Thursday, January 21, 2010

Article Critique

Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/world/americas/21haiti.html?ref=world

This New York Times article states that because of untreated injuries, health conditions in Haiti are worsening by the day and are remaining to be a major medical crisis.

It seems as though the article shows accuracy, and the reporter made no mistakes. The traumatic event is very recent and the reporter is keeping individuals up to date with the results of the earthquake. Most of the comments related to the article that were sent by people tend to agree with the article and are sending their positive thoughts to Haiti.

The reporter does a good job of naming sources, for example when Dr. Eduardo states "There are still thousands of patients with major fractures, major wounds, that have not been treated yet", the reporter clearly states his name and important facts about him right after his direct quote. He also uses reports from the World Food Program and the head of the World Health Organization.

The article is complete. It is based on a certain point and put in vital information. It allowed individuals to become more informed on how people are handling themselves in the devastated country of Haiti. It is also warning people that the increasing amount of injured people are very close to death if they don't get treated immediately.

As far as being fair, the article demonstrates a great balance and all sides are presented. It isn't meant to offend any particular individual nor it is spreading any rumors about anyone. There shouldn't be any reason for anyone to be mad at the reporter for writing this article.

The writer did a good job of not including his opinion and sticking to information given to him by other sources.

As I mentioned earlier, the news story gets straight to the point which makes the article brief and focused. It is a short article and stays on track through the reading.

Finally, the story is well-written, meaning it is clear and has a good flow with a lack of mistakes.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Moral issues in journalism

Morality is basic to the theory and practice of journalism. A moral issue that many journalists have to face is privacy and confidentiality. A journalists decision to keep a particular issue confidential is normally very difficult for them. They automatically are given two different options after hearing about a particular report; to respect an individuals word or to reveal the personal story to the world. Many choose to face the consequences and expose the first rumor they hear without thinking about privacy in general. Personally, I believe that if a source wants to remain confidential, the journalist should grant them their privacy and not expose it through the media.
For example, the fact that Tiger Woods had an affair with another woman and his wife found out through his text messages is a private matter for Tiger, and not for the rest of the world. His famous career as a professional golfer is definitely a motivation for reporters and journalists to disclose any rumor they hear about him, which many times can lead to a libelist statement. Even though Tiger may of done the wrong thing, it must of been extremely hurtful for him to have to deal with a billion people he does not even know to read about his miscalculation.
I feel as though a majority of journalists are only concerned about the money and making a name for themselves, which I do not think is the right attitude for a professional. Showing respect and trust towards the privacy of other individuals is something a real journalist should learn to accomplish.