The main contention of the article is that responsible journalism is rapidly missing its place in the media industry. Whereas there are strict rules of engagement when gathering and reporting news, several cases of unethical gathering and reporting of news items have been noted in the recent past (Reese, Olasky, Carothers & Jensen 1989, p.479). Ricketson elaborates the subject of irresponsible journalism using Blair and Glass (Ricketson, 2004). It is evident that the targeted audiences are members of the public and the media industry (Shapiro, Albanese & Doyle 2006, p.436).
The author has employed various persuasive techniques in delivering the content of the article. He makes use of several assertive and direct quotes from other pieces of literature to convince the reader. Second, the author attempts to engage the audience by asking questions. He has structured the article in such a way that it is easy for the reader to follow and analyze the events (Bechtel 2007, p. 179).
In terms of the style and tone, it is more accessible to the audience. The facts are clearly presented. He has adopted an objective style of writing and left the reader to judge (Trouten 2012, p.530).
From my perspective, unethical journalism has been vividly brought out in the article. An open critique approach is indeed persuasive because the author does not appear to be biased. This works quite well in the article. Nonetheless, the author has not demonstrated how the fictional technique can be unethical in journalism. Is it true that there is an extreme focus on news items that cover celebrities?
References
Bechtel, A 2007, “The Ethics of the Story: Using Narrative Techniques Responsibly in Journalism”, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, vol. 84, no. 1, pp. 179-180.
Reese, S.D., Olasky, M., Carothers, D. & Jensen, K 1989, “Ethics in Journalism”, Journalism Quarterly, vol. 66, no. 2, pp. 478-479.
Ricketson, M 2004, Don’t believe everything you read, Web.
Shapiro, I., Albanese, P. & Doyle, L 2006, “What Makes Journalism “Excellent”? Criteria Identified by Judges in Two Leading Awards Programs”, Canadian Journal of Communication, vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 425-445.
Trouten, D.J 2012, “Excellence in Online Journalism: Exploring Current Practices in an Evolving Environment”, Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, vol. 89, no. 3, pp. 528-530.