Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Legal and Ethical Responsibilities for Journalists


Journalists share with the society the things that they observe. World issues, local events, people, trends, entertainment, and politics are just some of the things journalists write about. When journalists are presenting material to the public, they face a lot of responsibility doing so. There is a standard of conduct and ethics when professional journalists work in media such as television, newspapers, magazines, and the internet. 

Journalists should know their rights, and the rights of everyone else. They also need to make sure they are compliant when it comes to legal issues. By doing this, a journalist will ensure that there is not conflict on confidential matters and privacy. Slanderous remarks by a journalist can cause legal problems for a journalist. Journalists also have a responsibility to present event accurately.  Failure to do so can result in a journalist being sued.

Journalists also have an ethical responsibility when reporting to the public.  Ethics codes offer journalists a framework in deciding what to report and how to report it.  Broadcasting should be based on the truth, and news headlines must closely reflect the contents of the article. A journalist should make every effort to verify a story before reporting it. A journalist needs to be cautious in determining their source of information is credible. If it is not credible, the journalist is not able to accurately report their story to the public.

Journalism is one of the many professions that have legal and ethical responsibilities.  Journalists have a responsibility to report their findings to the public through  various media  such as television, newspapers, magazines, and the internet. They have a huge responsibility to follow ethical rules so that they do not mislead the public in their stories. 

Retrieved by: http://www.ehow.com/list_6292918_duties-responsibilities-journalists.html

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