Response to PETA against Zoos

One of the primary sources of funding for wildlife conservation comes from the mouse in your childhood living room. In 2011 alone, The Disney Company distributed $2 million to conservation efforts. A large portion of these funds go to grants for those researching cures for animal disease or other research projects concerning conservation, supporting the name they earned in 2010 as “Disney Conservation heroes.” To spread conservation awareness and protect the animals in their care, the Disney Company set up an entire kingdom devoted to protecting animals. The Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom uses the features of a zoo for this effort.

When a zoo is poorly funded and the animals on display have no room other than a public pedastal for poorly spaced pacing then the zoo resembles the prison critics so often accuse zoos of being.  However, if zoos use the Animal Kingdom as an example then a zoo has the capacity to assist animals in a variety of ways. Poaching in Africa has led to the endangerment of many species. Breeding that takes place in zoos can again infuse these species with a healthy population. As children attend zoos they learn to love animals. They learn about an animal’s needs and how to take proper care of them in the wild. Many of these children grow up to participate in animal health as conservation specialists or veterinarians. In short, zoos, when funded properly, can be a great environment to provide endangered species awareness and animal health restoration. 

King James Bible Exhibit

This informative display about the King James Bible includes several facts detailing the sequence of events leading to King James’ translation. Prior to the first English translation attempted by John Wycliffe, religious participants used a Latin bible known as the Vulgate. It took a couple centuries before the trend of English translations became legalized in England by King Henry VIII. In order to complete England’s separation from Catholicism and endorsement of the Church of England, King Henry acknowledged the necessity of English printed scripture. The Geneva Bible (named for its translation in Switzerland) gained popularity and continued to engage most readers even after King James published his own edition. For King James I, the retranslation of the bible served as both a spiritual and political endeavor. The puritans wanted parliament to carry more power without acknowledging the divine right of Kings; this edition dismisses this plea.

 Each detail of this exhibit is beautifully designed and showcases several beautiful old bibles. Even the décor reflects the age and the artistry of the 16^th and 17^th centuries.

What are the advantages and risks of journalists actively working to "market" their content to audiences?

Today’s technology continues to advance at an increasing pace. As newspapers struggle to adapt to the latest trends, journalists must make compromises in the approaches they take. For example, should an editor run the stories with the biggest shock element to sell papers or should the paper develop a niche that attracts long time readers? There must be an appropriate balance of engaging readers without becoming a sensational tabloid.  

To market appropriately Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel say this in their book The Elements of Journalism, “We do not think [the answer to resisting sensationalism] lies with isolating the journalist behind some wall to ignore the realities of the market-place. A better understanding of changing tastes, needs, and trends in the community is an important part of the answer” (Kovach & Rosenstiel 216).

An advantage to market research includes an understanding of your audience as Kovach and Rosenstiel suggest with the changing “tastes, needs, and trends.” However, one of the disadvantages to this research is that participants generally spit back the things that were previously introduced to them with perhaps a few minimal changes. The important part about journalism is making the material matter to the public—an ever present journalistic challenge.

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing journalism today and what solutions do you propose?

Other than the obvious transition from print to media journalism, I think one of the main problems facing journalism involves the decision of what makes an event newsworthy. Journalists act as a sounding board to the public. They translate jargon and help readers/listeners understand the significance of events taking place in their community and across the world. This does not always amount to writing what the audience has direct interest in. A good journalist has the ability to take an event and help their audience see its applicability in their life. This can make journalism interesting to every audience without a journalist compromising his/her natural passion for discovering worthwhile news.

However, for print journalism, readership decreases daily and advertisers must invest their efforts elsewhere. I think it will take something drastic to change the way the new generation views journalism. This might mean a change in the regular style of writing or the layout of the paper itself. If papers took on a magazine format, delivered daily, readers might be more inclined to flip through its pages.

How would you describe the role of journalism in a democracy?

As the primary role of journalism is to act as a watchdog for the government I think journalism plays a very important role in democracy. Not only does it monitor the happenings in the courtroom it draws on the public for support and determines stories by their opinion.

Especially when an election takes place journalists can translate the jargon for the public and ask candidates questions that concern the public the most. Journalism acts as a voice for the people and by doing this mimics the form of democracy itself.

Please comment on how one could reconcile personal religious beliefs with the independence, objectivity and other expectations of professional journal

I think this incorporation is an important one within the journalism world. So much of our society is characterized by religious attitudes and beliefs that it’s impossible to be a good journalist without covering religious topics. To include religious belief, as background for a person’s behavior, would allow the public an inside look at the motivation for a person’s actions. There is a way to do this without disregarding the journalistic code of professionalism. An editor in his or her best judgment can assign religious topics to a reporter of the same/different faith. By contacting an official representative of a specific religion, a journalist can be sure to receive accurate representative information for the whole group. Religion falls under the category of any other topic a journalist might cover. It is not appropriate to include personal beliefs or personal opinions about someone else’s belief system. A complete report includes both the factual information and an accurate summarization of the significance on a story.

Five Ethical Points for Journalism

The following are my five ethics of conduct appropriate to the field of Journalism.
Apathy: In an effort to pursue a story, journalists often fall into tempting traps. These traps include glossing over facts or making up information in the race to publish. Other pitfalls include paranoia on the balance or objectivity of a story. At the root of these traps is the desire to produce good journalism. However, it also suggests egocentricity. Accuracy and fairness should take priority over the name attached to the story. Maintaining apathy towards the lull of glory will naturally produce a better journalist.
Humility: Mistakes are obvious and it is highly unattractive to believe otherwise. If a journalist attempts to justify or hide her mistakes she will lose her credibility with her employer and audience. However, when a person can willingly and openly admit errors, it is easier to trust that person.
Passion: A person must be engaged in the activity they pursue to make it successful. People associate journalism with energy. This energy comes with a desire for truth and improvement and is absolutely essential in finding the stories of most worth.
Professionalism: The most important part of professionalism is the respect one holds for others. A credible journalist will show respect to her readers, editor, and sources.
Transparency: When a journalist is transparent in her motives, purpose, and research, she eliminates any reason to act contrary to the above traits. Transparency is an essential trait in order to involve others in the journalistic process.