Voices & Values of Journalism Project
|
|
|
Tell us what you think - Please fill out this form to let us know what you think about these essays. We're especially interested to know how you intend to use them, particularly if they are being used in an academic setting. Comment on these essays at the very end of the page by clicking "Add new comment." To make contact with one of the writers featured below, email us at admin@ivoh.org to facilitate. Download all the essays at once - In addition to downloading each essay individually, you can also download all the essays in MP3 format or all the essays in PDF format by clicking the links. Spreading the word about these essays? Click here to download a brochure about the Voices & Values essays. Need help? Email us at admin@ivoh.org for assistance. |
|
Roberta Baskin, Senior Communications Advisor, Health and Human Services, Inspector General's Office Broadcast journalist Roberta Baskin credits tenacity for her decades-long success in investigative reporting and points to a talent honed in childhood and later put to good use in her dogged pursuit of journalism. [Listen to this essay] Download this essay [PDF] ° [MP3]
|
|
Maud Beelman, Deputy Managing Editor, Projects and Enterprise, The Dallas Morning News Maud Beelman is uncomfortable when people praise her experience as a war correspondent and marvel at the bravery they insist is needed to report from a war zone. Instead, Beelman lauds the every-day courage that helps journalists face the ethical issues in newsrooms and other workplaces. [Listen to this essay] |
Sanjeev Chatterjee, Documentary Filmmaker and Vice Dean, Associate Professor and Executive Director, Knight Center for International Media For Sanjeev Chatterjee, his emphasis on international reporting is marked by a strong visual storytelling style and a belief there is value in sharing his experience with a media audience that may - or may not - travel to the places he visits. Download this essay [PDF] |
|
Fred de Sam Lazaro, Director, Project for Under-Told Stories, St. John's University and Correspondent, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and Religion and Ethics Newsweekly As a broadcast journalist and teacher, Fred de Sam Lazaro ponders how to tell stories that grab an audience disinterested in global stories or weary of events far from home. He believes that looking at the lives and works of social entrepreneurs can emphasize the relevance and value of global issues. [Listen to this essay] |
|
Margaret Engel, Director, Alicia Patterson Journalism Foundation and Co-Author, Red Hot Patriot; The Kickass Wit of Molly Ivins As a journalist-turned-playright, Margaret Engel uses the words and life of a late columnist to remind us of what we miss without the legendary Molly Ivins among us. But Engel discovers that researching and writing about the life of an icon also gave her a chance to examine her own personal and professional values. [Listen to this essay] |
|
Ryland Fisher, former Editor, Cape Times and author of Race (2007) and Making the Media Work for You (2002) Ryland Fisher believes in the value of independence. But what does a journalist do when he is a South African who has fought side-by-side against apartheid with those former compatriots he must now cover - and who question his coverage and patriotism? [Listen to this essay] |
|
Jon Funabiki, Professor of Journalism, San Francisco State University and Executive Director, Renaissance Journalism Center When it comes to journalistic role models, professor Jon Funabiki turns to his family tree and an uncle he barely knew to find a stellar example for his journalism students – and himself. It’s the tale of a Japanese-American journalist forced into an internment camp during World War II but who saves a community newspaper in the process. Download this essay [PDF] |
J. Carl Ganter, Director and Co-Founder, Circle of Blue As a journalist, J. Carl Ganter has covered political protesters as they marched in the streets of Thailand and lived with the poor in Mexico as he reported on their economic plight. What he learned were some life-changing lessons and the value of bearing witness. [Listen to this essay] Download this essay [PDF] |
|
Darren Gersh, Washington DC Bureau Chief, Nightly Business Report Once armed with certainty, television reporter Darren Gersh recalls a journalistic career steeped in confidence while covering the volatile fields of economics and finance. But he also appreciates how a little “doubt” can help – not hinder – a journalist. Download this essay [PDF] |
|
David Green, Editor and Columnist, Haaretz As a columnist for an Israeli newspaper, David Green confronts the dilemma of truth-telling and reporting critical news about your own community. He reminds us of the risks journalists face in a business where accuracy is paramount while working in a country where controversy is commonplace. [Listen to this essay] |
|
Eric Le Reste, Senior Producer, Enquête Canadian journalist Eric Le Reste remembers a volatile confrontation that helped him see the value of spirituality in the newsroom. Looking inward while seeing the humanity in others, he suggests, can defuse a situation and salvage working relationships. [Listen to this essay] |
Michele McLellan, Lead Programming Consultant, Knight Digital Media Center at USC Annenberg and KDMC News Leadership 3.0 blogger Michele McLellan, a former editor and journalism teacher, has reshaped her idea of duty as something that once haunted her. Now she realizes that it was the sense of duty that made her brave, helped her challenge the status quo and opened her to new ideas and approaches. [Listen to this essay] |
