC decided to
follow up and air Clinton’s testimony – uninterrupted.

The scandal that used to consist of Whitewater, Travelgate and
Vince Foster’s untimely death became a lurid, trashy and televised
dime-store novel. The media could have spared the public the
unnecessary details but chose to abandon their ethics instead.

The reason behind such behavior – the almighty dollar, book and
newspaper sales, and Nielson ratings. These motivations have left
the public confused about what journalists do and what news really
is. It seems that members of the public – the readers, the viewers
– aren’t the only ones confused.

Our duty as journalists is to provide an accurate account of
events and issues, treating those we report on with professional
and personal integrity, respect and good taste. We must follow the
same code of ethics and standards to which we hold others.

Our motivation should be to inform, not to entertain.

During the media’s coverage of the ongoing Clinton
investigation, a lack of judgement pervaded an unusually
scandal-hungry press core, resulting in the creation of a
misinformed and weary public.

Some argue the media is simply catering to the public interest.
But as journalists ,we are obligated to do more than sell a
product; we should be committed to disseminating newsworthy,
relevant information.

The state of journalism is unfortunate indeed.

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