Give Up The Truth And Risk Losing A Friend, What's a Journalist to Do?
Judy Ramsook
May 07, 2006
Information is all around us, now more than ever due mainly to the availability of computers and access to the internet. Just about anyone and anything can be googled, looked up or researched.
If, on the other hand, one’s line of work involves bringing the truth to the people through journalism, where would that leave the journalist if it means betraying a friend or relative by divulging a piece of thought provoking information to the public that concerns that person?
Say, for example this friend is some one with whom one grew up since elementary school on up. By the time young adulthood arrives, he or she knows almost everything there is to possibly know about that friend, silly or serious mistakes included.
Later on in life, such an individual decides to run for public office. It is at this time his or her life becomes an open book for all to see.
Things about this person and his or her life so far are being exposed to the public, his good deeds, old and now abandoned bad habits, his family history etc etc.
While all of this is taking place, you, the one person who happens to know things about this one person others do not know, are aware of one incident in that person’s life that could break his or her career move.
As a journalist, do you keep this piece of information to yourself for the sake of your long friendship with this person?
Or do you remain true to your job and the people who look to you for the truth by giving this information to the public via a news medium and let the heartaches and lawsuits land where they may?
Good friends and long friendships are a rarity these days. When one stops for a moment and thinks about all the good times he or she has had with this one individual, he or she might also wonder if betraying that person’s trust is worth it.
No one individual is one hundred percent perfect. If each and every one of us wanted to run for public office, then trying to maintain a squeaky clean image in order to achieve that objective would have to be started from an early age.
Of course, the question still remains, as a journalist, would you risk losing a friendship to give the public a pinch of the truth about that person.
A journalist's job might be easier if gathering and conveying information about people and their lives are those with whom they do not share a history.
For knowing people is a two way road. You may know things about your friend, but keep in mind that friend also knows things about you as well.
If, on the other hand, one’s line of work involves bringing the truth to the people through journalism, where would that leave the journalist if it means betraying a friend or relative by divulging a piece of thought provoking information to the public that concerns that person?
Say, for example this friend is some one with whom one grew up since elementary school on up. By the time young adulthood arrives, he or she knows almost everything there is to possibly know about that friend, silly or serious mistakes included.
Later on in life, such an individual decides to run for public office. It is at this time his or her life becomes an open book for all to see.
Things about this person and his or her life so far are being exposed to the public, his good deeds, old and now abandoned bad habits, his family history etc etc.
While all of this is taking place, you, the one person who happens to know things about this one person others do not know, are aware of one incident in that person’s life that could break his or her career move.
As a journalist, do you keep this piece of information to yourself for the sake of your long friendship with this person?
Or do you remain true to your job and the people who look to you for the truth by giving this information to the public via a news medium and let the heartaches and lawsuits land where they may?
Good friends and long friendships are a rarity these days. When one stops for a moment and thinks about all the good times he or she has had with this one individual, he or she might also wonder if betraying that person’s trust is worth it.
No one individual is one hundred percent perfect. If each and every one of us wanted to run for public office, then trying to maintain a squeaky clean image in order to achieve that objective would have to be started from an early age.
Of course, the question still remains, as a journalist, would you risk losing a friendship to give the public a pinch of the truth about that person.
A journalist's job might be easier if gathering and conveying information about people and their lives are those with whom they do not share a history.
For knowing people is a two way road. You may know things about your friend, but keep in mind that friend also knows things about you as well.
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