Deception in Journalism - Report Example

Deception in Journalism al Affiliation Deception takes place when the journalist transmits information which they know will make the receiver have a particular belief and perception on an issue. Today, journalists continue to engage in practices that may still be considered to be deceptive. The sole goal of journalism and news collection should always be the provision of deceit free content and using any form of deception in the gathering process in one way or the other interferes with the credibility of the content gathered. Therefore, it must be discouraged at all costs due to the potential detrimental impacts that it may have. Introduction According to Lee (2005), journalism is intended to give the public information on various issues which may directly and indirectly affect their lives and their wellbeing. Journalists go out to collect stories or create content which is to be consumed by the public. The information they pass to the public via various media channels impact on masses in one way or the other. Abrahamson (2012) notes that the issue of deception is one of the hotly debated topics in journalism practice. There is divergence in opinion on the moral acceptability of the practice. Today, journalists continue to engage in practices which may still be considered to be deceptive. The extent to which states and nations have gone in enacting laws meant to deal with the issue is a clear pointer that the topic remains a serious concern. This treatise will describe the concept of deception in journalism and gives an example of how it has been witnessed in advertising. Concept of Deception To understand how deception occurs in journalism and the impact that it has had, it is imperative to have a concrete and specific definition of the concept. The meaning of the word deception ion the journalism circles has undergone a lot of changes due to the attempts being made to justify the practice. Jones Patterson & Urbanski (2006) define deception to be the act of knowingly transmitting information or content to foster and instigate a false belief to the receiver. Deception takes place when the journalist transmits information which they know will make the receiver have a given belief and perception on an issue. In some cases, it occurs when the individual engages in untruthful acts to pursue journalistic goals. The deceptive content can be transmitted via various modes and channels like newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and the web. Deception in journalism occurs in two major areas. They include the news gathering process and in news writing. Braun (1988) defines news gathering to be the process through which journalists establish rapport with various subjects and people. It may occurs through observation or interviews. Investigative journalism perhaps the biggest beneficiary of deceptive practices during the news gathering process. What makes the process deceptive in the fact that the identity of the journalist remains secret and the use of recording devices without the subject in question knowing about it. The mere fact that the subject does not know that they are being recorded is an indication that the conversation is not only off the record but also contains some form of deceit. A very good illustration of deceptive news gathering process can be seen in the example given by Lasorsa & Lewis (2010) about a journalist who would like to catch an online paedophile. In this instant, the journalist will pose as an underage girl and then initiate a chat with the sex predator. The journalist will then go ahead to lure the predictor until he is caught. Braun (1988) notes that most investigative journalists today use and display deceptive methods by withholding their identity and also using recording devices without the knowledge of the subjects in an off the record chat. This way, they are able to obtain the information they need without jeopardizing the data collection process. Seow Ting (2004), however, points out that despite the argument that such journalism techniques have contributed to the unraveling of certain ills in the society, they cannot be fully justified as moral. The sole goal of journalism and news collection should always be the provision of deceit free content and using any form of deception in the gathering process may in one way or the other interferes with the credibility of the content gathered. The second form of deception occurs during the news writing process. Journalists have the duty of not only availing the information that has been collected to the audience but also delivering it in the manner in which it was collected (Williams & Owen, 2002). This therefore requires them to desist from any firm of ruse in the new writing process which may interfere with the truthfulness and the credibility of the information delivered. The perception and belief that the receiver of the message will have on a given issue or topic will be depend on how the news is written and delivered through the various delivery platforms and channels used by journalists. Braun (1988) warns that failing to do this is morally unacceptable and limits the reliability and credibility of a particular news content. The big question which is normally asked in the journalism circles is whether journalists are allowed to lie to be able to reveal the true behaviour of others. Others have also posed the question on when the journalist is allowed to obscure the truth of the information gathered and his identity to be able to reveal a true story on a given person or issue. Jones Patterson & Urbanski (2006) informs that the use of deception tool in journalism is more than just an academic tool. Some journalists have taken up the practices as a personal tool and they go ahead to defend the practice on the basis of the fact that they do so in pursuit of the truth which will be beneficial to the general public. However, it appears that an absolutist stand cannot be taken on the issue of deception versus the truth in journalism. In some situations, journalists may be justified to use some form of deceit such as the hiding of ones identity to achieve the overall goal of his journalism