George Smith Beheading

In the recent hours, The National Cardinal has become aware of video evidence featuring George Smith’s beheading at the hands of the ISIS terrorist group. As a reputable news-producing entity, we are required to report on this matter in an ethically-sound manner. As described in the lecture titled “People, Product, Principals”, an ethical journalistic report amounts to a balanced and fair account of the events and issues, founded and conveyed in truth for public knowledge, and serves as the basis for democratic ideals. Bearing in mind our necessity, as a for-profit system, to profitably operate by increasing readership juxtaposed with our responsibility to inform the public, I have developed a strategy. In order to create both of these distinct

In today’s society, journalism is a constantly evolving profession which operates under an unofficial set of guidelines. Journalists, defined by the lecture titled “Foundations”, are tasked with providing truthful and accurate information to the public while weighing this information against potential ethical violations. Pointedly, when applied to the George Smith video, we must weigh the public’s need for information against the potential harm or discomfort it may cause. Journalists are not bound by law to uphold these principles, however, to remain a trusted and reliable purveyor of information, a journalist must combine their normative skills with ethical considerations. As explained by Lindsay Palmer in her lecture (2014), the need for ethics in relation to media, specifically global media, is extremely crucial because

As mentioned by Gans (2003, p. 73), people most often consume the news when events “in which Americans were involved, and disasters, natural and human-made” occur. Therefore, because Americans are most interested in these subjects, they are more likely to form an opinion. If the video of the beheading were included in our report, we would be illustrating one side of the story more than the other. Additionally, including the video would give ISIS what they were hoping for - a larger platform of viewership for their propaganda. As journalists, it is not our job to decide which side of the story to tell; our job is to tell all sides and strive for the complete truth. In order to uphold globally-oriented ethics, we mustn’t dismiss the opposing side’s views, no matter how seemingly gruesome and disturbing that may be, because we, as journalists, are responsible for informing citizens of what has occurred, not how they should synthesize and react to the information. Therefore, in order to provide truthful, accurate information that is balanced and fair, we cannot include the beheading video within our