1. Drafts due. Shared with editors.
2. Read these articles:
SPJ Code of Ethics
Brian Williams NYT
The Act of Rigorous Forgiving
Poynter
Answer the following questions in the comment section of this post.
1. Using the SPJ Code of Ethics, what are the three major infractions Brian Williams has committed?
2. Do you agree with how David Brooks suggests the media and the public handle this situation?
3. Why do you think it's so hard for journalists to leave themselves out of major stories? What do journalists need to do to remind themselves that the story isn't about the reporter?
4. How do you think Brian Williams should be reprimanded for his actions? Take into account what others have suggested and think about the code of ethics.
I would suggest you write in a google doc and then paste into the comment section. Make sure you write your name on the post. Due at the end of class.
If done before the end of the block, start working on brief or article.
6 comments:
1. Brian Williams betrayed viewer trust, did not present the truth by distorting facts and context and failed to avoid conflicts of interest.
2. I think people need to learn from their mistakes. It seems that letting Williams continue to broadcast would almost validate his actions and make it seem like less of a big deal. To acknowledge the extreme ethical codes he violated, there must be an equally extreme punishment. I do believe in second chances, but to learn from the first there needs to be some sort of consequence; it’s just how humans function. The public should understand that he made a mistake, but not forgive him to the extent that Brooks suggests. Instead, they should take this as a lesson for future journalism and how important honesty really is.
3. I think it’s difficult for them to leave themselves out of major stories because naturally, we as people are selfish. We crave attention and we want our name to be on the front page. To do this, many journalists believe that they need the most extreme and shocking circumstances possible to make that cover story. Journalists need to make sure they fully follow the code of ethics for journalism and understand that the purpose of their occupation is not to make a name for themselves, but to deliver the most accurate interpretations of what is going on in today’s society.
4. I think he should definitely have to take time off without pay. I also think he should have to revisit the code of ethics and give a much more sincere and elaborated apology. His original one was pretty vague and didn’t really demonstrate a comprehension of the journalistic standards and viewer trust that he violated.
Bryn McLaughlin
1.
Brian Williams committed these three major infractions:
1) Take responsibility for the accuracy of their work. Verify information before releasing it. Use original sources whenever possible. Williams flat out lied.
2) Provide context. Take special care not to misrepresent or oversimplify in promoting, previewing or summarizing a story. His info was inaccurate.
3) Abide by the same high standards they expect of others. I am sure Williams expects the people he interviews to tell the truth.
2.
Yes, completely. I really agree with him that “There’s something sad in Brian Williams’s need to puff up his Iraq adventures and something barbaric in the public response.” The response to Williams was so hateful, I began to almost feel bad for him.
3.
I think it’s hard for journalists to leave themselves out of the story because once they cover the story, they feel themselves involved, and thus want to share their experiences. I think wanting to share your experiences with others, especially if they concern the military, scandal, precarious situations, etc, is an innately human desire. I think journalists should instead share their personal experiences with their family or friends or maybe a blog, instead of with the public.
4.
I sincerely believe Williams should be given a second chance. It was absolutely not okay that he lied, but he is also a pretty established journalist who has done some great work. i think he should be suspended for maybe a month, and then be allowed to return.
1. Using the SPJ Code of Ethics, what are the three major infractions Brian Williams has committed?
Failed to acknowledge mistakes and correct them promptly and prominently. Explain corrections and clarifications carefully and clearly.
He deliberately distorted facts/context, and failed to clearly label illustrations and re-enactments.
Take responsibility for the accuracy of their work
2. Yes, very much so. I really appreciate Brooks’ perspective. I think forgiveness is an extremely important act and the principles with which he describes forgiveness are key to acting appropriately and compassionately. Too often I think public figures are viciously attacked and then forgotten about, and this is not only cruel and unproductive, it is not conducive to the growth of the person or the public.
3,I think journalists want to feel important and validated, and to feel a personal connection to their audience and to feel the respect and admiration of their audience for them as people, not just as journalists. I think journalists should constantly refresh themselves on their commitment to transparency and to report the truth, and embellishment or bias where it exists. I think remembering that the opportunity to right a major story is a validating achievement in itself, and that everyone who reads the article will see your name attached to it. Also, injecting yourself and your personal life/perspective into the article will almost certainly result in backlash anyway, so there’s really no point.
4. I think his suspension is appropriate. I think NBC should require him to seek the help of a psychologist if he is to return so that he can better understand himself, his ego, and his need to include himself in the picture. I think Williams’ acceptance and understanding of himself and his own insecurities will help him grow as a person and allow him to let go of his need to insert himself into the spotlight, which will make him more trustworthy and a more reliable, better journalist than he was in the first place. I think it’s sad that someone of his stature and his payroll failed to seek help in gaining a better understanding of himself earlier, especially in a profession where control over one’s own ego is crucially important.
