No gray areas here

Develop Zero Tolerance for unethical behavior

by Cheryl Smith

This issue is as clear as black and white.

While working with a group of aspiring young journalists in a very intense journalism workshop, a situation resulted in the need for a one-on-one conference. A student became perturbed because I accused her of unethical behavior and would not accept her story.

You be the judge.

She copied, word for word, information from a source on the Internet. I told her that the work was unacceptable and that if she were working for me, she would have easily found herself unemployed.

I tried to make her understand that if she were in a college classroom, her future professors would have been alerted to the problem, and that her plagiarism could have been an issue in her interactions with them.

Her response was disingenuous. And, unfortunately she felt equipped enough to challenge me on the issue.

Initially, she wanted me to admit that the information she had used was accurate. It was.

"Well, what is the big deal?" she asked, with a serious attitude.

"The issue is simple," I explained to this high school journalist who said she had hopes of taking CBS anchorwoman Rene Syler's spot. "By not attributing this information to the source, you are passing it off as your work. That is wrong."

Much to my dismay, the conversation continued to deteriorate.

My opinion was surely to change, she thought, once she informed me that "everyone" does what she did. "I don't see anything wrong and besides, everyone does it," she whined.

"You asked for the information and I went and got it and now you are telling me I am wrong."

Okay, now I am the bad guy.

Well, guess what? I don't have a problem being the bad guy with this young student, especially if it will ensure that in the future she is practicing her craft with the utmost integrity and conscientiousness.

During a visit to the University of Oklahoma to participate in a panel discussion, the topic of ethics in journalism was broached. The conversation became lengthy when it was noted that there had been a significant increase in disciplinary cases on the campus.

The cause?

Abuse of internet plagiarism, or taking information from the Internet and passing it off for a grade. This is a serious problem and not just on OU's campus.

As I listened to the charges, I wanted to scream.

You see, I have been in those community meetings when folks have expressed their distrust of the media. I've heard the jokes that journalists are no better than used car salesmen. So I work hard to ensure that my work is above reproach. And so do the majority of the thousands of journalists I have met over the years.

I take my work as seriously as a heart surgeon or air traffic controller should. While an ethical violation in one of my stories may not cause someone his or her life, public trust is equally critical. While some might say, "it is not that serious" I beg to differ.

Over the years, you've taken the heat on issues of inaccurate or biased coverage, misrepresentation of "minority" communities and racist coverage. Then you recall why you entered the business. If you were like me, you wanted to make a difference. You wanted to tell the stories that were not being told. You wanted to give a voice to the voiceless.

All noble ideals, but unfortunately some get lost in the shuffle as we become consumed by this fast-paced world we live in. And no matter how tired or busy we are we can never succumb to, or get caught up in the moment.

We must tackle our work with the tenaciousness of Dr. Ben Carson as he worked to separate the conjoined Bijani twins. There's no time or room for lapses of any type.

Ethical violations cannot and should not be tolerated. And the sooner aspiring journalists learn, the better.

It's simple. Do not copy someone else's work without giving them credit. Don't pass off others' work as your own.

And if you do, the punishment should be swift and harsh.

Cheryl Smith is associate editor of The Dallas Weekly, and an award-winning talk show host at KKDA-AM. Earlier this year, Smith was honored with the 2002 Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship sponsored by the National Conference of Editorial Writers and the NCEW Foundation, Inc. Smith served as an adjunct professor of communications and journalism at Texas Woman's University, University of North Texas and Paul Quinn College. She is also a regional director for the National Association of Black Journalists. Her radio show is also broadcast at afroscene.com, and her syndicated column appears in several African American weeklies and at Dallasblack.com. She received an undergraduate degree in journalism from Florida A&M; University and a master's degree in human relations and business. Smith can be reached at penonfire@aol.com.