Sesno Acclaimed journalist Frank Sesno spoke Wednesday night at the SMU Sammons Lecture in Media Ethics about the complexities of being a journalist. What struck me most in his speech were his comments about networks wanting to be first to break stories. Nothing positive results from horserace journalism. History has shown that when this yearning to be first overshadows accuracy, reputations are ruined. There's no way to restore ruined reputations; the damage has been done. Fresno's recommendation to stop this was making sure newscasters use a "language of live." This language would enforce that the information they are delivering is what they know NOW. Not set in stone. Not exactly proven. Just current.

I know that when I am in a hurry, my work can be not near as thought-provoking or thorough as when I have all the time in the world. Emotions get involved. Panic ensues. The deadline starts to loom over me and I feel the pressure.

And that's just for schoolwork! I can't imagine what it would feel like to break a story like Sept. 11 or the Virginia Tech shootings. Deaths, families, entire lives' work were suddenly shattered or severely fragmented. And an anchorperson has the responsibility to deliver this news to world in the most timely--and accurate--fashion.

Journalists need to emphasize that what they are reporting is to the best of their knowledge accurate, but it might not necessarily be 100 percent fact. It might not even be 50 percent fact. It's just the information or intelligence they are being fed at the time by the best sources they can access.

Journalists also need to realize, however, that they are accountable for the news they put out there. They can't expect the public to be forgiving when the news is inaccurate, especially if it affects the people they love. Journalists also can't attach an invisible disclaimer of sorts to everything they report. They must prioritize: it's better to get the facts right the first time, rather than be first on the airwaves.

When immediacy overshadows quality, lives are ruined. The Duke lacrosse players accused of rape will never have their unscathed reputations back. Check out this link for more information: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/11/60minutes/main2082140.shtml.

Even though they were falsely accused, they will have a stigma placed on them for the rest of their lives. Because a public official came forward early on and said he was "convinced" there was a rape and the news networks wanted ratings, those young men were essentially persecuted for a crime they did not commit. Though they are not considered rapists by the American justice system, they were deemed rapists by much of the country before the public knew any of the facts.

Instances such as this should not be allowed to happen. People's livelihood is at stake. Journalists need to triple check their information and present what they know to be accurate. When there is a doubt regarding accuracy, this doubt should be verbally and explicitly expressed to the public. We owe them that.  ¶ posted by Claire at 5:53 PM •