The place to begin judging news reporting is “The Journalist’s Creed,” written by the first dean of the Missouri School of Journalism, Walter Williams, around a hundred years ago. Here it is in slightly abbreviated form so if will fit the time allowed for this broadcast:
“I believe in the profession of journalism. I believe that the public journal is a public trust; that all connected with it are, to the full measure of their responsibility, trustees for the public; that acceptance of a lesser service than the public service is betrayal of this trust. I believe that clear thinking and clear statement, accuracy and fairness, are fundamental to good journalism. I believe that a journalist should write only what he holds in his heart to be true. I believe that suppression of the news, for any consideration other than the welfare of society, is indefensible.”
“I believe that no one should write as a journalist what he would not say as a gentleman. I believe that the supreme test of good journalism is the measure of its public service. I believe that the journalism which succeeds best — and deserves success — fears God and honors man, is stoutly independent, unmoved by pride of opinion or greed of power, constructive, tolerant but never careless, self-controlled, patient, always respectful of its readers, but always unafraid, is quickly indignant at injustice; is unswayed by the appeal of privilege or the clamor of the mob; seeks to give every man a chance; and, as far as law and honest wage and recognition of human brotherhood can make it so, an equal chance; is profoundly patriotic.”
This is Carl Ramsey and that’s Another View of the News.
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