Verification

As a reporter and director for Channel Eleven News, I hear errors all the time in information that is told to our viewers. Just the other day, our station claimed an incident happened in France involving a billion people. There aren't even a billion people in France! The mistake was small and silly and seemingly trivial, but small or not, such mistakes demonstrate a lack of verification and therefore a lack of truth.

Verification is critical to journalism.

Even minor mistakes can cause a plethora of confusion and misinformation. Assertion is not enough--simply saying that something is fact doesn't make it fact. Even if the information sounds credible, it should always be supported by bona fide sources.

The "Elements of Journalism" says that seeking multiple witnesses, disclosing as much as possible about sources, and asking many sides for comment, are tools in the discipline of verification. A major element of verification is objectivity meaning that the journalist is not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts. I liked the included list of concepts that form the foundation of the discipline of verification:

1. Never add anything that was not there
-It is never OK to add things that didn't happen! Sometimes it's easy to assume additional details to the story, but until they are verified, the "fact" remains fiction. When in doubt, leave it out!
2. Never deceive the audience
-A journalist's job is to inform the public in the public's best interest. Sometimes including assertions that make the story more interesting is tempting, but still...not OK.
3. Be as transparent as possible about your methods and motives
- Reveal the directness of your knowledge, you sources, your bias. Even if a journalist doesn't know the answer, they should admit it. The more honest and open a journalist is with their audience, the more trust they will gain--viewers appreciate when a journalist admits they're human :).
4. Rely on your own original reporting
-It's the same thing we've all heard over and over again since elementary school--Do your own work!!! Michael Oresekes said, "...the people who worried about getting beaten, rather than just trying to do it as well as they could as quickly as they could, messed up."
5. Exercise humility
-I think humility is a HUGE part of being an authentic journalist. Journalists should accept that they don't know everything, and should always be open to constructive and even deconstructive criticism. They should have confidence but still carry a hint of skepticism about their work.

I wasn't in class the day my class presented on this topic, but I personally feel I can really relate to the topic of verification right now. As a reporter for KBYU, sometimes I find myself feeling lazy and asserting more than verifying just to get a story done. But even as a student journalist, I remind myself that I'm still a voice to the community. And if I don't start verifying now, at what point will I actually make a priority? Verification is an important habit to develop from the beginning. I also think it's something that makes journalists better people outside of their profession in creating patterns of honesty and integrity.

This article mentions some interesting things about the Principles of Journalism and verification: http://www.journalism.org/resources/principles "This discipline of verification is what separates journalism from other modes of communication, such as propaganda, fiction or entertainment."

Words from the mouth of a journalist...

Don Meyers, a reporter from the Salt Lake Tribune (and a friend of Bro. Campbell’s when they both went to BYU), spoke to my Comms 239 class on October 14 about “The Mind of a Journalist”. (I liked him. Follow him here on @twitter)


He began by talking about how some journalists see their job as a “priesthood” or calling, which is also mentioned in our “Elements of Journalism” book.


While some journalists may believe this, I’m not one of them.


I choose to be a journalist not because I think it’s a profession that was chosen for me as some divine calling, or that it’s of a higher order, but because I consider myself a story-teller—which is another point Meyers addressed.

“We are storytellers at heart. Plus, we are also historians probably with a sense of justice.”

Even as a mere student journalist reporting for KBYU, every week I work to tell a story that explains an issue that's happening in the community and how it affects any viewer that may be watching. Journalism for me is a way of serving others. I also agree with what Meyer’s said about journalists as “historians with a sense of justice”. Journalists act as watchdogs of society—as a sort of fourth branch of government. (http://bit.ly/1msMmd)


Meyers also talked about the story covering the collapse of Crandall Canyon in Emery County mine (http://bit.ly/93pwh9) where the mine collapsed and the owner blamed it on an earthquake. Seismographs later showed that the cause was actually due to the mine collapse, and the Salt Lake Tribune discovered they were using a procedure called “retreat mine”. Journalists were able to unveil vague aspects of the story through the Freedom of Information Act and the Government Records Access and Management Act. I think this example proves journalists as not only storytellers, but everyday heroes.

Loyalty & Journalism

Sifting through media this week I found myself wondering...How much objectivity actually went into the latest movie review of "Social Network"? Was Macaroni Grill's review of shrimp pasta influenced more by it's "delectably zesty flavor" or by a purchased ad? How much of media altogether has to do with self-interest?

Amid all of these questions I found myself ultimately wondering...where exactly does a journalist's loyalty lie?

According to "The Elements of Journalism," journalism's first loyalty is to citizens.

The dictionary defines loyalty as "a strong feeling of support or allegiance." Loyalty is important in journalism because it gives citizens confidence in the press. When journalists put the people's interests above their own, citizens will build trust. Sadly, not all journalists make loyalty a priority. In today's world, journalists have been transformed to care more about "business" than "journalism." Worrying more about keeping budgets and attracting consumers (note consumers and not customers. News is provided free to the public.) tends to get in the way of seeking truth. Ideally, news and business should be separated as church and state. While I believe the money-making aspect of journalism is still important, I would hope that journalists would put loyalty to their citizens above all else.

I love the quote by Nick Clooney -
"If it ever comes down to a question of my loyalty, my loyalty will be to the person who turns on the televison set."

Norman Solomon brings up a several good points about journalism and loyalty in his article, "A Pledge of Loyalty to Journalism" that can be viewed by clicking here.

In class, we talked about "The Wall" of division between business and news that I also found interesting in regard to journalistic loyalty. The concept involves 5 key characteristics:

1. The owner must first be committed to citizens
-Owners ultimately decide the quality of the news produced; they set the standard of quality.
2. Owner's should hire business managers who also put citizens first
-"It comes down to selecting people who have good news judgment and experience in journalism and are sensitive to potential conflicts. I would prefer to have a person with sound judgment." Robert Dechard.
3. Clear standards must be set and communicated
- When everyone is on the same page, roles are more appreciated and conflicts are handled better.
4. Journalists have a final say over news
5. Clear standards should be communicated to the public
-Citizens should understand exactly how news organizations operate. Organizations should state values and standards. I think Forrest Carr's "Viewers Bill of Rights" that invited viewers to enter the newsroom is a perfect example of this.