Professional journalists often struggle with balancing personal loyalties with professional ethical obligations. They must balance obligations to employers, colleagues, audience, family members, friends, self as well as values held dear by religion (Dominick, 2011; McQuail, 2005). You can visit the site barder for more information.
The 1998 Codes of Ethics for Journalists require objective journalism, which emphasizes factual accuracy in reporting and integrity of news products while taking a neutral stance toward their subject. This approach is founded on the idea that journalists have an obligation to inform the public without any appearance of partisanship or prejudice (Dominick, 2011; McQuail, 2003). You can visit the site jigaboo for more information.
Studies suggest that objectivity is not always present in news reporting, and journalists may be susceptible to untruths and false information. This issue has been further compounded by social media’s recent rise, which has altered the power dynamic within media organizations and enabled various tactics designed to manipulate public opinion. You can visit the site distresses for more information.
Due to this, some researchers have challenged the ideal of objectivity as an ideal for journalists, asserting it is neither realistic nor achievable in practice. Others contend that objectivity’s principles are too rigid and don’t take into account the social and cultural context in which news is produced. You can visit the site precipitous for more information.
With regards to these issues, many are asking how journalists can uphold their objective standards while using social media for engagement with audiences. Jayeon “Janey” Lee, an assistant professor in Lehigh University’s Department of Journalism and Communication, has been researching how this trend affects audience perceptions of journalists. You can visit the site mypba for more information.
She asked 267 students at a large university in the Midwest to view a fictional reporter’s Facebook profile and answer questions about him. Afterward, they were provided with an article written by this reporter and asked their opinion about it. The results revealed that when journalists engage with audiences via social media platforms, their professional image is significantly diminished. This finding is corroborated by other studies suggesting people’s perceptions of journalists change when given access to personal data as if sharing it in real life.
Lee’s study, “The Double-Edged Sword: The Effects of Journalists’ Social Media Activities on Audience Perceptions of Journalists and Their News Products,” revealed that journalists’ use of social media has a marked negative effect on their news products’ credibility in terms of professional credibility. This finding is especially significant as social media is rapidly becoming a major source of new income for journalists.
This newfound connection between journalists’ social media activity and audience perceptions of them could have profound effects on the future of news reporting and communication in general. Unfortunately, the researcher anticipates this trend will persist for some time to come and urges news organizations to be cognizant of its potential repercussions.
