Reflection of the course

By Anna Gasowski

Throughout this course, I have learned more in-depth about the history and importance of journalism and how to improve my writing skills. One of the first concepts I learned in this class that stood out to me is that journalism is the only profession explicitly named and protected in the Constitution. This fact shows how necessary journalism is for society's function. 

Going off of this fact, I love how one of the functions of journalism is that we are being voices to the voiceless. Throughout history, there have been many situations like wartime states where people were threatened and scared to speak up, which is where the role of journalists came in. As journalists, we must seek out those who cannot voice their opinions and be that voice for them to make sure they are heard.

One of the major points we learned this semester is that journalism’s first obligation is to the truth. As journalists, we must first get our facts straight, and then make sense of these facts to not mislead the audience. There are many pressures on journalists to not be truthful and create stories that falsely adhere to a specific audience, but we should strive for accuracy in all cases. Even if the facts of the story are right, we want to ensure that we are not leading the audience to have a certain belief about the facts we share. They should come to that in their own conclusion.

Another major thing I took away this semester was the verification methods to use when publishing a story. It’s important to be as transparent with the audience as possible, especially regarding your motives or possible biases. This builds trust with the audience and discloses any important information. One of the key ways to verify evidence in a story is by seeking out multiple witnesses and sources to confirm the information. It is also key to ask for information on both sides of the situation, whether it be a political, sports, or criminal story. By asking for comments on both sides, this ensures that you receive a more unbiased recollection of the event.

Finally, the fifth element of this course I took away from this course was the methods of interviewing. I loved learning about different types of questions and the importance of not having leading or loaded questions to strongly suggest an answer or antagonize your interviewee. It is also important to find common ground with your subject to make them feel more comfortable with the interview. All of these skills I mentioned above truly helped me grow my skills as a journalist.