Learn to Duck

     The new revision of the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics calls upon us to "be accountable and transparent." 

      Ethical journalism means taking responsiblity for one's work and explaining one's decisions to the public. We are exhorted to "explain ethical choices and processes to audiences. Encourage a civil dialogue with the public about journalistic practice, coverage and news content." 

       Well, we can try. We can also learn to duck when the "audience" starts every conversation with media bashing. It's getting so you can't walk into a room without somebody jumping on the anti-media bandwagon. Not long ago, I had to walk out of a church fellowship hour because a woman from my church started ranting about how the local media was in the pocket of the county freeholders. I mean, I could have stayed, but I would have been rude, an my mama taught me never to be rude in church. 

             That particular rant made me wonder if these media bashers actually read. Or maybe if they can read. Ok, enough kvetching. I'm sure we don't always communicate as well as we should. Especially considering we are communicators. It's basically because we don't take the time. We should, every year, on or about March 16, present a public forum to explain what we are doing to any of the public who wants to listen. 

     Of course, there's the rub. Does anybody want to hear? Will they listen? I guess that part of it is not our problem. 

     It would be great if media literacy was a required course in high school. Maybe a semester course like financial literacy. It's more complicated today. A generation ago, kids saw their parents picking up the paper off the driveway every morning. They trusted whoever their parents trusted. At first.

     Some media was known to be liberal. Some was known to be conservative. But the newspapers, for the most part, were trusted. 

     Today, the media is bifurcated. Maybe shredded. 

     Creating a media literacy course would not be impossible. It would start at the level of the high school journalism class. Presumably, the students are learning about news already. A group of professionals and teachers can create a syllabus. (This may be going a little far afield for these columns, but, not too far.) We could use the ethics code as a starting point and include journalism history. Creating a pre-informed public can only help.