Investigating and Taking Sides

“The aim of art is not to represent the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”  This quote by Aristotle can be taken with regards to journalism, as well as its original intention towards art.  The group presentation in class this last week shared a statistic that 9 out of 10 readers believe the press keeps the government from doing things they shouldn’t do.  This is largely because of the journalist’s watchdog duty, in which they reveal the “inward significance” of things.  Through the different forms of investigative journalism, journalists are able to uncover meaning of social occurrences for their readers.  A quote by Finley Peter Dunne says that a journalist’s duty is to “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”  (See this quote at http://www.great-quotes.com/quote/28902)  This quote doesn’t exactly accurately state the true purpose of journalism, but it does highlight the point that journalists need to watch over the powerful few.  Journalists have this capability, and therefore they ought to make it their obligation to do all they can to uncover unethical occurrences in society – taking the outward appearances of current events and discovering what is truly significant about them. 

                This job, however, is oft times easier said than done.  This video, http://wp.koaa.com/gcotton/?p=284, which was shared by the group that presented this week, shows Bob Woodward and his tips on this sort of Investigative Journalism.  One of the points that Woodward makes is that journalist need to actively investigate their sources – rather than simply accepting the documents they have.  I really appreciated what Professor Campbell said in regards to this.  He said that we need to get out of the newsroom and off the Internet and start walking around and talking to people.  All too often, we hear about journalists who don’t do their homework and simply write a story based off of a few documents they receive.  I ask my fellow journalists – how does this happen?  Don’t people pursue journalism because they have the juices of curiosity, investigation, and desire for truth flowing through their veins?  Shouldn’t journalists have a passion for truth and therefore want nothing more than to get off the Internet and discover a true story, something that will have a legitimate impact on society? 

                Journalism ought to be, as the presenters pointed out, a free and independent press that holds people accountable.  We can afflict the comfortable in the sense that those comfortable with unethical practices will know that we are out to find them, and clear up their wrong-doings.  And, we can comfort the afflicted.  The members of the society that we cover should know that we will hold those around them accountable.  We, as journalists, only take one side – the side of truth.