Understanding Credibility

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CODE OF CONDUCT & JOURNALISM

Do not look at the media in the negative light that is shined upon it in this discussion. I know that's a hard ask, but it would make all the difference in the world in this discussion. (Also know that journalism is a CALLING for many people, not just a profession. It was for me. I felt it my DUTY to get to truth and not allow injustice to hide. I felt it my duty to shed light in darkness -- long before I knew Christ. There are credible people in this profession.)

Rather, consider this truth: There are journalists, people who research and write for professional news agencies, magazines, and websites for the purpose of broadcasting, who are standing in integrity in their fields. It is true to say that many have lost their confidence in the "news media." That's an industry. INDUSTRY is industry. If you have every worked for an employer, then you already know that the employees are not always reflective of the industry that employs them. In the same way, it doesn't mean all news journalists lack integrity.

We all know good people who have worked for corrupt companies and organizations. We can't throw out all journalists because of the questionable practices of a company... or the machine. If that was the case, many of us would suffer the same judgment as those who employ us.... right?

While studying as a journalist and working in the industry as an investigative news journalist, we were grilled extensively on journalism ethics or standards of conduct by professionals in the field and our journalism accountability associations. These standards of conduct were set by the most respected journalism association in the United States, the Society of Professional Journalists. Read through them – as credibility in the journalism field in the United States is founded in these. You will understand why after reading them.

From an international perspective, check out this list of codes of conduct per region that is listed on the international site, Accountable Journalism.

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE ABOUT THIS?

Well, journalism is a huge part of remembering history. The techniques I am sharing with you come from my journalism background -- and are perfect for establishing good documentation practices.

Globally, people consider information published in the press as historical artifacts - if they come from a reputable, proven organization or source. As journalism has progressed over the centuries, reporting the world comes with an amazing skill set rooted in interviews, research, investigation, writing, documenting, chasing down sources, verifying truth from a lie, accessing documents… and this desire to represent the best interest of the public. Also, journalists are responsible for many of the laws in countries around the world that support what is known as "Open Records Laws or Freedom of Information Acts." (We will talk more about that later.)

Believe it or not, journalism exists because ordinary people like us decided that they wanted to be informed about the world around them. Even more significant, they wanted to represent the interests of the public and the right of the people "to know" what was going on in the world around them. The core concept of journalism has always been news for the people and by the people so-to-speak.

The skill set of journalists is precise and expert for its purposes. Yet, the skill set can be so simple that "citizen journalism," although not to be considered professional by any means, can take place. Citizen journalism is when and private individual collects, reports, analyzes, generates, and distributes content to the general public. We see a lot of this today among bloggers.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US AS WE DOCUMENT OUR PROJECTS? AND WHERE DOES CREDIBILITY ENTER IN?

As mentioned previously, journalism involves a very unique skill set that is BASED ON KNOWING HOW TO DOCUMENT information. Professional journalists are trained researchers and are experts at creating, identifying, collecting, and documenting artifacts. However, the skill level is not enough. Journalists must also have credibility – honoring their profession by meeting the code of conduct standards. This is how these things fit together.

While people do not need to uphold the Code of Conduct in the same way a professional journalist is required to do, the person who is documenting should be concerned about developing credibility around their project.

As it relates to documenting your scribal projects, credibility means that "what you are presenting is believable and can be trusted as true." It's that simple. The reputation of ALL SERIOUS JOURNALISTS rests on their ability to CONSISTENTLY provide official, believable content based on solid, provable information.

Failing in this area is to fail to contribute to the best possible artifact for historical remembrance and reflection. Even more important is knowing that it reveals "a lack of care and concern" on behalf of the person doing the documenting. Your relationship to your project can be just as critical to the project itself. In addition, a person's own credibility (personal integrity, authenticity, reliability, etc.) can affect the credibility of the project.

Remember, we want to be remembered for being as believable as possible – not speculating as it relates to documentation. In history, the person who documents is sometimes remembered as the "the person who" interviewed Jane Doe and compiled this information about her. Your "good name or bad name" is attached to what you produce.

You are not only documenting a credible artifact but releasing a historical narrative around it that is attached to your good name.

Finally, the documentation also has to be credible. It must come from a verifiable, reliable, trustworthy, authentic source as well. What this looks like, however, depends on the project you are working on. Remember, we are talking about "credibility" as it relates to the scribal project itself -- from the perspective of the person compiling it to the integrity of the artifacts.