Part One
A)
The reason I chose CNN Arabic platform as a source of information is the fact that it is easily accessible for consumers of information who speak Arabic in UAE. The fact that the internet is a global product that most companies provide at an affordable price, most consumers can afford the internet and access CNN which streams on its online platforms. CNN Arabic also provides global content rather than regional content which also makes it a preference by consumers as demonstrated by Carlson (2018) .
B)
The reason I chose CNN as a source of information is because it adheres to the below principles as a source of giving information.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Authority
There is a need to verify the author of a given source of information is legitimate. If the information is from a website, to identify whether the information is from a legitimate source, the URL gives details of the publisher. CNN commands a global mass hence consumers view it as a reliable platform.
Accuracy
The other way to identify whether a source is reliable or not is to verify the information one has against the source. There is a need to look for disclaimers as to the accuracy of any information. Misleading information usually lacks enough accuracy. The journalists in CNN are professionals who ensure that they conduct thorough research on their content.
Currency
It is always important to know the currency of any information that one receives. For breaking news, one finds the latest news which is always up-to-date, and counterchecking such content is usually easy. Historical content requires elaborate research on matters related to it and they are always noted with words such as "updated" and "revised"
Coverage
The coverage of any given topic ideally should be in-depth such that one finds relevant content in it. The coverage from the source has to be as elaborate as possible for a consumer to get whatever information they need. CNN has a global coverage thus consumers in UAE have access to global content.
C)
As citizens, students, and consumers of information, we have to ensure that we verify the source of the content we consume from the media so as not to be misinformed.
We also have to be aware of confidentiality such that sensitive content that we read should not be spread without considering its consequences ( Carlson, 2018) .
Part Two
A)
The discussion on whether the media should be governed, regulated, guided by legal decisions, or left to be a free press has hit several headlines, especially in this decade. Governments and media activists have had a conflict in opinion on this subject. In this day and age where information has been seen to spread like wildfire, it has come as a necessity to govern and regulate free media to some extent but at a cost.
Free speech is a concept that even the American constitution advocates for in the First Amendment thus fueling for freedom of the media. Freedom of the media also advocates for informing and discussing pertinent topics that affect the society directly but may be uncomfortable for the government ( Lunt & Livingstone, 2011) . Freedom of the media does point out the violations against human rights that happen in society. Through this, the government is brought to the attention of such gross violations.
There are however instances where these freedoms of the press become a little inconsiderate thus calling for both regulation of content and governing by the government. Some media houses and journalists take advantage of the freedom of the press to spread fake news to consumers thus misinforming the public ( Jang & Kim, 2018) . In other instances, some freedom of speech propels hate speech especially during political times thus creating tension and instability in the world. In other instances, freedom of the media may promote terrorism through the information they provide.
It is for this reason that there should be laws regulating the king of information that the media disseminates to the public including anti-cyberbullying content. Regulation of media content promotes independence and responsible journalism. The involvement by the government is also essential in media freedom considering that the government does the oversight role in making sure that media houses adhere to the regulations set in place thus punishing the offenders. In conclusion, regulation of freedom of the press is quite necessary for citizens, media houses, journalists, the government, and other stakeholders.
B)
A journalist has a great responsibility when undertaking their roles for more reasons than one. This career requires one to inform, guide, and educate the masses on whatever topic they present. Therefore, they must be socially responsible for whatever they disseminate. Some of the ways they can be socially responsible include ( Deuze & Witschge, 2018) : Ensure they do thorough research and make sure the information is true before putting it in public. Adhere to the regulations by the government and the law with regards to broadcasting information to the public such as confidentiality in matters sensitive and anti-cyberbullying content.
Part Three
The Covid 19 pandemic presented a global challenge that has led to the loss of many lives. It has been a difficult time for everyone globally and for journalists and media houses who had the responsibility of broadcasting this news, they had ethical responsibilities in the course of their work ( Harcup, 2015). They include:
Truth and Accuracy
Journalists have the responsibility of ensuring that their content is the actual truth and not any content is altered. This information also has to be as accurate as possible since this is a cardinal principle of journalism. Concerning Covid 19, UAE journalists are to ensure they present the exact figures of infections and deaths in the UAE.
Fairness and Impartiality
A journalist is not always obligated to present the two sides of any story they broadcast but they are responsible for ensuring that the content they present is balanced. Balanced in the sense that they do not lean towards a given side. The content should also be fair in the sense that it is broadcasted more humanely.
Independence
Independence as a principle of journalism is such an essential concept since it determines whether the journalist is professional or not. Independence, whether formal or informal means that the journalist does not have any special or political interest in a topic rather indifferent to a broadcast they present. In the case of presenting Covid 19 news to the public, UAE journalists have made sure that they are independent in their broadcast and do not represent any side in their presentation.
Accountability
This principle in journalism advocates for committing non-errors and making sure that any information disseminated to the public is properly researched. In the case of presenting Covid 19 figures to the public, a journalist has the responsibility to broadcast the true figures and not make any errors in numbers thus be held responsible for their works.
Humanity
The aspect of humanity is that journalists should do no harm to the public and the content they publish should not harm the consumers too. In as much as the content, the broadcast may be sad, they should present it as humanely as possible emphasizing the silver lining that may be present within the context. A perfect example is the Covid 19 pandemic that has struck the world. Even though there have been more casualties, it has helped people appreciate the little things in life that money cannot buy as well as the appreciation of hygiene in our lives.
An example of principles of journalism is seen in a story narrated by Aljazeera media house dated 18 th April 2020 which states that the UAE government has put a fine of $5,500 to any journalist or media house that reports fake news related to Covid 19. The government did this in light with the sensitivity of the pandemic that up until then had killed more than 37 people and infected more than 6,300 citizens. This action prompts journalists to act ethically in their broadcast and publishing if content related to Covid 19 pandemic. The evidence to this story is found in this link provided https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/4/18/uae-announces-5500-fine-for-coronavirus-fake-news
References
Carlson, M. (2018). Facebook in the news: Social media, journalism, and public responsibility following the 2016 trending topics controversy. Digital journalism , 6 (1), 4-20.
Deuze, M., & Witschge, T. (2018). Beyond journalism: Theorizing the transformation of journalism. Journalism , 19 (2), 165-181.
Harcup, T. (2015). Journalism: principles and practice . Sage.
Jang, S. M., & Kim, J. K. (2018). Third person effects of fake news: Fake news regulation and media literacy interventions. Computers in Human Behavior , 80 , 295-302.
Lunt, P., & Livingstone, S. (2011). Media regulation: Governance and the interests of citizens and consumers . Sage.
