Fairness and Objectivity in Journalism

It is often touted that reporters should be objective and fair. Some news organizations even use these terms in their slogans, claiming they are more â€Å"fair and balanced† than their competitors. Objectivity Objectivity means that when covering hard news, reporters don’t convey their own feelings, biases or prejudices in their stories. They do this by writing stories using neutral language and by avoiding characterizing people or institutions either positively or negatively. This can be difficult for the beginning reporter accustomed to writing personal essays or journal entries. One trap beginning reporters fall into is the frequent use of adjectives which can easily convey one’s feelings about a subject. Example The intrepid protesters demonstrated against the unjust government policies. Just by using the words â€Å"intrepid† and â€Å"unjust† the writer has quickly conveyed their feelings on the story—the protesters are brave and just in their cause, and the government policies are wrong. For this reason, hard-news reporters usually avoid using adjectives in their stories. By sticking strictly to the facts a reporter can allow each reader to form their own opinion about the story. Fairness Fairness means that reporters covering a story must remember there are usually two sides—and often more—to most issues and that those differing viewpoints should be given roughly equal space in any news story. Let’s say the local school board is debating whether to ban certain books from school libraries. Many residents representing both sides of the issue are at the meeting. The reporter may have strong feelings about the subject. Nevertheless, they should interview people who support the ban and those who oppose it. And when they write their story, they should convey both arguments in neutral language, giving both sides equal space. A Reporter’s Conduct Objectivity and fairness apply not only to how a reporter writes about an issue but to how they conduct themselves in public. A reporter must not only be objective and fair but also convey an image of being objective and fair. At the school board forum, the reporter may do their best to interview people from both sides of the argument. But if in the middle of the meeting, they stand up and start spouting their own opinions on the book ban their credibility is shattered. No one will believe they can be fair and objective once they know where they stand. A Few Caveats There are a few caveats to remember when considering objectivity and fairness. First, such rules apply to reporters covering hard news, not to the columnist writing for the op-ed page or the movie critic working for the arts section. Second, remember that ultimately, reporters are in search of the truth. While objectivity and fairness are important, a reporter shouldn’t let them get in the way of finding the truth. Let’s say you’re a reporter covering the final days of World War II and are following the Allied forces as they liberate the concentration camps. You enter one such camp and witness hundreds of gaunt, emaciated people and piles of dead bodies. Do you, in an effort to be objective, interview an American soldier to talk about how horrific this is, then interview a Nazi official to get the other side of the story? Of course not. Clearly, this is a place where evil acts have been committed, and it’s your job as a reporter to convey that truth. In other words, use objectivity and fairness as tools to find the truth.

