4.18 Reader’s Notebook

While skimming Ohio’s Sunshine Laws, it became clear to me that every Ohio citizen should do the same. Furthermore, journalists should dig even deeper into the document so that they can serve both their ethical standards and the public’s right to truth. However, I did take away that the media do not possess any higher rights than the general public, which should be taken into consideration when searching and publishing public records. From the stance of citizen, the sunshine laws provide governmental transparency, which breeds trust between constituents and institutions. Another important takeaway is that there are exemptions from public records because although transparency is important, so it confidentiality to all citizens.

The article about linking provides four good descriptions of journalism, in that it should be honest, transparent, laden with attributions and context. In most cases, I see unpublishing a story as an unfair concession where journalists may have their hands tied. If a journalist heeds to one request, they may lose firm credibility and have to agree to this request more in the future. I think it is more appropriate to offer an addendum or a follow-up, as the first Poynter article suggests. Rolling Stone’s statement on its UVA article is laudable but also may have come to late because of how explosive the reaction to the misdeed was. A situation like this is something that no journalist ever wants to find themselves in, yet if it does happen, we must be ready. The statement mentions judgement, which is such a subjective entity that a lapse in it might create negative consequences. We are human and humans do make mistakes, but many professions cannot afford to make any mistakes; journalism is one of these. I think it is better to make a correction that to try and cover up or ignore the mistake. Corrections build integrity within and without, and that is something all journalists constantly need.