I can see through you!!!!

      As we strive to become journalists there are principles extremely important which we must learn and then decide to follow. Just as when we chose as children to say no to drugs, alcohol, and other destructive substances, we must decide now, before we are professionals, what we believe and then live by those values no matter what.

      Why? There may come a time when we receive a story and shortly thereafter we find out that we are the first ones to hear about it. Then there may be an overwhelming desire to be the first to publish that story before we verify where it came from and if it is even true. After all most of us dream of the same opportunity that Robert Woodward had in the Watergate scandal. However, as said in the presentation in class on Tuesday we must aim “for thoroughness, accuracy, fairness, and transparency” in our journalism. One of the most important standards that we can emphasize is that of verification. The best way to have good verification is to learn good tools before we are in a profession and then practice them. “Practices such as seeking multiple witnesses to an event, disclosing as much as possible about sources, and asking many sides for comment are, in effect, tools in the discipline of verification.” http://kyleeknoles.blogspot.com/2010/02/verification-journalism.html

      As we strive to verify our leads and stories it will solidify our stories in formation or articles and our reputation. I firmly believe that the process of verification will build a bond of trust between us and the public. It is this trust which I feel is lacking in today's society lacking. But the question may still linger as to how we build this trust and improve the verification of our stories.

      One of the best ways that I learned from this last reading and presentation was through transparency. This is the plastic thing we put on an overhead projector but is one of the fundamental tools of good reporting. “Transparency signals a respect for the audience and reaffirms a journalist's public interest motive, the key to gaining credibility.” http://newsgames.gatech.edu/blog/2009/02/notions-of-transparency-in-journalism.html When the public knows our respect them and our desire to get the facts to them, then we will gain their respect back. “Transparency in journalism also includes honesty but goes a step further. It includes virtue and credibility. In journalism, that means accrediting sources and quoting accurately.” http://blogs.setonhill.edu/NancyGregg/2005/09/journalism_of_v.html

      As we strive to be transparent and to verify our stories we will become great assets to the world of journalism. We do, after all, believe in being “honest” and “true” (Articles of Faith #13) in all that we do. Let us therefore decide today to live by the principles which will be of the most service to society.