James Burgess, former publisher of the Wisconsin State Journal, has contributed $1 million to the UW-Madison School of Journalism in efforts to raise integrity and ethics among future journalists who attend this school. Increasing the amount of courses devoted to ethics within the Journalism School will bring to light the importance of responsible writing and the obligation of truth journalists owe to society.
In light of friends and co-workers who find the news to be less-than-trustworthy, I find the contribution and its intentions to be most honorable.
Several times I have been told that controversial and scandalous news will attract the most readers, and controversy simply comes with the territory of being an opinion writer. However, the information on which I base my opinions is completely factual. Out of respect for our readers and the student body, both campus newspapers seem to reflect a high standard of morals and principles necessary to successful journalism. Knowing these journalists contribute to a future of improved media coverage is part of this endeavor, but right now newspapers across the country are quickly losing legitimacy and readers.
Some say journalists have become too obsessed with a profit or increased readership. Others claim journalists are trying to move away from the mundane by getting a rise out of their readers and often stretch the truth to incite a fevered response. Whatever the cause of its failure, journalism-both written and broadcast-has become too devoted to entertainment value. Journalism of the past has been irreversibly swept under the rug and only a new attempt, including social responsibility and vigilance, can ensure its survival.
The recent popularity of \blogging"" has been a major setback to the revival of great journalism. Now any citizen can post a wealth of information on the Internet and claim it is factual breaking news. With the number of Internet users growing daily, the thought of bloggers ignoring any obligation of truth is a dangerous one. This year especially, bloggers engaged themselves in the political race, offering presidential and polling information based on personal opinion instead of factual research.
Yet millions logged in to the ""news"" and were influenced by what complete strangers had to say, believing the source was similar to an online news page. Freedom of speech has allowed these writers to continue the fallacies without reprimand, but there remains no standard, no code of ethics which they are required to follow.
Journalism entails an enormous amount of research, dedication, persistence and, above all, ethics. Furthermore, as in any other field of study, journalism gains much of its credibility from the fact that successful journalists have often studied and immersed themselves in the field for years. Agreeing with someone is one thing, but trusting the validity of everything you read is quite another. Journalists must strive to gain the respect and trust of their readers before concentrating on the sensationalistic aspects of their writing.
Burgess' decision to invest in the Journalism School has demonstrated the vital importance of ethical training. Offering sufficient ethics courses to journalism students will only improve their writing abilities and offer hope for the future of this profession. Encouraging the students to value their future career for its ethical advantages is an admirable step toward improvement. Perhaps the students of UW-Madison will now have the chance to change the direction of journalism in a way we never thought possible.
Jessica Sprang is a sophomore majoring in journalism. Send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
