American Civil War novelist, John W. DeForest once wrote: “It is not the great temptations that ruin us; it is the little ones.” The vast availability of technology and the seemingly infinite amount of information it can provide can be classified – in the words of DeForest – as one of those little temptations. As journalists, that little temptation to abuse what technology has to offer can ruin not only us as journalists, but can harm society as well.
I am fearful that the increasing presence of technology in journalism and in the process of reporting has the ability to harm the ethics of the profession and those who practice it. That’s because technology simply provides the temptation. Yes, technology does unquestionably provide avenues to improve the ethical practices of journalists. For instance, as we discussed in class, the myriad information available on the Internet makes it easier to fact check and copy edit on tight deadlines, as it is easier to ensure that information is correct. A quicker processing time, later deadlines and utilizing online discussion boards to find sources are among other ways that technology makes practicing journalism more efficient. However, technology has made it too easy to compromise ethical standards.
Technology has transformed newspapers into real-time news sources. The image of someone picking their newspaper off the front porch stoop at 6 am to read the news for the first time has given way to 24-hour news sources. And newspapers – with their online components – even fall in that category. While the immediacy of news has numerous benefits to educating the public, it also provides a temptation: a temptation to be first. And all too often, we have seen journalists compromise their ethical standards and the ethical standards of their publication in order to be the first one out with the news. The push to be first leads to a number of ethical problems. The editing and accuracy checking policies may be made more lenient because in the eyes of the editors, taking the time to thoroughly check the facts on the story may be the difference between breaking the news or being the second or third one out of the gate. As journalists, maybe if we could step back from being so wrapped up in our egos and pride of breaking stories, then we could work on getting credibility back into the profession by taking the necessary time to make sure that what is presented as news is truly fact.
Jason Leopold’s book, News Junkie, should serve as a startling wake-up call to the dangers that Internet technology presents. The paragraph that begins the eleventh chapter in Leopold’s book really penetrates at how his ethical standards were compromised as a result of the technological world he worked in. Leopold wrote:
“Urgency trumped caution in my career those days. I have the ability to be a great reporter, but then there are the stupid errors – proper names I should have double-checked, words I should have spell-checked. Or I got a word in a quote wrong because I didn’t check my notes. It’s been my Achilles’ heel. I always wanted to be the first one out of the gate to report a story, and sometimes my errors gave other journalists the opening they needed to tear me apart” (225).
Maybe Leopold would have been better served to have worked 20 years ago when urgency wasn’t the main issue in newspaper competition. The temptation to be first caused him to be careless; and this carelessness not only cost him credibility, but also cost the profession credibility. As consumers of the news, we take for granted the fact that news can be reported at any second of the day. But as journalists, we need not take for granted that those consumers have the right to expect that news to be entirely accurate.
There are other numerous ways that technology can compromise ethics. One strong temptation is the temptation to use new technology to illegally obtain information. Hacking into websites or phone systems has become increasingly easier, and as a result, has given journalists a choice: illegally obtain information to be more efficient, or patiently stay behind the yellow tape until that information presents itself in another form. It would not be fair to say that the intentions of journalists who illegally obtain information are always bad. Actually, I would venture to say that many times, the end goal is very respectable. But I am not of the Machiavellian thinking that ‘the end justifies the means.’ There must be standards in this profession and no matter how valiant a journalist’s quest may be to find truth, his work ethic must remain transparent and seeped in integrity.
The ability to alter photos with new computer programs or to use social network sites to track down sources all lead to more ethical issues. And these are all ethical issues directly related to the information and technology age in which we live. Tony Burman, the editor-in-chief of CBC News said that: “Every news organization has only its credibility and reputation to rely on.” Technology has the potential to compromise our credibility and to tarnish our reputation. And while those are things that can be destroyed with one punch at the keyboard, they may take years to redevelop. The use of technology can do wonders in our profession; but we must be proactive to prevent the abuse of it. We can't fall into those temptations.
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