The Australian public has always enjoyed a love/hate relationship with the media. While a vast majority of us consume some degree of mainstream news, it seems ironic that so many of us are quick to criticise the publications we welcome into our daily routine.
The Media Entertainment Arts Alliance Code of Ethics states journalists should “report and interpret honestly, striving for accuracy, fairness and disclosure of all essential facts”. I believe most professional journalists who have survived in the industry for any real length of time genuinely attempt to adhere to this code. However, through their endeavours to break stories as quickly as possible, inaccuracies do inevitably find their way into the news. Regrettably, these inaccuracies sometimes form the core of a story, wasting the time and money of news outlets and leaving the public feeling betrayed.
According to The Australian, retiring Australian Press Council head Ken McKinnon expressed his concerns over current ethical standards in his farewell chairman’s report. McKinnon delivered a bitter parting shot at publishers for failing to ensure “accuracy, fairness and balance” and calls for a review of the accountability of editors.
In his final report, Professor McKinnon identifies three recent examples where incorrect or unchecked information has been used for a news story. The first being the “Utegate” scandal "which led to a barrage of media attacks from both broadsheets and tabloids on the Prime Minister on the basis of a single unchecked, forged email". The second example is the fiasco surrounding Pauline Hanson and those supposed photos of her posing semi-nude in her younger years, and the third concerning the questionable media frenzy over NSW minister John Della Bosca’s fidelity. Professor McKinnon refers to the news value in this story, questioning whether there was real public interest in an otherwise personal matter.
So do news outlets deliberately place commercial benefit ahead of substance and accuracy? Or is it that the global media industry has become so competitive that it is simply too difficult and time-consuming to check up on information before publishing a story? Journalism ethics is an important issue for both publisher and consumer. Journalists and editors alike need to take responsibility for the words and images they publish because at the end of the day, credibility and reputation are paramount for the survival of any hard-news publication.
Article: Parting shot as press chief quits
Image Source: Australian Press Council
No comments:
Post a Comment