In our efforts to produce good articles we can inadvertently drift from the facts of our topic and mislead our readers. Even as contributors, we are a part of the media and what we do is real journalism. The established media is becoming increasingly more biased and controlled. The future of honest reporting will soon rest upon our shoulders as the last true free press.
Readers rely upon us to present our articles accurately. But this is not enough. There are other things that can mislead your reader even if you are carefully researching your sources. We will cover some of the common mistakes we writers make then move on to some you perhaps haven't yet considered.
Darkening An Image
During the O.J. Simpson trial a picture of Mr. Simpson was used in various articles. The picture had been scanned and presented darker than it was in the original. This gave the image of Mr. Simpson a shadowy ominous appearance that was a bit foreboding. The image in its original was not that way at all. The same technique of darkening an image is used for effect in the entertainment industry. An example of this technique can be seen in the movie poster advertising the Vin Diesel Movie "Riddick."
Photoshop Retouching
Another photojournalist got into trouble for a photo he took portraying the devastation following a bomb explosion. The photo was his and the explosion did cause damage. However, he apparently used Photoshop to add more smoke and made the smoldering aftermath more elaborate than it actually was. This led to every photo the journalist had ever taken being pulled and investigated. His credibility as a writer, photographer and journalist was ruined. The validity of his articles and reports were never questioned but they didn't have to be. The retouching of that one photo was enough.
Altering a Source
Again, this can be quite by accident. I remember a game in grade school in which we all were seated around a table. The teacher whispered a short sentence in my ear and instructed me to whisper it into the ear of the student seated next to me. This was repeated around the table until the student across from me was told to tell the table what she was told. The sentence was totally altered from its original source. This can happen even in written text as the same source is written and rewritten over and over again. For this reason it's a good habit to verify the facts of a source with a few other sources addressing the same topic.
Embellishing a Source
This is where many of us can get into trouble. When reporting the information from a source you don't want to copy/paste the information but you don't want to run the risk of stating it in a way that isn't accurate. I use several other sources on the same topic to see if there is more the first source didn't tell. I take all the information gathered and present it with a more detailed view of the facts involved. This prevents the inadvertent embellishment of information while also avoiding simply rehashing a source’s information. And the reader is provided a more insightful reporting of your topic.
Meticulous research is vital to what we do as writers. Even when grinding out fluff articles about celebrity fingernail fashion we must be certain the information we are conveying to our readers is accurate and true to the best of our ability. The rule of thumb when breaching the threshold to produce new and original content is to provide sources and more sources.
Unlike politics, writers are not afforded the luxury of forgiveness once it's learned by readers they have been misled. As a writer, your credibility is all you have. It is the foundation upon which all your work is built upon. Once your credibility is tarnished, the validity of everything you have ever produced is questioned. I hope this article has been informative and good fortune with your writing endeavors!
Previously Posted on FullofKnowlege.com
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