Final Essay

The Connection of Journalism & Law

The biggest piece of advice I have for a new reporter entering into the field of journalism and law is to remember that everyone is human–people make mistakes, people need respect, and people deserve the whole truth. As a journalist, the public will rely on you to report truthful information in an unbiased way that respects all parties involved. Through the process of witnessing and reporting, you will make connections with law enforcement and community members that will greatly benefit your career as you continue to write stories.

Journalists will be able to experience the first access to police information on every incident that happens in the reporting area and also be the first to sit in on cases in the court. As Anelia once said in class, “Think about the privilege of being able to be there.” She was referring to being present during court cases and being able to take notes and soak up the process of courtroom. As a journalist, this is something that you should not take for granted; our country is one of the few that allow this type of privilege. I was aware that I could sit in on cases, but I had never thought that it would be such an interesting experience. Since turning eighteen, I have been called to jury duty twice in which I got off the hook for being in school, but now, I would gladly sit in on jury duty. The experience sitting in on a court case of my choosing opened my eyes to how the courtroom works, and how judges work to respect both the defendant and the plaintiff regardless of the type of case. The lawyers in the courtroom were especially helpful during my time there, and proved to me that they are willing to work with the media because they also want the correct information shared. Journalists will also have the privilege to work with law enforcement. Sometimes police officers will withhold information from the media because no solid information has risen yet, and journalists need to respect this. However, as a journalist, it is your job to keep trying to uncover the information–building trust with officers helps this process. Also, keep in mind that there is a big difference in getting out the correct information fast and false rather than the slow and true. Sometimes, jumping the gun to report a story without all of the needed information from an officer has bigger consequences than reporting the story after the fact. Patience is key when dealing with law officers.

Privacy is another topic that journalism and law share in common. As a law enforcer, police have the right to take away many of the aspects of a citizens privacy. This was shown to me in many real life experiences throughout the course. First, touring the Black Hawk County Jail, I knew that I was going to be on camera the entire time which made me feel a little uncomfortable. The fact that I was able to go into the inmates pod showed me that their privacy was invaded everyday in multiple ways, and that I shouldn’t be complaining. Sheriff Tony Thompson added during the tour that, “There is no place to hide.” The lack of privacy under the law was also shown through the ride along with the officer in which I saw multiple monitors that had the entire campus under surveillance. I knew that cameras were prevalent on campus, but not to the extent that I had imagined. In class discussions, the topic of privacy was also brought up. In my of the cases we studied, privacy and the First Amendment were an issue. In one particular case, Snyder vs. Phelps, the issue of First Amendment privacy was taken to the Supreme Court after Snyder thought that Phelps and his “cult” invaded the Snyder’s funeral for their son. Phelps ended up winning the case, and many journalists had to report the hearing regardless of their own opinion. As a new journalist, you have to understand and apply not only the First Amendment, but also every law that applies to the rights of a journalist. If you get into trouble reporting, there are ways to protect yourself especially in libel cases; journalists also have certain reporter privileges that can protect them and their published work. Understanding these rights will help you in the long run and gain the trust of law enforcement.

When trust is build with law enforcement, the more willing they are to share information with you; the first job of law enforcement is to protect the parties involved, not the media. Sometimes disclosing information to media puts inmates at a greater risk especially because most people form negative opinions about the people who get arrested. “Inmates are still someone’s brother, mom, friend and should be treated like anyone else,” said Sheriff Thompson during our tour. This quote will continue to stick with me. It is easy to make negative judgements about inmates because of the circumstances, but we have to understand that they do have a past and everyone makes mistakes. By no means am I saying that rapists should get special treatment, but until the law deems them guilty, judgement should not be passed. Sheriff Stacy Davis also discussed the topic of media involvement with me during our ride along. As a new journalist, you have to understand that some officer find it hard to talk to the media because their words can get twisted into something that makes the organization they work for look bad. One of Davis’s worst fears is being put on the media in a negative way for just doing her job; her job includes a lot of close calls and she still continues to get accused of being racist. She argued however that, “If you’re doing your job right, then there shouldn’t be a problem.” This statement applies to not only law enforcement but also journalists. Judges also come into contact with the media in the new form of extended media coverage in which reporters can actually record during trials. After listening to two judges come talk to our class, it was prevalent that judges are also worried that what they say will get twisted by the media. However, if journalists and judges work with the public benefit in mind, problems shouldn’t arise. “Our whole system is based on confidence and trust; it is a system of honesty, integrity, and respect,” stated Judge Newell during our discussion. The courtroom is a place for judgement to be done respectfully, so journalists need to take that respect into their stories. During the extra credit Iowa Supreme Court hearing, Justice Cady stated, “It is critically important for all of us to be informed.” Journalists too.

With all of the regulations journalists must follow, it is important to always ask yourself if what you are writing or covering is ethical. Difficult topics, such a rape, church scandals, and murders are all hard to write about, but the public needs to know what is happening. Always keep in mind that the process of finding the right information can take awhile. This process is shown through the movie Spotlight in which the lives of journalists are depicted in a truthful, realistic way based on a true story. The reporters in the movie were uncovering information about the church rape scandal that happened in the Boston area. This is a hard topic to cover in the first place, and the journalists had trouble uncovering the correct information to prove what actually happened. This goes to show that journalism isn’t all easy to uncover the truth, but always rewarding to get the right information out.

Towards the end of the course, I got a feel for how rewarding it is to be a journalist. From the Spotlight example, it was rewarding to finally get the truth out about the Catholic church scandals, and to show the public a different side. Journalists not only build up trust with law enforcement but also the public as well. Anelia described a time in her life in which someone she had known for awhile asked her to receive the flag of honor at his funeral. This example stuck with me because it shows how much he trusted her and her career. She was also still able to do her job with how emotional the service was for her, showing that rewarding experience can come from hard circumstances once again. Going along with this topic, Anelia challenged us with a simple question, “If you lived to be 100 years old, what would matter? Make sure your life is meaningful. To me, journalism is an adventure.” There is a lot more to life than always focusing on the bad. Finding the balance as a journalist to find the good in hard situations is takeaway from the class that I will also remember. New journalists need to remember that hard work will get them places, but the relationships made along the way will be more rewarding than focusing on the negatives.