Letter from the Editor

The value of the media

By Marisa Kratochvil
Editor-in-Chief

As I attended my capstone class for the Public Relations major, Freedom of Expressions, I began to think about the many facets of the media and how it impacts the lives of those who are exposed to its messages. Take the newspaper industry for example. I would venture to say that thousands, if not millions, of American and international business people read it daily to keep afloat to current and pressing issues. However, the issue is this: how many media outlets, in general, portray an accurate representation of a news piece?

One example is when it was reported that the 12 miners from West Virginia were alive, when in fact all but one survived. Who was responsible for making the call to release the information? Did they not verify their sources to confirm the truth? In any case, ethical principles were crossed here on both personal and professional levels. The editor in charge did not take into account the families’ emotional distress at that time; any “glimmer of hope” meant the world to them. Instead, being the first to “bite” the story took precedence over confirming the report.

As a media agent, I feel it is the responsibility of the reporter, editors and the institution to clearly and accurately disseminate the much needed information to the public. To forsake the mentality and emotional stability of a fragile person for being the first one to cover the “breaking news” should not be tolerated. What society needs to understand is that media agents are here for them. We are not out to “get you” or force an agenda, but rather we strive for objective journalism.

As editor-in-chief, I hope both my staff, and myself, have upheld these moral values of truth, honesty and accuracy. Yes, mistakes do happen; we are all human. However, the degree of intentional maliciousness must be considered, and if none are found, then the errors must be taken as just that. Regardless if the printed media is fading out due to the popularity of On-line versions or e-zines, the newspaper still carries with it years of tradition to uphold the public’s need for information.