Who Journalists Work For

Journalism's first loyalty is to citizens.

In class last week, we discussed the question, "Who do journalists work for?" Frankly, that's a bit of a loaded question. Journalists face a great deal of strain from outside forces. They are under pressure from their sources, media owners, advertising agencies, their families and the government, to name a few. They often face bribes and threats. Yet, there is a certain sense of independence that is unique to journalism. At the end of the day, journalists do not work for their employers. They report for those who are watching their programs and reading their articles. Ultimately, they work for the public.

Image retrieved from http://www.thenewsmanual.net/Manuals%20Volume%203/volume3_58.htm

Eugene Meyer purchased The Washington Post in 1933. Although he was inexperienced with mass media, he had a strong set of principles which he used to run the newspaper. 

Meyer expressed these principles, saying, "The newspaper's duty is to its readers and to the public at large, and not to the private interests of its owners. In the pursuit of truth, the newspaper shall be prepared to make sacrifices of its material fortunes, if such course be necessary for the public good."

Many in the business consider this view to be old-fashioned and idealistic. And that's exactly why the news has suffered such distrust from the public in the last few decades. Journalists need to start believing in the "public service" aspect of their job again.

Yes, it's scary to think about who will be paying for journalism in the future. But if journalists do their job and remain loyal to the public, I think they'll find that that loyalty will be returned to them. 

*For extra credit this week, I commented on Cara Wade's blog :)