Kevin Sites: The Mosque Shooting in Fallujah - Essay Example

KEVIN SITES: THE MOSQUE SHOOTING IN FALLUJAH al Affiliation KEVIN SITES: THE MOSQUE SHOOTING IN FALLUJAH INTRODUCTION The Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics calls for journalists to make ethical decisions in their actions. This is by being accountable, acting independently, seeking the truth, and by minimizing harm.BODY Kevin choice to report the story was right in giving the murdered POW some kind of justice. This is also because he followed the society of professional journals (SPJ) code of seeking the truth and reporting it (Society of Professional Journalists, 1996).

In his bid to find the truth, he tested the accuracy of the information from sources and also exercised care to avoid any form of error. During the incident in the mosque, he was present and saw what was actually happening. He was also there on Friday and recognized that people at the mosque were the same. One of the marines shot one person who did not seem to pose any kind of danger to them. This is against the rules of engagement that requires for marines or soldiers to determine the intentions of hostiles before they use deadly force.

After the incident, he made effort to exercise care by informing the unit commanding officer on what happened and even shared the video with him. The impact was felt up the command chain and the commanders immediately committed themselves to cooperating. Kevin also understood that this was a very sensitive story which is not responsibly handled, can make the region even worse, and thus making the other POWs more determined and making the work of the US military harder. He also understood that the story might have a negative effect on the shooters and the marines.

He took all the possible precautions to cause minimal harm. He offered to hold on to the tape until the commanders had time to look at what happened and investigate. He considered not to abide to his obligation of feeding the tape to the pool, and at one point felt about destroying the tape. But he looked at the greater good of getting justice for the victim. When NBS aired the incident after 48 hours, he attempted to highlight the other side of the story which is the issues surrounding the actions taken by the Marines.

This gave the viewers a chance to understand what they go through while fighting on the front line before judging them. His action was in accordance to the SBJ code of ethics that states that journalists should show compassion for those who are likely to be affected by the news coverage. He considered the families of the Marines who did the act by covering their side. This shows the hardships and risks that these marines face in the field and the tough decisions that they need to make in order to stay alive.

He also helped the viewers understand what the Marines go through to make the United States free from threats before harshly judging them or victimizing them when they return home. Kevin shot the footage while acting independently. He was not influenced by the Marines not to film what was happening in the mosque. He did not hide that a Marine shot a person who was at the time not hostile. He could not let himself destroy the tape after witnessing the shooting in the mosque. CONCLUSION It is crucial for journalist to follow the SPJ Code of ethics in their actions while getting and distributing news coverage.

Kevin Sites actions on the mosque shooting were for the greater good. ReferenceSociety of Professional Journalists. (1996). Code of Ethics. Code of Ethics, Pg 1.