Understanding and Appreciating Journalistic Integrity

Steve Thompson
Thompson Communications

Journalistic integrity used to be taken for granted, but no more. 

Legitimate journalists who have produced quality, ethical work for decades have been attacked as "fake news" simply because the person featured in their stories doesn't like how he was portrayed. The same person has shown disdain for the free press in general.

The free press exposed the error of our very costly role in the Viet Nam war. The free press exposed the criminal activities of another president, and caused his eventual resignation of his office. The free press exposed our own government's separating children from their parents, then incarcerating them in centers, and holding them in cages.

In every instance, and many, many more, each of these actions would have continued were it not for a free press.

But in order for the free press to work, it needs to be coupled with journalistic integrity.

Journalistic integrity comes down to one simple element: Credibility.

We must be able to trust what we read, see, and hear from media outlets.

So how can an average person understand what is credible, and what isn't?

Substantiation.

My generation learned a lot about substantiation from the Watergate era: Woodward and Bernstein, and their editor Ben Bradlee, as depicted in the film All the President's Men.

To understand what takes place before The Washington Post publishes a story, check out their clearly defined editorial policies, which cover many elements, including fact checking.

Are they perfect? No more perfect than you and I, but when they discover a mistake they admit it, and publish a retraction or correction.

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Fact vs. Opinion; Fake News Isn't Opinion, It's Propaganda

Most media outlets publish both fact and opinion. 

Credible media outlets clearly identify opinion pieces. 

When legislation passes and becomes law, that's fact. It can be substantiated by the vote count, and the text of the bill.

But the law's impact is opinion. Many people use background information to support their opinions, but they remain opinions, until they can be substantiated with fact.

Less credible media outlets now routinely present opinion as unsubstantiated facts, because their audience doesn't know the difference, and probably doesn't care.

Here's a brief history, and debunking, of the recent "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory

That untrue conspiracy theory resulted in a North Carolina man entering the pizza shop in Washington DC in December of 2016, and allegedly firing an assault rifle inside the shop.

Words matter.

There are a few ways to determine whether you are receiving the truth or not.

Consider the Source

Always be sure that you recognize and respect the original source of the story, and check to see if the same story was reported by other media outlets.

Consider who benefits

Propaganda is generally spread to benefit a few people in power. One of the reasons why some media outlets publish false or misleading stories is so that they will continue to have access to the people in power, who their propaganda benefits.

Consider the questions asked by journalists

A "fluff piece" will usually include questions that flatter, but never challenge the subject.


Always Maintaining Journalistic Integrity

I've done publicity work for a wide range of different types of clients, from those selling industrial equipment intended to increase productivity, to an Academy Award Winner promoting his film roles and public appearances, to up and coming talents who are working hard to advance their careers.

I have never once had to resort to "alternate facts" for any of those clients.

Consequently, when I send out a press notice the media outlets know that they can depend on my own journalistic integrity.

Because throughout my career I have established myself as a publicist with journalistic integrity, journalists know that if they publish something that they've received from me, they are assured that we will be able to answer any questions that their audience might ask, because they know that everything that I send out is substantiated. It's fact, not opinion, not propaganda.

So if you have questions about journalistic integrity, just ask. 

If you value and need journalistic integrity, then you know you can trust me!

Contact:

Steve Thompson

Thompson Communications

856-425-0743

(Google Voice line, for
quick voicemail and text.)

steve@thomcomm.net

About Me