A while back, we discussed the nine principles and seven yardsticks of journalism in class. We learned in the lecture that these rules were constructed for the use of journalists so that they know what's expected of them when they cover stories.
I was very glad that we covered this in class because it seemed like such crucial material to know, and it had really surprised me that I hadn't heard of these standards before. One of my favorite things about the principles and yardsticks though is that they don't just stop at what to report; they go into how. They give detail into how journalists can (and as implied, should) conduct their careers and strategies for reporting as well. A couple examples of these concepts are enterprise (actively investigating) and inclusiveness (keeping what you report on proportional). With the use of the "how" rules, we now know how to improve on our tactics and what to strive for in the future.
And though the school year has just started out, I honestly think that this may be the most important topic we will have covered in class. These fundamentals are internationally accepted and so presumably are internationally followed, meaning that throughout the rest of our lives we will likely be critiqued based on these standards, no matter if the extent of our careers in journalism are this particular course we're taking at school or if we're being paid to do fieldwork coverage in another country. The nine principles and seven yardsticks carry a lot of weight with them, but I believe they are an important load to bear.
Here are links that provide all nine principles and all seven yardsticks:
- http://www.journalism.org/resources/principles-of-journalism/ (9 Principles)
- http://www.gradethenews.org/feat/recentgrades/indices2004.htm (7 Yardsticks)
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