JOURNALISM PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES

 The primary goal of journalism is to give citizens with the accurate and trustworthy information they require to live in a free society. Journalists are fundamentally committed to the truth. Citizens' trust in democracy is predicated on reliable, accurate data presented in context. Although journalism does not pursue absolute or philosophical truth, it can and must do so in a practical sense. This "journalistic truth" is the product of a multi-step process that begins with the professional discipline of obtaining and verifying information. Then journalists attempt to present a fair and trustworthy explanation of their meaning, valid for the time being but subject to additional inquiry. Journalists should be as open as possible about their sources and procedures so that readers can create their own opinions. Even in a world of growing voices, veracity serves as the foundation for everything else: context, interpretation, comment, criticism, analysis, and debate. This forum gradually reveals the truth. As citizens face an increasing flow of data, they have a higher demand for identified sources dedicated to confirming that information and contextualizing it. Its first allegiance is to the citizens. While news companies must answer to various constituencies, including advertising and shareholders, journalists must prioritize people and the greater public interest above all else if they are to produce news without fear or favor. The implied covenant that tells the viewers that coverage is not biased for friends or sponsors is the foundation of a news organization's credibility. Journalism should give a representative picture of all constituent groups in society as part of its commitment to citizens. Its essence is a verification discipline. Journalists rely on a professional discipline for information verification. Originally, the term of objectivity did not imply that journalists are free of bias. It instead advocated for a consistent technique of testing information - a transparent approach to evidence - so that personal and cultural biases did not undermine their work's accuracy. The process is objective; the journalist is not. Seeking many witnesses, sharing as much as feasible about sources, or requesting comments from other parties all indicate such standards. Its practitioners must preserve independence from those they cover. Independence is a fundamental prerequisite of journalism, and it is the foundation of its dependability. The premise that journalists must bear in mind is independence of spirit and thought rather than neutrality. Journalism has an exceptional ability to act as a watchdog over people with the most power and influence over citizens. When the Founders guaranteed an independent press, they recognized it as a barrier against despotism; courts have upheld it; and citizens rely on it. We have a commitment as journalists to maintain this watchdog freedom by neither degrading it or exploiting it for commercial benefit. It must provide a venue for public debate and compromise. The news media are the primary bearers of public discourse, and this responsibility underpins our particular rights. This debate benefits society the most when it is informed by facts rather than bias and conjecture. It should also attempt to fairly depict society's diverse opinions and interests, and to contextualize them rather than highlighting simply the conflicting extremes of argument. Accuracy and truthfulness necessitate that we, as framers of public debate, must not overlook points of common ground where issue solutions happens. It must make every effort to make the significant interesting and relevant. Journalism is purposeful narrative. It should do more than simply attract an audience or catalog the significant. It must balance what readers know they desire with what they cannot predict but need in order to survive. To put it another way, it must endeavor to make the significant interesting and relevant. The effectiveness of a piece of journalism is determined by how well it engages and informs its audience. This means that journalists must constantly ask themselves what information is most valuable to residents and in what form. While journalism should expand beyond themes like government and public safety, a journalism dominated by minutiae and fake significance breeds a trivial society. Every journalist should have a personal sense of ethics and responsibility—a moral compass. Each of us must be willing to disagree with our colleagues, whether in the press or the executive suite, if fairness and accuracy necessitate it. News organizations do a good job of fostering this independence by pushing people to speak up. This fosters the intellectual diversity required to comprehend and accurately cover a society that is becoming increasingly diverse. It is the diversity of thoughts and voices, not just the number of people, that is important. It must keep the news current and relevant. Keeping news in proportion and not overlooking important facts are other important components of truthfulness. Journalism is a form of cartography in the sense that it creates a map for citizens to utilize as they navigate society. Exaggerating experiences for the purpose of sensation, neglecting others, stereotyping, or being unduly negative all contribute to a less reliable map. The map should also include data on all of our communities, not just those with enticing demographics. This is best accomplished by newsrooms with a varied set of backgrounds and viewpoints. The map is only a metaphor; proportion and comprehensiveness are subjective, but their obscurity does not decrease its significance.