Tag: newspaper

Maintaining professionalism and upholding ethical standards when writing news articles.

A newspaper article conveys information about an event that occurred, and when people read stories published in newspapers, they expect to find truth. The use of non-factual information can water down the quality of the news articles, and make them less credible. If people find out that the writer created their own account of events, and left out facts, they may develop negative perceptions towards the news company that published the article. Negative reputation may in turn lead to low readership, and decline in the popularity of the company. Therefore, one needs to demonstrate high standards of professionalism and ethics when writing news reports.

There are key elements that a news writer should pay attention to if they want to demonstrate professionalism. Fairness is one of these elements, and to demonstrate this fairness, one should take time to explore the issue in detail before reporting it. Fairness also means not being biased in the way one reports news, and taking a neutral stance on issues that divide public opinion. Honesty is the other element, and an honest writer is one who writes the truth without having their views swayed by monetary offerings. Courage is an additional quality that a writer should demonstrate because this courage is needed for one to navigate conditions that may encourage skewed reporting of the news.

The idea of witness protection is critical when it comes to reporting of news. Revealing personal details of a witness interviewed to collect information is morally and professionally wrong especially if there is a chance that criminals may use the details to track down the witness. It is the writer’s responsibility to demonstrate trust and honesty by concealing the identity of the witnesses. Even if there is money offered to the writer to uncover the identity of the witness or even kill a story that reveals crime, they should demonstrate integrity by refusing such money because being trustworthy can help build not only the reputation of the writer but the news organization they work for.

If one wants to go a long way in news writing business, they need demonstrate high standards of ethics by being honest and trustworthy. The key to making it in the business of the news writing and reporting is maintaining professionalism in terms of the way one writes and reports news. We are in an era of “fake news” where individuals may twist information to fit their preferences. To stand out therefore, news writers should write fearlessly and honestly.  

The impact that social media had on the news

Before the internet and the social media came, people relied on the media broadcasting and publishing companies for information. With the introduction of the social media, the way people accessed and consumed news started changing, resulting to the decline in the newspaper readership. The circulation of the sprinted media materials including magazines has reduced since the social media was first introduced during the late 1990s. Should media companies be worried about Facebook and other social media companies? It depends on how one looks at it because there are opportunities and risks for these companies.

The print media is not as popular as it used to be two decades ago because the increase in the number of social media users had led to more people relying on the social sites for information. These sites enable people to freely access information either from the pages of the news companies, or from friends. This has resulted to a situation, in which social media users are constantly up to date with current affairs, and for some people, Facebook and Twitter are ideal sources of information and news. Given the entertainment aspects of the social media, people spend a significant amount of time on social media. This leaves them with limited time to even go through the newspapers.

On the flip side, the social media seems to have brought news companies closer to consumers of information. Three decades ago, it was a challenge to for the media companies to engage with those who consumed their content. The social media has eased how mainstream media companies can interact with their clients given that the social sites allow readers and viewers of the news content to share their thoughts about how news are reported. This feedback is helping businesses in the news industry to improve their news reporting.  Users can follow the news companies by liking the social media pages of these companies.  With the social media, still, media companies can receive live update of information and report it.

On one hand, the social media is killing newspapers and driving down sales, but on the other hand, it is contributing to the growth in the popularity of the news reporting companies. To fully benefit from the social media, the media companies should take advantage of new opportunities that come with these social platforms. For example, they can add ads in between videos to generate extra revenue. This will compensate for the revenue lost due to low viewership or readership of news.