Emma Wall
1. Using the SPJ Code of Ethics, Brian Williams has gone against the rules of Seeking Truth and Reporting it and Be Accountable and Transparent (both for obvious reasons), and betrayed viewers’ trust.
2. I agree mostly with how David Brooks suggests the media and public handle these types of situations, in the sense that it is the “honorable” thing to do. However, I also understand that people who feel harmed by the situation might feel like Williams “gets away with it” because they want vengeance. And I don’t agree with Brooks’ opinion that Williams should be able to stay on the show, because I think that he blatantly violated his primary job responsibilities. As a reporter, his duty is to bring true and accurate news to the world, and by lying, he clearly goes against that duty. I think that Brooks’ ideas are good for the most part because they end with both parties moving forward and especially because it gives people the opportunity to forgive, which is honestly better for people than vengeance, even though it might not feel as great. However, I do not think that he is harsh enough on Williams, who did not go along with this plan especially when his apology was kind of weak and expected. Instead of admitting that he made a mistake and confessing, he focuses more on how something had gone wrong in his head.
3. Humans have a tendency, especially when they get a lot of public attention, to let it go to their head. As the Poynter article describes, he stopped focusing on the story and moved the spotlight to himself. I think that it really all comes down to vanity, and I think that in a way, reporters have to figure out their own way to stay humble, but in general, creating a culture in newspapers that is constantly reminding reporters of the fact that they’re not the “star of the show” would benefit everyone involved.
4. I think that suspension from the show is harsh, but appropriate. In exaggerating his story he is lying, and therefore not doing his job. I’m not entirely sure how long I think he should be suspended for, but I do think that his previous reporting needs to be investigated to see if there are any additional things that he might have gotten wrong. Additionally, I think that it would be appropriate for him to give a more heartfelt apology and properly acknowledge his mistakes.
Milton Dimas
2/11/15
Journalism
G-Block, Mary Collie
The three infractions would be the fact that he lied about his new coverage, he continued to lie about in the Late Night Show, and how he made himself appear almost as a hero with the Iraq Veteran who was retiring.
I agree with David Brooks. I agree with Brooks on the fact that “no matter how high you go in life and no matter how many accolades you win, it’s never enough.” The 4 steps that Brooks lays out for the reader, pre-emptive mercy, judgment, confession and penitence, and reconciliation and re-trust, is a great way to begin the healing process that Brian Williams has caused.
In Brian Williams’s case, I think that he got too hungry and as Brooks points out the fame wasn’t enough for him. I’m guessing since he was involved in some “catastrophe in Iraq” he felt that he was apart of something greater. This is return caused him to feel like he knew more about this experience than his other fellow news reporters. They need to remind themselves basically what SPJ Code of Ethics states, their job is to report the news and to distance themselves completely from outside pressures and pressures from themselves.
I think that Williams should be given another chance, after NBC news has done a full background check on his past stories. Regardless if he flawed other stories he should be forgiven for his mistakes and if the number of stories that he gave misinformation to is too high then he should be given a job that does not allow him to be on TV. Williams should 1)Take responsibility for the accuracy of their work. Verify information before releasing it. Use original sources whenever possible 2)Never deliberately distort facts or context, including visual information. Clearly label illustrations and re-enactments.
1. Brian Williams did not seek truth and report it, he fabricated his role in the report.
Williams ignored his primary obligation of serving the public. The primary reason for the fabrication was self serving.
Brian did not minimize harm, the fabrication of his role was disrespectful to the soldiers who were actually involved.
Finally, Williams was not accountable and transparent. After his fabrication came to light, he was unavailable for comment and has closed himself off from the public.
2. While I do believe that what Williams did is very wrong, I can understand why he did it. For that reason, I do agree with Brooks on how to handle the situation. I think he should be suspended for a while but ultimately forgiveness is the right way to go.
3. Its really hard for journalists to leave themselves out of stories because the people in the stories are in the spotlight. While writing an article can bring some fame, being featured in one brings a much greater amount. Its understandable that after reporting on events for so long that one might want to see their name featured in the actual story. Its important for journalists to remind themselves that their primary commitment is to report the truth to the public.
4. I think Brian Williams’s actions deserve exactly what he got. He should be suspended for an extended amount of time (as he has: 6 months) but eventually be aloud to come back to reporting. The hit to his career is sufficient punishment in my opinion.
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