Ethical vs. Commercial Quality - Tomeka Weatherspoon

Delivering news with authenticity requires journalists to be aware of the way they construct stories. The public depends on us to interpret and re-deliver information. The problem becomes keeping our own interpretations and creativity in check. I think when we try to convey what we've learned, there is a natural temptation to explain in a way which is either more interesting or biased. Editing video includes reconstructing for visual coherence. It requires manipulation, but does not have to involve deception. Artificial effects such as speed modification and adding audio add a tone to the story. Adding as little of these as possible is a way to avoid spreading subtle messages to the viewer.

It can be very difficult to avoid these editing techniques because they can make stories more interesting, which many people interpret as higher in quality. The stories that make it to wider audiences, e.g. on TV, are these types. There seems to be a clear distinction between stories that sell and stories that maintain authenticity. I believe the mainstream media approach is one of the reasons Americans are becoming more uninformed. Advancing technologies have only resulted in more manipulation of the news.