Topic > The Golden Ratio Theory and Journalist Ethics

As readers, we generally assume that journalists are a reliable source of news and information. Given this general assumption, it is important that journalists maintain a certain ethical standard to ensure they are a reliable source for their readers. Spreading false information or hiding certain facts from the public could lead to serious consequences, in addition to the loss of credibility of journalists. But sharing too much information could result in people's privacy being violated or the story becoming confusing, unclear and perhaps even false. This dilemma is why it can be difficult for journalists to decide what to include in their story and what to exclude from their stories. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The golden ratio is an important theory of Aristotle, which talks about the balance between excess and deficiency and how by finding a middle ground between both, you will act morally and ethically. The golden ratio can be applied to this ethical dilemma because journalists must balance excess and deficiency in order to meet moral standards. This can apply to journalists who find the middle ground between saying too much and not saying enough, or finding the balance between providing all the facts and withholding information to protect who it is about or make the story clearer. It can also apply to finding a middle ground between publishing your story and taking the time to make sure everything is real. To do all this, they can use credible sources, analyze the purpose of the information and anticipate future audiences. As stated in the SPJ Code of Ethics, it is important that journalists take responsibility for the information they share, because there is a sense of credibility established by their journalistic title. It's also crucial to take into consideration the credibility of the sources they get their information from, as whatever they write, whether accurate or not, will be directly linked to the writer. It is necessary for journalists to always keep truthfulness at the top of their priority list, even if it means giving up "tempting" quotes and "juicy" facts from questionable sources. This can connect to The Golden Mean because both themes refer to finding a balance between excess and deficiency. Journalists must find a balance between sticking to the hard facts and at the same time making their story interesting and fun to read. A good example of how journalists take responsibility for the information they share is the widespread use of social media in this generation. Social media allows journalists, as well as the rest of society, to share information at the touch of a button. Instagram, for example, has no policy against posting a Photoshopped image or writing something highly opinionated in the photo caption. Almost anyone can post what they want and when they want without any consequences (this obviously excludes some powerful people as well as the Instagram accounts of newspaper companies and other platforms subject to such standards). With this, it is important that people who are held to such credible standards follow the same rules they would be held to if they were writing or posting on the Instagram page of the person or company they work for. The main differentiator between amateur writers and professional journalists is the manner in which the ethos and scope of their work is employed. Social media has allowed information to be readily shared between people around the world, withouttoo many consequences. Journalists, however, are still responsible for verifying the sources of their information and publishing accurate content on the Internet. Another example is the standards to which popular newspapers are held. The New York Times Values ​​and Practices Manual states that editorial integrity is observed. Statement, promulgated in 1999, which addresses such rudimentary professional practices as the importance of fact-checking, accuracy of citations, integrity of photographs and our aversion to anonymous sources; and the Confidential Sources Policy, published in 2004. They recognize the importance of verifying their facts and sources before making information public. One difficulty is understanding whether or not to use a quote from an anonymous source. Journalists will have to decide whether publishing the anonymous will further expose the truth or cause speculation among readers. This difficulty may relate to The Golden Mean because journalists must be able to get the truth out and control their sources without violating the privacy of the people providing the information. Another important factor to consider is the purpose of the writing. If the information shared directly relates to an important issue in the public's life, or concerns something that is publicly known, the journalist can morally disclose more information. An academic journal has analyzed the ethics of information that can be disclosed related to HIV and AIDS deaths. This article has considered two major HIV-related deaths that occurred in South Africa in the early 2000s, which were released openly to the public at a time when there was significant political controversy over HIV-related news . Journalists shared specific details regarding the victims of this tragedy, although this was not necessary to describe the situation to readers. This is an example of a situation where journalists acted unethically in relation to the Golden Ratio because they overshared information even though the topic was very controversial with the public and there was no need to expose people affected by AIDS to tell the story. Another example is when a former New York Times reporter named Jayson Blair violated the Golden Mean by creating fictional stories and lies for a story. Blair created these false stories by augmenting his stories with details obtained from photographs of the events and material from other news outlets. This lacks any kind of ethical behavior because not only does Blair steal photographs and material from other outlets, but he also lies to the New York Times trying to authenticate the stories as his own. This is relevant to Aristotle's Golden Section ethical theory because there is no balance between acting morally and at the same time making the truth known. He acted unethically by making up false information to spread his story, without caring about the consequences. For any writer or journalist, it is crucial to keep in mind the audience you write for. With this, it is also very important to remain objective and impartial in writing the outlines. Journalists must try to understand both points of view to ensure they do not create a story that is simply one-sided due to the absence of the other side's thoughts. If this happens in the world of journalism, journalists refrain from revealing the whole truth to the public and in doing so tend to swing towards the deficient side of ethical behavior, as noted by Aristotle. To remain credible journalists in the eyes of our audiences, we must promote both sides of the story so that our audiences can form their own opinion based on”..