Citizen or Journalist: Which came first?
By Brooke Tacker, posted 4/19/06

Is a journalist’s first responsibility to get the story or be of service? This was the question being debated by MU Chancellor Brady Deaton’s forum Wed., April 14, in Ellis Auditorium. The forum consisted of three professors from the MU journalism and law departments. Professor Stuart Loory, a journalist, began the debate by introducing the topic and giving his overview. Professors Richard C. Reuben, a lawyer, and Geneva Overholser, a journalist, followed with their positives and negatives on Loory’s comments.

One of the main points from the topic of a journalist’s first responsibility was whether or not journalists should be held to the same standards as regular citizens when it comes to the First Amendment. Mainstream journalists cannot surpass citizens or exclude them from the First Amendment, Loory said. A journalist should be held accountable to his or her actions in court just as any other citizen. No special privileges should be given to journalists, other than those given to everyone by the First Amendment. “A citizen’s duty and a journalist’s responsibility are interchangeable,” Loory said.

Democracy’s key element is the value of a free press, Reuben said. It makes sure government institutions are held accountable, informs the electorate about public issues, acts as a forum for interest groups and educates citizens about the law. This is not enough, though. The real responsibility of journalists is to make sure the free press fits with democratic expectations or maintaining neutrality and having an elevated sense of social responsibility, Reuben said.

The conflict between citizen and journalist is growing more complex, Overholser said. The only way to make this distinction clear and fair is to be more transparent. Journalists must be able to explain themselves to fellow citizens. This will establish trust and also challenge the journalist to be more thoughtful by examining his or her own ethics and being able to present him or herself to the public. “How are you passionate and engaged, yet objective at the same time?” Overholser asked. This question must be answered before the duality of being a journalist and a citizen can come together as a whole.

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