Writing gives writers a new and improved aspect on life. Seeing life in the eyes of a writer is fascinating because they create a language and speech that enlightens their readers. Journalism is a type of writing, creating stories based on a non-fictional standpoint is unethical because one obligation as a journalist is to be truthful and provide facts based on your work. A journalist owns the responsibility of his or her personal ethical standards. It is important for all journalists to be ethical.

Working for a big time magazine was just a dream. Just a dream for most, but Stephen Glass was talented enough to have and live that dream. Well, so everyone thought. At 25 years old, Stephen Glass had everyone caught with his catchy titles and fascinating stories that will surely have you on the edge of your seat. Young Stephen was an associate-editor at The New Republic, his articles made the magazine sell like fresh glazed doughnuts at Krispy Kreme. Glass was appreciated by so many many co-workers and left them constantly amazed by his 60 minutes interview, Glass stated he, “Loved the electricity of telling people about his stories.”

Was being a journalist all about entertaining, telling non-fiction, and not to mention poor punctuated stories? It all ended for Glass when Forbes started investigating him. Glass had written an article called “Hack Heaven” which should’ve been Forbes because the story was a internet based magazine. Forbes put together 3-day torture test questioning Glass about sources. Glass lacked integrity and his boss, Chuck Lane, became suspicious. Soon, Lane put everything together and figured out that 27 out of Stephens 41 articles were fabricated.

“Jimmy’s World” was written and published in Washington Post on September 28, 1980 by Janet Cooke. Her story followed the life of an 8 year old, alleging he was a drug addict in the rough parts of Washington, D.C. It was also a story of transparency, which had many readers speechless and left with the idea that the story must be fictional. Cooke even went as far to fill the story with quotes that were suppose to be straight from Jimmy and his family’s mouth. Janet Cooke won Pulitzer Prize on April 13,1981 for “Jimmy’s World.” Not long after it was known that she had faked her credentials and had not gone to college listed on her resume because The Toledo Blade praised her on behalf of her award including her accomplishments. The Associated Press did a similar thing praising Janet. Her accomplishments didn’t add up. She now works at a clothing store.

“One of my weaknesses happens to be lying, andIi could tell you that I’m never going to lie again in my life, but that would be a lie.” It speaks for itself. Jayson Blair was a liar. He’d lied about a simple thing like rinsing out break-room coffee mugs after using them. He’d lie about big things like saying a quote was attributed by Saddam Hussein, but was actually from actress Victoria Principal. Blairs’ lying eyes fooled so many. Manipulation was his game, but eventually, his game could only be played for so long. He wanted control.

Jayson might have been a talented reporter, charming his way into a friendship with co workers, and knew who to befriend when it became time. All that was fine, but his weak work ethics outweighed the good and pushed colleagues to their edge. Blair based getting fired on his race. That’s to say neither here or there because he made it seem like he was the only African American employee. However, he seemed to want sympathy because that was defiantly not the case.

It is important for a journalist to be ethical because because journalists have the important job of gathering information and presenting it to the public, they have a particular responsibility to their readers and their sources. On one hand, they must remember that their readers deserve clear, unbiased reporting. On the other hand, journalists need to consider the well-being of the sources whose lives are affected by media attention.

A journalists job consist of gathering information and showing it to the public, they have a responsibility to be honest their readers. They must remember that their readers deserve unbiased reporting, journalists need to consider the well-being of the sources whose lives are affected by media attention. The public expects the truthfulness. The expectations of a journalist is to apply their professional code of ethics as they sit down to create a fair and right news story.