Comments on: Where is the ethical line nowadays? http://bhamterminal.com/mybirmingham/2009/07/17/where-is-the-ethical-line-nowadays/ The Terminal's editorial page Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:09:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Todd Hornsby http://bhamterminal.com/mybirmingham/2009/07/17/where-is-the-ethical-line-nowadays/comment-page-1/#comment-408 Todd Hornsby Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:17:00 +0000 http://bhamterminal.com/mybirmingham/?p=167#comment-408 For me, it all comes down to responsibility. Whether you are tweeting, typing an email to a friend, publishing a blog post or writing for a traditional media outlet, the writer has a responsibility to keep the reader informed of intent and provide accurate information. And it's not just the writer. The reader has a responsibility to engage in the subject enough, from as many angles as possible, to understand what is being said before forming his/her own opinion - whether the reader is writing a comment or just establishing their own personal opinion that influences their choices in life. Personally, I read things for many reasons. Sometimes I like the sensational (guilty pleasure), but most of the time I like to read things that will inform and educate me. I want the truth as much as possible. The truth can hurt sometimes, but I would rather be pained by the truth than coddled with lies. I'm a non-fiction reader. I want to learn. When I want fiction, I seek it out. My biggest complaint comes when I read fiction that is labeled non-fiction - politics is ripe with this type of example. Just so you know, I practice what I preach! In my job, I produce documentary video profiles of corporate award winners. The videos tell a story about the award winner that helps the audience understand why the recipient deserves the award. My ultimate goal with each project is to have the award winner respect the story I told about them because it was accurate to who they are and how they got to this place in their life. If I don't have their trust after they view the video, then it is very possible future award winners will know that I stretched the truth too much for dramatic effect and they will not let me into their lives for fear I will portray them in a less than truthful manner. All this to say, from all sides, we always need to know where the line is and only cross it when it's morally imperative to challenge the status quo - and never for the sake of sensationalism. For me, it all comes down to responsibility. Whether you are tweeting, typing an email to a friend, publishing a blog post or writing for a traditional media outlet, the writer has a responsibility to keep the reader informed of intent and provide accurate information. And it’s not just the writer. The reader has a responsibility to engage in the subject enough, from as many angles as possible, to understand what is being said before forming his/her own opinion – whether the reader is writing a comment or just establishing their own personal opinion that influences their choices in life.

Personally, I read things for many reasons. Sometimes I like the sensational (guilty pleasure), but most of the time I like to read things that will inform and educate me. I want the truth as much as possible. The truth can hurt sometimes, but I would rather be pained by the truth than coddled with lies. I’m a non-fiction reader. I want to learn. When I want fiction, I seek it out. My biggest complaint comes when I read fiction that is labeled non-fiction – politics is ripe with this type of example.

Just so you know, I practice what I preach! In my job, I produce documentary video profiles of corporate award winners. The videos tell a story about the award winner that helps the audience understand why the recipient deserves the award. My ultimate goal with each project is to have the award winner respect the story I told about them because it was accurate to who they are and how they got to this place in their life. If I don’t have their trust after they view the video, then it is very possible future award winners will know that I stretched the truth too much for dramatic effect and they will not let me into their lives for fear I will portray them in a less than truthful manner.

All this to say, from all sides, we always need to know where the line is and only cross it when it’s morally imperative to challenge the status quo – and never for the sake of sensationalism.

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