Fabricating Stories in the Media

In the past few weeks our Media Ethics class has been talking a lot about privacy issues and how news stories can be fabricated. I find it appalling how any journalist or news station can fabricate a story whether it is full fabrication or slight. The issue here is that a news team must be able to give their readers or viewers the truth and try not to be biased about it. Yes it is difficult to not be biased on any given topic, but one can make an effort to bring out both sides to one story. Within the last few weeks we watched a video that illustrated the implications one will give to have a news story “scrapped” or altered. In this video “Fox News Monsanto” two journalists, working for Fox news, were pretty much denied their right to publish a truthful story to the public and had their jobs threatened by the company for pushing publications. After speaking about the altercation with the company, they were bribed to “scrap” their story and to keep their mouths sealed. Upon receiving a contract for said bribe the journalists pursued legal action and received their right to publish their article after over 80 “adjustments”.

Upon hearing that, it disgusted me to see the extent of which people will go to keep a story from the public’s attention. This story, in particular, is about the negative effects of Bobine Growth Hormone, which is injected into cows, has on us through the consumption of milk. To keep such a story from the public’s attention is completely unethical. This hormone has caused sickness and even death/cancer. If there is something in our market that is causing death/cancer that society consumes almost every day, it is wise and completely ethical to raise attention and put a stop to the injection of cows.

I find it interesting that news stations, in general, set out to make the public believe that their news is unbiased and true, while completely contradicting their image and altering some news stories. Obviously the issue here is that there aren’t many people who will stand up to a large corporation in fear of defeat. I did learn that once you have the right resources and timing, you can achieve and overcome a large corporation to do what is ethically right, you just have to be patient.