Rick Chambers & Associates, LLC
Strategic Communications
  • Home
  • What We Offer
  • Guiding Values
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Contact Us

Journalism's Light Dims, Too

8/3/2012

 
Picture
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
A few months ago, I posted a blog about public relations’ own reputation issues, some of which are self-made due to the graying of ethical behavior.

Sadly, we’re seeing the same thing happen in journalism.

This week it was Jonah Lehrer, a 31-year-old science writer at The New Yorker and author of the best-selling book, “Imagine: How Creativity Works.” Lehrer resigned after admitting he made up quotes for singer Bob Dylan in “Imagine.” This was after Lehrer was caught recycling his blog posts from other publications. The once-rising star is now jobless and humiliated, and his popular book is being yanked from shelves by the publisher.

Of course, there are plenty of these black eyes in the profession’s history, going back to the days of “yellow journalism” in the late 1800s, where misleading headlines and hyperbole were de riguer. More recently, we have The New York Times’ Jayson Blair and The Washington Post’s Janet Cooke, both of whom admitted making up stories—in Cooke’s case, a story that earned a Pulitzer Prize.

And just since this past Memorial Day:

-- Reporter Paresh Jha was fired by the New Canaan (Conn.) News for alleged fabrications in up to 25 stories;

-- Intern Liane Membis got broomed by The Wall Street Journal after accusations of making up sources;

-- Chicago-area news organization Pioneer Press Publications shed photographer Tamara Bell after she admitted to 22 made-up quotes in photo essays;

-- The Chicago Tribune fired third-party news provider Journatic after elements of a sports story were found to be either plagiarized or made up.

In an industry that builds itself on a reputation of truth and accuracy, fabrication is more than just an error in judgment; it shatters the very foundations of journalism. Indeed, a recent Gallup poll revealed that the public’s confidence in both TV and print news is at an all-time low.

It’s easy—and correct—to blame the individuals. They chose to act as they did and should be held accountable.

But journalism does itself a great disservice if it stops there. These are examples of fundamental problems in the profession. News media are so caught up in the 24/7 competitive news cycle that speed and quantity have outstripped accuracy. Compounding this is ongoing cutbacks in newsrooms that have sent veteran reporters packing, dismissed copy editing and fact checking, and dumped more and more responsibility on less-experienced staffers.

The New York Times columnist David Carr lamented the lack of urgency among journalists to address these problems. “We think of ourselves as doing the People’s work, and write off lapses in ethics and practices as potholes on the way to a Greater Truth,” he wrote.

Nineteenth-century British writer Thomas Carlyle called journalism “the Fourth Estate,” a non-governmental institution that wields great influence on society. It seems that institution is being tainted with the same unethical brush with which it so often paints the other estates.

And our civilization is that much darker, that much weaker, because of it.



Comments are closed.
    Picture

    Rick Chambers

    Rick is the owner and president of Rick Chambers & Associates, LLC.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    December 2021
    September 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    Categories

    All
    Accuracy
    Code Of Ethics
    Communication Ammo
    Communications
    Digital News
    Fairness
    Firefly
    Integrity
    Internal Communication
    Lie
    Loyalty
    Matt Friedman
    Media Relations
    Pr
    Print News
    Prsa
    Public Relations
    Radiance
    Recognition
    Sean Williams
    Serenity
    Spin
    Star Trek
    Star Trek Phase Ii
    Tanner Friedman
    Truth

    RSS Feed

About Us

Rick Chambers & Associates, LLC, brings a solid track record of strategic, diverse, objective-based communications and public relations services. RC&A works closely with clients to understand their business, develop stakeholder relationships, build meaningful dialogue and help share their stories effectively.

Picture
Rick Chambers & Associates, LLC
1514 Kingsbury Drive
Portage, MI 49002-1664
USA
269.873.5820
info@rickchambersassociates.com