Animal Abuse Cases Essay examples - 1127 Words

Throughout the world there are many animal abuse cases that increase every year, most cases not even being reported yet. The word animal cruelty gets thrown around a lot and can be categorized into different scenarios and laws. The point of researching animal cruelty is to get the reader to change their perspective on how they view animal cruelty and try to show them that animals need to be heard and helped, animals should have the same rights as human beings and there should be consequences for the abusers. When researching animal cruelty a important factor to focus on would be animal laws, what are they? And what are the consequences for people who break them? â€Å"Animal protection laws of the United States of America and Canada seventh†¦show more content†¦Animal laws can be stretched out and used in different ways â€Å"The various provisions are organized into categories. Within the first thirteen of these categories, the relevant part of each statute is italicized† (animal 3). â€Å"The provinces and terrioties of Canada may enact quasi- criminal offences and laws in other subject areas† (Animal 2). Most people do not report animal cruelty because they either don’t know where to report it or don’t think its something important to report. If you ever witness animal abuse you should contact the police and give them a brief description of what you saw and where â€Å"contact your local law enforcement department. Animal cruelty is a crime- an d the police must investigate these crimes!† (ASPCA 1). States handle animal cruelty in many ways and you may have to report different authorities for animal abuse â€Å"Every state and every town are different. In some areas, you may have to rely on the police department to investigate animal cruelty† (ASPCA 1). Animal cruelty does not happen in the open and most people do not witness it â€Å"Get to know and look out for the animals in your neighborhood by being aware, you’re most likely to notice† (ASPCA 1). Even noticing one little detail on a animal that was not there before can prove animal abuse. Another way to prevent animal cruelty could be supporting your local shelter or animal rescue organization, supporting and donating to theseShow MoreRelatedInfuriating Cases of Animal Abuse438 Words   |  2 Pagescat-abused cases had furious all walks of lives in port. really the cases of animal abuse square measure rising endlessly in these years. the fo rmer chief of Health and Food Bureau Dr. York Chow Yat-ngok(2011) claimed that it had received 534 complaints related to animal abuse in 2011,which was the thrice of the 187 cases in 2008. There square measure 3 major causes result in animal abuse. Firstly, it should relate to the broken childhood of abusers. in line with an editorial, a former animal abuserRead MoreEssay on Proposed Solutions to Extreme Cases of Animal Abuse2118 Words   |  9 Pagesextreme cases of animal abuse receive media attention. Yet, the animal cruelty problem is more widespread than is reported in the media. Animal abuse and neglect is a nationwide issue, affecting thousands of animals nationwide. Cruelty to animals is defined as the infliction of physical pain, suffering or death on an animal, beyond what is necessary. There is a need to stop abusers from acting in such a horrific manner–preventing the neglect and suffering of the animals. What causes animal abusersRead MoreActs Of Abuse And Cruelty1476 Words   |  6 PagesActs of Abuse and Cruelty in Animals Animal abuse is known as â€Å"†¦socially unacceptable behavior that inflicts pain and suffering on animals† (Girgen 2014). There is no legal definition for animal abuse because of the various laws throughout the world. Animal abuse is seen as unpleasant acts upon animals which could result in legal punishment. There are many ways for an animal to be abused whether it be physically, mentally, or emotionally. Most animal abuse cases cannot be investigated unless provenRead MoreAbused And Neglected Animals : How Society Could Avoid Animal Abuse Essay1356 Words   |  6 PagesAbused and Neglected Animals: How Society Could Avoid Animal Abuse Animal abuse, cruelty, or neglect occurs when one hurts an animal or does not care for an animal in a responsible manner say by giving it food, water, shelter and veterinary care (Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)). Although there are strict laws against the abuse of animals, the practice is still happening, which is why the existence of societies such as PAWS are needed to help unite animals with caring caregivers. For instanceRead MoreThe Horrors of Animal Abuse818 Words   |  4 Pagesa ten by ten homemade ring. All bets are against you and if you loose one more fight, that man will take you where no dog has returned. Every day, thousands of animals silently suffer from animal abuse. I`m here to be the voice of those animals and inform you of this serious problem. Animal fighting is a very common form of animal abuse. There are many different types but here are the most common. There is bullfighting, dogfighting, hog dog rodeo and cockfighting. In a bull fight, are weaken beforeRead MoreAnimal Abuse And Neglect1090 Words   |  5 PagesAnimal abuse is defined as either the physical mistreatment of an animal or neglect where the animal is denied basic necessities of care. The mistreatment of animals is a serious issue within society. It often goes unreported because many people believe it is only abuse if it is intentional. This lack of understanding allows minor cases of neglect to progress into major cases that can end in the death of the animals involved. Animal abuse needs a better definition due to the results of neglect, psychologicalRead MoreViolent acts against animals are considered recognized as indicators of a disease of the psyche1600 Words   |  7 Pagesagainst animals are considered recognized as indicators of a disease of t he psyche that is not limited to animals. Many studies conducted by sociologists and psychologists suggest that animal abuse cases deserve more attention than they get. Why are these research results so important? These cases prove that animal abuse is not just a personality problem that can be fixed so easily, it is a symptom of mental disturbances in the abuser. Psychology and sociology research also suggests that animal abuseRead MoreDomestic Violence VS Animal Cruelty and Child Abuse1665 Words   |  7 PagesOver the centuries, animals have suffered from cruelty from humans. In the United States, animals are beaten, neglected, or forced to struggle for survival. Animals have been inflicted with pain from humans for reasons other than self-defense. They have been slaughtered for their food and fur for personal gain in profit. In a majority of cases they have even been abused for someone’s own personal amusement or out of rage filled impulses. In some cases animals are fou nd and rescued. They are givenRead MoreAnimal Cruelty Is A Tremendous Issue Concerning The United States1663 Words   |  7 PagesAnimal Cruelty and the Link to Abuse Toward Humans Animal cruelty is a tremendous issue concerning the United States and has a large link to abuse toward humans. On DoSomething.org (n.d.), they found that â€Å"Today animal cruelty has been reported in urban, suburban, and rural settings in all regions of the country† (para. 6). But at the same time, there is animal welfare, which can protect animals when they have been mistreated. Individuals who participate in animal cruelty are more likely to engenderRead MoreAnimal Abuse : An Old Story1325 Words   |  6 PagesAlexis Cater Zorn British literature 19 February 2016 Animal Abuse There is an old story I was told a child: â€Å"A frog and a scorpion wished to cross a lake. The scorpion asked the frog if he could ride on his back. The frog replied â€Å"How do I know you won t sting me?† The scorpion promised he wouldn t. Halfway across the lake the frog felt a sharp pain in his back. The scorpion had stung him. The frog asked him â€Å"Why did you do that? Now we ll both drown.† The scorpion simply replied â€Å"I could

