Transparency and ethical journalism in today’s times

In a world chock-full of news articles, breaking news, and politicians, how does one find a reliable news source? The public is oftentimes left wondering who they can trust for reliable and unbiased news. Civilians are left to gather all of the pieces from different sources if they cannot find all of the information in one place. As a result of this conundrum, journalists across the globe come together and work to have two central goals as a news outlet: ethical journalism and transparency.

Ethics, defined by Merriam Webster online, is “the discipline dealing with what is good and band and with moral duty and obligation.” In order to establish an ethical news source, one must, as stated at the Society of Professional Journalists Convention’s National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, “Take special care not to misrepresent or oversimplify in promoting, previewing or summarizing a story.”

When covering a story or even when talking to friends or colleagues, private citizens should use proper care to ensure that all information is accurate and presented correctly. Transparency is the practice in news reporting to be as open and black and white as possible about all content. It helps to sharpen the distinctions between what is fact and fiction in the news world. In correlation with transparency, news sources have an obligation to the public to be honest. To remain ethical in practice and transparent within that practice, a media professional must tell all sides to the story and get every angle possible. The reporter’s duty is to hear all sides of the story and not to neglect the sides that are often overlooked. The overall objective of news sources are to speak out for those who feel silenced and bring their stories to light.