Introduction
In journalism, as in many other professions, there are professional and ethical standards of work. They help the media maintain trust and respect, as well as interest from the audience. After this lesson, you will not only understand the rules and principles that guide professional journalists, but you will also be able to use many of them when creating and distributing your own public media content.
Let’s begin!
Have you ever wondered why some media materials (news, articles, programmes) make you want to quickly skip through or close them, whilst others make you want to carefully read/listen/watch to the end?
Look at the list of some criteria that journalists consider making their materials attractive to their audience. Mark those which, in your opinion, journalists use.
Put a “tick” next to those answers which you consider correct (hint – there may be several). You can check the correctness of the answers by clicking on the check button.
Congratulations! Now you have tips on how to make your public media content interesting for your audience!
Professional media care not only about how to retain the audience’s interest, but also about their trust and respect. Therefore, journalists strive to adhere to certain professional and ethical standards. They can be useful to you too, if you also create and distribute public media content (news, opinions, photos, videos, etc.).
Browse through this presentation to better understand the essence of these standards and rules.
Congratulations! Now you know what will help you create higher quality media content! Let’s consolidate the knowledge! Try to determine which of these texts meets journalism standards and which doesn’t.
Good luck!
Text 1
Outraged residents block the road! Capital district on the brink of ecological catastrophe!
Today in “Green Forrest” people’s patience snapped! An enraged crowd took to the streets to stop the criminal construction of a toxic factory, which the scandalously well-known developer “PromInvest” wants to “shove” under their windows. People blocked the central street, preventing machinery from passing through.
“These businessmen want to poison us all! They couldn’t care less about our children, they only want money!” shouted one of the women with tears in her eyes. According to eyewitnesses, nearly half the district gathered for the protest.
Attempts to get a comment from the developer came to nothing – obviously, they have something to hide. Local officials, as always, pretend that nothing is happening and promise some “hearings”, in the results of which nobody believes anymore.
Officials and businessmen are once again ignoring the voice of the people. How this will end is unknown, but residents are determined and promise new, larger-scale protests.
Text 2
Protest against factory construction held in “Green Forest” neighbourhood
On 18 July, a protest by local residents against plans to build a battery factory took place in the capital’s “Green Forest” neighbourhood, authorised by the authorities. According to organisers’ estimates, about 200 people took part in the protest.
The protesters expressed concerns about the possible negative impact of production on the area’s ecology and people’s health.
“We’re not against industrial development, but we want to be sure about our children’s safety. We haven’t been presented with the results of an independent ecological assessment,” protest initiator Volga Petrousskaya told our publication in a comment.
The developer company “PromInvest” reported that the project has passed all necessary state inspections.
“The enterprise will use modern purification technologies that minimise impact on the environment. We’re ready for dialogue and plan to hold public hearings on 25 July,” noted company representative Alexey Sidarovich.
A representative of the district administration, in turn, confirmed that the construction permit was issued on legal grounds and called on all parties for constructive dialogue within the framework of the planned hearings.
Why Text 1 does NOT meet journalism standards
- Violation of truthfulness and accuracy:
- Emotional and evaluative expressions are used (“patience snapped”, “enraged crowd”, “criminal construction”, “shove”).
- Unverified information (“blocked the central street”) and exaggerations (“nearly half the district”) are present.
- Reference to anonymous “eyewitnesses” instead of specific sources.
- Violation of fairness and impartiality:
- The material is completely one-sided. Only the protesters’ position is presented, and in a very emotional form.
- The developer’s and authorities’ positions are not only not presented, but are portrayed in a negative light through the author’s speculation (“obviously, they have something to hide”, “pretend that nothing is happening”).
- The headline is clickbait, it is sensational and manipulative.
- Violation of independence:
The journalist obviously takes the protesters’ side and uses manipulative language to sway the reader to their side. - Violation of the principle of minimising harm:
The text escalates conflict, uses language of hostility (“criminal”, “poison”, “businessmen ignore”). Such formulations can provoke aggression and do not contribute to solving the problem.
Why Text 2 meets journalism standards
- Truthfulness and accuracy:
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- The news is based on facts: the date, place, and reason for the protest are specified.
- Specific numbers of participants are given with reference to the source (“according to organisers’ estimates”).
- Direct quotes from representatives of different sides are used.
- Evaluative judgements and author speculation are absent.
- Impartiality and fairness:
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- The positions of three sides of the conflict are presented: protesters, the developer company, and local authorities.
- Each side is provided the opportunity to explain their position, which makes the material balanced.
- The headline is neutral and informative, creating no preconceptions.
- Independence:
The text is written in a neutral, informational tone without attempting to manipulate the reader’s opinion. The journalist doesn’t take anyone’s side, but acts as an objective mediator. - Humanity and minimising harm:
The text contains no offensive or disparaging characterisations of protest participants or company representatives. The language is appropriate.