What’s the trait you value most about yourself?
From the time I began writing as a journalist, I have always strived to make sure what I wrote was the truth.
In over 30 years as a journalist, there was only one incident and I was more upset over the matter than my editor.
He gave me a press release at 5pm – too late to corroborate the information in the press release. The paper went to bed at noon and the press conference listed in the release was at 11am. Talk about a close deadline…they were holding the paper for me.
The press conference re-iterated the same info in the press release. OK, I go with what I got and write on what I was told. Only trouble is, the person who wrote the release and held the press conference either had the wrong information or wrote it up wrong.
As a result, what I wrote was also inaccurate! I was devastated. But the editor was not upset; he saw it as at least another week of news. (We were a weekly newspaper)
Since that day, I have vowed something like that could never happen again. If I don’t know for sure something is right, I won’t write it. As the saying goes, “ when in doubt…leave it out”.
I guard my integrity very closely and will defend it at all costs. As a journalist, it is the most important tool I have. And in today’s environment, honest and integrity are even more important.
I avoid gossip and negativity whenever possible in my articles. I figure there is enough negativity in the world that I don’t need to add to it.
To some people there is no such thing as bad publicity; but there are bad reputations for bad writing…fake news.
In this age of social media, “information” gets posted and repeated faster than a river of lava. Only trouble is, most of it isn’t true. Like many people I use social media to keep up with family and some news; BUT I have learned to double and even triple check any “news” I see, making sure that what I post is the truth. Quite honestly, there are days I wonder if anyone puts out actual real news items anymore.