If there is any one thing I can say that I am definitely not lacking, then it is compassion. I feel so much compassion that it makes it hard for me to report on things that have the potential to hurt others. I become very troubled when I have to make the decision between a good story and negatively impacting someone in some way. Sometimes I think that certain aspects of our media lack compassion and need to tighten discretion. Certainly some of the best stories and photos that draw a reader in are the ones that have the potential to do the most harm to others. Stories and photos that deal with death, assault, and a whole slew of other things that people might not want the world to know about or might not want to be reminded of. Of course some things have to be reported on, but I think more discretion should be used. I imagine it would be a hard thing to have a loved one injured or killed and then to see it splayed all over the front page of a newspaper with photos included. During the lesson on Monday one example of having compassion that I found interesting was when the reporter went to interview President Kennedy while he was having a naked pool party with a bunch of girls. Naturally this would seem to be an excellent news story that would stir a whole bunch of pots and sell alot of papers and get alot of people tuning into their media outlets. However, the reporter chose not to mention any of this because he felt that it would be best to let Kennedy’s personal life stay personal. The way I see it is, although he may have been doing something alot of Americans would snub their noses at, it was something that was a part of his personal life and had nothing to do with him as President. His actions were not affecting anything that had to do with his ability to govern the country. I think it is important to realize your own limits and to not compromise your conscience for a good story. Alot of things make great news, however, alot of them have the power to really hurt someone. A reporter should always stick to their guns and know when to stick to their story and when to let go. One thing that I learned at a very young age, that I use in all aspects of my life, is you should always imagine if you were in someone else’s place. If you were sexually assaulted would you want the media taking a whole bunch of pictures at you during a very raw time in your life? I think it is important to consider how you would feel if you were the subject of focus rather than the reporter.