endeavors. However, such exceptional cases are very rare. Moreover, drawing a line between the instances where it is justified not justified and when it can be allowed is not an easy task at it may seem. Journalists may therefore find themselves in a tight situation where they have to rely on their self-conviction to decide whether to go for truth during news collection and gathering or to use deception in the pursuit of truth. The totalitarianism view on the other hand argues that the deception may be justified if the outcomes of the process brings good to the public. An example of such instances is where the journalist lies about himself to be able to uncover ill and unacceptable behaviour of people which in one way or the other affect the wellbeing of the general public. Such cases include those dealing with corrupt undertakings, unhealthy practices and illegal activities. By hiding their identity and unraveling the truth, the journalist will be able to save the public from the negative consequences that certain actions may have had on its wellbeing. In some other situations, the deceptive tools used in the news gathering and collection processes have not be condemned especially when the outcomes are positive. Lee (2005) notes that some journalists who engage in deceptive practices are termed to be aggressive and cleaver and this has in turn motivated others to use similar tactics. The sheer fact that the practice is acceptable in given instance is a source of problems. Journalists are not able to draw a boundary between what is dishonest and what is legitimate as they carry out their activities. It is for this reason that majority of stakeholders and scholars are of the view that the practice should be totally abolished. Partly accepting and partly rejecting the practice creates double standards which some journalism exploit at the expense of legitimate and truthful practices. In the end, it is the consumer of the deceptive content who will be affected most. Application In major media houses, deception is only used when other means of gathering and reporting information have been exhausted. This is die to the fact that a slight deviation from legitimate practice will have damaging impact in the public confidence on that particular media house. Since building eroded trust and confidence is not an easy task, media houses have gone the easy route of barring their reporters and journalists from misrepresenting themselves or engaging in deceptive practices. However, in the advertising field, the practice remains very common as various entities create content which can be termed to be deceptive in an attempt to create public awareness and for marketing purposes. The deceitful practices in advertising can be seen in the message, nature, images and the way through which the massages are passed. The Camel cigarettes advert which was ran by the R.J Reynolds Tobacco Company between 1943 and 1952 is a very clear example of how deception takes place in marketing and advertising. In the advert, the company used the Camel character to encourage the consumption of the cigarettes pointing out that it had great taste and throat comfort. The camel character was very common and poplar among the youthful generation and it is believed that the advert basically targeted the youths. It made them believe that smoking the camel cigarettes was healthy despite medical evidence showing that cigarettes smoking is harmful to one’s health. Seow Ting (2004) says that the untruthful claims which were portrayed in the Camel cigarettes adverts depicting it as the healthiest cigarette was a form of deceit to the accidence. By claiming that the cigarette is health while at the same time admitting that it would cause irritation albeit minimal, the company was engaging in deceptive journalism and advertising. In the Camel cigarettes advert, the inhaling area was dubbed as the T-Zone and the slogan became T for Taste and T for throat. Most of the adverts included an image of a beautiful woman or a young man showing white and spotless teeth. This is deceptive since it is a known fact that smoking results the yellowing of the teeth. By portraying an image which is contrary to what is true and what has been medically proven, R.J Reynolds Tobacco Company was lying to the public and hiding some of the negative consequences that its products may have on a person’s health. R.J Reynolds Tobacco Company tried to reassure the audience that the cigarettes would have minimal impact on their throat, mouth and teeth yet that was not the case (Abrahamson, 2012). Conclusion Deceptive journalism is very common in the current society just like it was years back. Journalists engage in such practices to be able to collect information or to pass a particular message to the audience. Deception ion journalism remains something very controversial and unacceptable due to the fact that it affect the credibility and reliability of journalists. In advertising, the practice has also taken root as company try to market their products. Deception should be discouraged at all costs due to the potential detrimental impacts that it may have. Reference Abrahamson, D. (2012). Journalism and Deception: The Other Side of a Two-Faced Coin. Journal of Magazine & New Media Research, 13(1), 1-4. Braun, P. (1988). Deception in Journalism. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 3(1), 77-83. Jones Patterson, M., & Urbanski, S. (2006). What Jayson Blair AND Janet Cooke Say about the Press and the Erosion of Public Trust? Journalism Studies, 7(6), 828-850. Lasorsa, D. L., & Lewis, S. C. (2010). REPORTS, Inferences, and Judgments in Deceptive and Legitimate News Stories. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 87(2), 378-392. Lee, S. T. (2005). Predicting Tolerance of Journalistic Deception. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 20(1), 22-42. Doi: 10.1207/s15327728jmme2001_3 Seow Ting, L. (2004). Lying to Tell the Truth: Journalists and the Social Context of Deception. Mass Communication & Society, 7(1), 97-120. Williams, B. & Owen, A. (2002).Truth & Truthfulness: An Essay in Genealogy. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University. Read More