The Young and the Ethicless - Journalism Ethics Soap Opera

This is my final project for my journalism ethics class.
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As we learn, Colleen's downfall is that she didn't have an ethical standard to hold herself to. She was tired and desperate for a story. She thought that because the story seemed harmless it would be acceptable to lie. However, as she learned, that can blow up in your face... especially when it comes to journalism.

The Ethical Principal Colleen should have had:
Ayn Rands Rational Self-Interest - do what's good for you as long as you don't trample on the rights of others.
Instead, she did what she wanted with no regard to anyone else's rights.

Loyalties she should have thought of: while she should be loyal to herself first, she also needs to think about how her stories will effect her family and friends, readers, bosses and employers.

Value/Virtue: Colleen should have, but did not, value truth telling, which is the most important value in journalism. She made up a story with false sources. She cares about money, but she didn't want to do the work that would make her worth the money. Also, being the voice of the people is very important, but she lied to the people instead of afflicting the comfortable

Code of Ethics
1. Tell the Truth - always fact check, never make up a story, source everything
2. Minimize Harm - think about how your article will affect people; decide if the article is worth harming some people for the greater-good
3. Be the Voice of the People - afflict the comfortable

I believe these are the three most important ideas journalists should remember when writing every story.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• comedy
• skit
• journalism
• ethics
• college
• soap opera
• cheesy