The World Needs Responsible Journalists

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Readers,

When I joined the West Bend Current’s staff of student reporters in December, I was not fully aware of how significant my choice had been. I had thought only of utilizing my passion for writing to see what doors journalism might open for me.

However, I soon realized that I was learning much more than just the structure and mechanics of reporting. I became truly conscious of bias and began to understand why it is so important that I strive to keep my writing as balanced as possible—since, unfortunately, the world is swamped with partiality.

Today’s media is so immersed in bias that many previously distinguished news outlets have been deemed untrustworthy or inaccurate. People are constantly bombarded with information that is warped with the opinions of others, and it tends to be very challenging to wade through it all. It can be especially difficult when it seems that truth and balance are often undervalued, even to those that are supposed to be supplying them.

Writing for the Current has heightened my awareness of this extreme presence of bias in professional journalism, and in doing so, has taught me what exemplary reporting is supposed to be like. Identifying this flaw in the news industry has left me inspired and given me a sense of purpose.

As reporters, it the responsibility of our staff to be truthful and consistently provide quality information. While it may seem that we only leave an impact on those in our district community, it is important that we continue to practice truthful and accurate journalism.

“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change,” Mahatma Gandhi once said. This means that if we, though only student journalists, take it upon ourselves to keep our work free from bias, it can perhaps spark a ripple effect over time that will bring real change and honesty to the media.

While the summer has only just begun and the 2018-19 academic year seems to be a million miles away, any West Bend student aiming to pursue a career in journalism should strongly consider participating in the Current as soon as the opportunity arises—whether it be this fall or the next.

The world needs more responsible journalists. It is our duty at the Current to find and mold new writers into the reliable reporters that the nation so desperately requires.

Sincerely,

Samantha Dietel
Editor in Chief

The Current welcomes submissions from all students, faculty, administration, and community members, but reserves the right to edit for length or content.  Any column, editorial, or letter to the editor expresses the opinion of the author and not necessarily the entire staff.

(Image: By Marcela, GFDL 1.2 [http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/fdl-1.2.html], from Wikimedia Commons.)