Extra Credit Blog #4

Part 1:
1. Because I have grown up in a religious household, I would definitely say that I have a personal bias when it comes to religion. I tend to analyze actions based on morals that I was taught from the Bible, such as drinking or smoking. Also, I tend to have a bias when it comes to politics because I usually have views that lean toward Republican and Libertarian ideals rather than Democratic ones. Therefore, it would be difficult for me to cover topics about abortion and political scandals.
2. If I had to do a story about pro-choice advocates on abortion even though I don’t agree with them, I would definitely write the story. I always like to keep an open-mind, and I would enjoy learning about the different viewpoints on the topic. I would try to interview people that have had an abortion in order to make the topic; these voices are often unheard. Also, I would seek out professional advice about the qualifications, side effects, and many other issues related to one’s decision to have an abortion. Because there is always another side to everything, I would interview people who are pro-life to give that side a fair chance to react as well.
3. I think some media outlets are biased; many people associate certain television channels like FOX News with Republican views. Because all people have personal biases, I think it is hard to not have biases somehow influence our choice of news coverage. Clearly, many journalists try to stay neutral and give people information so they can make their own judgments rather than thrusting their opinions on them. In order to remedy one’s biases, a journalist should seek both sides of any story and report it in a truthful manner. Journalists should focus on the facts and give the reader a chance to figure out his or her own opinions. Of course, if the journalist is writing an opinion piece, it will certainly be biased.

Part 2:
1. The Chicago Tribune did not seem to cover this story fairly. Instead of focusing on what Blagojevich said during his ethics speech, the writer turned it into a story about how ironical it was that he would be asked to do so. Comparing him to Tiger Woods made him seem guilty already even though he has not been prosecuted or found guilty yet.
2. Because the SPJ Code of Ethics requests a journalist to “seek the truth and report it,” I would make sure to avoid making Blagojevich seem guilty. On the other hand, the “be accountable” guideline says that a journalist should hold people in power accountable for their actions. With these conflicting messages, I would try to balance the two by doing an interview with him for a better understanding of the case and his lecture. The Chicago Tribune story was not libelous because it did not purposely try to defame his character.
3. If I was doing the story, I would have focused on the impact of his lecture and the impression it had made on the students at the school. Focusing on the students’ reactions and the content of his speech would be fairer and hold up with the SPJ Code of Ethics. I think the Chicago Tribune chose to run this story this way because of its appeal to more readers. People love conflict and oddity; focusing on the irony of Blagojevich’s speech was an effective way to ensure more interest in reading the story.