Question

ASUS
23. How important it is for the media to remain neutral?

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Answer 1

Answer:

1. With the commercialisation of the internet and the introduction of new methods of transmitting information, journalism has undergone significant changes in the past decade. News agencies have moved into the hitherto-unfamiliar area of broadcast journalism, broadcasting corporations have embraced the written word, mainstream media has made use of ‘social media’, and the triple threat – the ability to operate on multiple platforms (online, radio, TV) simultaneously – has become a necessity for continued success and audience retention. The internet has also given everyone a voice: we have witnessed the rise of the recreational blogger communicating news to the public; the ordinary citizen promulgating personal opinions on social networking sites; the left or right-leaning online ‘intellectual’ magazine.
2. In this time of change, it is of the utmost importance that professional journalists think critically before embracing new trends and abandoning traditions. The past year has seen countless heart-breaking developments rooted in ethnic, religious, and political discords, from the shooting down of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine to brutal and senseless beheadings by ISIS. The emotional significance of these events begs the question of how journalists can manage to continue reporting objectively and whether they even should
3. News agencies are not political parties; news reporting is not marketing. Our professional function is not to sell a product, promote a position, teach, preach, or be didactic. Our function is to be informative and truthful. Our duty is to present untarnished facts that allow people to form well-informed opinions. End-users, on the other hand, should cultivate analytical minds and avoid turning to mass media in search of conclusions they should be making themselves.
4. When making a conscious decision to become a journalist, one should be prepared to leave personal convictions at the door and develop the ability to see events through a lens of neutrality, instead of being swayed by background or personal experience. Any alternative approach to news reporting is a betrayal of the fundamental, ethical principles of the profession: impartiality, fairness, and potentially even accuracy.
5. A journalist has the potential to influence millions of people. The profession can easily be misused to manipulate unsuspecting audiences, as evidenced by the information war in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Nevertheless, imposing opinions on others is a breach of free will and failing to provide them with a “complete picture” is a violation of their right to be informed human beings. Consequently, every journalist bears a strict moral responsibility to be impartial. Truly ethical and professional journalism can never have an agenda.