Joint Enterprise Legal Doctrine - 1591 Words

Joint Enterprise is legal doctrine that allows several people to be charged for a crime even though they may have all had different roles. The ancient law can be applied if there is evidence that the defendants had all participated or been associated with the crime. Usually, Criminal Law only holds offenders liable of their actions. Enterprise can be applied to many crimes, however it is commonly used in offences of violence, theft, fraud and public order, the most popular being murder. A murder conviction automatically incurs a life sentence, regardless of your level of involvement.1 Joint Enterprise is part of common law, therefore it is not debated and agreed upon in the House of Parliament, it is for the courts to interpret†¦show more content†¦4 Nowadays, it has been re-employed as a solution to gang crime, Melanie McFadyean, an author of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, suggests that the doctrine is â€Å"politically convenient.†5 and order have to do something, and joint enterprise offers a powerful solution. Joint Enterprise was used in 1993 as the prosecution conviction in the Stephen Lawrence murder case; it put the killers of the 18-year old behind bars. They were convicted eighteen years after the racist murder, it was almost impossible to say who had fatally wounded the teenager. By the law of Joint Enterprise, both Gary Dobson and David Norris were convicted of murder. JENGbA, Joint Enterprise Not Guilty by Association are a protesting group against Joint Enterprise. After responding to pressure in 2011, the Justice Select Committee held an inquiry into Joint Enterprise which resulted in a call for reform. The House of Commons Justice Committee then conducted an inquiry investigation in 2011-2012 on Joint Enterprise. They recommended that the Director of Public Prosecutions issued guidance on the use of Joint Enterprise doctrine when charging, http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2014/09/03/the-law-of-joint-enterprise-needs-review-leading-

Health Care Quality improvement

Question: Discuss about the Health Care Quality improvement. Answer: Introduction: The consumer focused approach that can be recommended would be the value based insurance design. The design has value for money that is spent in aiding the growth of healthcare. The importance of using value based insurance design is that it aids in cost control approaches. These approaches use financial inducements to adjust patients and provide deeds which includes; increase in cost allotment in the already existing plans and introduction of high deductible health plan that help employees to be the payers of the appointed money. Initiatives such as disease management programs are implemented to provide quality healthcare that help individuals to manage their health in an effort to avoid more costly healthcare. Better healthcare initiatives will lead to lower spending on healthcare. Some of the major barriers of using Value based insurance include; cost of implementation. The use of this approach involves establishment of services that are of high value and in scenarios where specific groups are targeted by the system targets that will use lower co-payments, systems used to target patients will be more expensive to employ because the eligible records must be shifted from payers to where the service is being offered. In addition to that, concern over costs increase will affect the design bearing in mind that the cost of providing health care is raising quickly. Purchasers are trying to find ways that will help in cubing cost growth while Value based insurance is trying to lower the costs incurred on copayments which in the short run increases spending. These barriers may be addressed by implementing employer sponsored healthcare programs which encourage employees to become healthier through incentives of healthcare programs. Reference Lighter, D. E. (2011). Advanced performance improvement in health care: principles and methods. Sudbury, Mass, Jones and Bartlett Publishers. https://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JSNEWS=nCSC=YPAGE=booktextD=booksAN=01437657$XPATH=/PG(0). Sollecito, W. A., Johnson, J. K. (2013). Mclaughlin and Kaluzny's continuous quality improvement in health care. Burlington, MA, Jones Bartlett Learning.