Explain why ethics are important and how they affect the career of a journalist.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ethics create a relationship that is mutually beneficial so that each person with whom you interact or for whom you create content gets a proper sense of who you are and why you act the way you do. Credibility is at the core of every ethical standard and as a reporter, each action you take requires you to determine how much that action adds to or detracts from your credibility. If you get a story in a dishonest way, you might give your readers an important piece of information, but you now may have a source who will never trust you again. If you cut a shady deal with a source to get crucial information, your readers might view you and your work with suspicion from that point forward. Credibility is perhaps the most fragile element of journalism and without it, you will cease to be an effective reporter. To that end, you need to determine what ethical standards you will meet and how your actions will create a stronger or weaker bond between you and your publics.