Accuracy in Media- What is their A.I.M?
With roots dating as far back as the 14th century, the term ‘ethics‘ comes from the Greek word, ēthikos, meaning ‘moral, or of moral character’ (Wikipedia, 2008 ). In a more modern context, Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary defines the term ‘ethics‘ as “the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation” (Merriam-Webster, 2008 ).
Possessing a cast iron code of ethics is not only a recommendation for everyone, but is a necessity for any journalist worth their salt. According to the New York Times Company Policy on Ethics, “As journalists we treat our readers, viewers, listeners and online users as fairly and openly as possible. Whatever the medium, we tell our audiences the complete, unvarnished truth as best we can learn it….We treat audience members no less fairly in private than in public.” (NY Times, October 2005).
Having been instilled with the hand-glove relationship that journalsim and ethics has ever since setting foot on campus, I was curious to know how the Internet is currently affecting the journalism realm, particularly in relation to ethics. I happened to stumble across a site named ‘Accuracy in Media‘, or A.I.M for short.
As the name suggests, it “is a non-profit, grassroots citizens watchdog of the news media that critiques botched and bungled news stories and sets the record straight on important issues that have received slanted coverage.” (A.I.M’s Mission Statement). This site is highly sophisticated in it’s layout, while being inextricably user friendly.
In order to guide you through this site, there are nine navigational icons located at the top of the page, just below the header. The ones that really interested me were ‘news‘ and ‘audio and video‘. These icons are the heart of the website and provide the public with all the information they require. Although the audio and video segment of the site is still under renovations, ‘podcasts‘, ‘on the air‘ and ‘video‘ are still working.
I am truly amazed at the sheer magnitude of people that this site is reaching. Whether viewing the news articles online, downloading the podcasts, or listening to these interviews on air, people are being exposed to the fact even today, ethical problems continue to arise within the journalistic realm and without pioneering sites such as this one, the public would be very much in the dark.