Victor Merina agonizes whether to leave the journalism profession and a satisfying job covering Indian Country as his personal finances dwindle and the freelance market shrinks. His answer is found in an essay spun from humility, read with reluctance and heard by an audience that shows how generosity and faith can be a writer’s saving grace. [Listen to this essay] |
|
Dean Miller, Director, Center for News Literacy, Stony Brook University School of Journalism A former newspaper reporter and editor, Dean Miller now helps train journalists and journalism students. He examines the value and power of hope, turning to the story of a legendary Antarctic expedition for inspiration. [Listen to this essay] Download this essay [PDF] |
|
Chris Palmer, Director, Center for Environmental Filmmaking and Author, Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom As a documentary filmmaker, Chris Palmer maintains a successful career producing award-winning works about wildlife and environmental issues. But he worries about those productions that discard ethics and exploit animals in a quest for higher ratings and a commercial windfall. [Listen to this essay] |
|
Siok Sian Pek-Dorji, Journalist and Executive Director, Bhutan Center for Media and Democracy When it comes to measuring the success of nations, Siok Sian Pek-Dorji relates the experiences of her adopted country of Bhutan and its emphasis on the value of Gross National Happiness. It is happiness, she says, that is not media-driven but built on the need for less. [Listen to this essay] |
Raul Ramirez, Executive Director, News and Public Affairs, KQED Public Radio Giving voice to the voiceless is a stated mission for many journalists, writes news executive Raul Ramirez. But after years as a newspaper and broadcast journalist, he finds that media merely amplify existing voices in communities of color and other places that have been historically overlooked. Download this essay [PDF] |
|
Anette Sofia Ruiz-Morales, Fanning Research Fellow, The Kettering Foundation In her mid-twenties, Anette Sofia Ruiz-Morales admits her inexperience in journalism but it is the value she finds in community that she feels can help shape her career. And she has found that community in families, in newsrooms and in neighborhoods different than her own. Download this essay [PDF] |
|
Connie Schultz, Nationally Syndicated Columnist, The Plain Dealer and Creators Syndicate As a newspaper columnist, Connie Schultz writes about "regular people leading heroic lives" and spotlights the injustices they face. And as the media endure tumultuous times, she recognizes the value of her profession and what drew her to journalism. Download this essay [PDF] |
|
Michael Skoler, Vice President for Interactive Media, Public Radio International (PRI) After 30 years in journalism, Michael Skoler believes in the power of money especially in this age of Internet news and a dwindling reliance on mainstream media. Not for what money buys or confers but as a test of whether our work is valued and valuable. [Listen to this essay] |
|
Bob Steele, Director, Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics, DePauw University and Eugene S. Pulliam Distinguished Professor of Journalism, DePauw University Bob Steele, an ethicist and journalism professor, ponders the purpose and power of questions and the value of the "why" word. Questions prompt exploration and examination, he says, and force journalists to challenge assumptions and reveal bias. And while opening eyes, he adds, they also can touch hearts. [Listen to this essay] |
|
Vu Thanh Thuy, President Radio Saigon and Editor-in-Chief, Saigon Weekly News Vu Thanh Thuy has survived a war in Vietnam, a risky escape from sea pirates and a perilous ocean journey to America. But through it all, she vowed to prevail - and that strong-willed belief carries over into her journalism that serves the Vietnamese American community. [Listen to this essay] Download this essay [PDF] |
|
Keith Woods, Vice President, Diversity in News & Operations, National Public Radio A former newspaper editor, Keith Woods, is back in the newsroom - this time in public broadcasting - after years as an instructor and faculty dean at a journalism institute. As he returns "to the front," he realizes that when it comes to valuing diversity some debates have a familiar ring. Download this essay [PDF] |
| Acknowledgements |
Introduction
Think of this collection of essays as a jigsaw puzzle reflecting the practice of journalism and the passion of journalists. In one dimension, Voices & Values of Journalism offers accounts of professionals who describe what they do and how they do it. A second dimension offers insight into why these individuals chose journalism, what principles guide their work and what they hope to accomplish ... [continued]
Bob Steele
July 2010
Editor's Note
In an ever-shifting media landscape, the importance of voices and values remains unchanged. Who tells the stories and what voices are heard can frame a piece, guide the narrative and shape its content. No less essential are the values that a journalist brings to his or her reporting, writing, editing and photography. At the same time, a journalist may find those personal and professional values in conformity or in conflict ... [continued]
Victor Merina
Editor
Raise money for Images and Voices of Hope by searching the web with GoodSearch or shopping online at Goodshop.com!
