7. ASSERTION: If the head football coach uses profanity during an interview, then the sports writer should directly quote him. Journalists are record-keepers and the public has a responsibility to know that what they can be used against them if caution is not taken seriously.
EVIDENCE: Journalists have to “make sure that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, videos, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent.” (SPJ Code of Ethics) Additionally they should “identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as possible on sources’ reliability.” (SPJ Code of Ethics) Journalists must also “recognize a special obligation to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in the open and that government records are open to inspection.” (SPJ Code of Ethics)
COMMENTARY: The public is entitled to know what the head football coach said. Journalists cannot change what the coach said, they can only record it and decide whether or not to print it. People may want to know the coach’s reaction to the lost. Recording quotes that contain profanity do not misrepresent the coach, instead it shows the true colors of the man that
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A journalist observes and records information that they hear and see. If explicit content was said by anyone on the soccer team, then the journalist can record it. Information that is said may be useful to know for the public to make their own judgements about the soccer players. A journalist must report anything that was said; keeping information away from the public is a disservice for the public’s knowledge. Quotes represent the image of people, so they should not be misrepresented or kept from the public. The story about the loss should cover why the soccer team would say inappropriate things to reduce the negative perception and avoid the possible belief that the journalistic work was a form of