The extremes in the world of journalism

 James Zumwalt - American Thinker

"When it comes to ethics in journalism, there are those in the profession, like Joe Scarborough, who remain totally ignorant—despite only being advisory rather than obligatory—of their professional standards."

"In the world of journalism—both written and photo—there arguably are certain standards to be observed. It is interesting to examine two contrasting extremes in incidents, occurring 33 years apart. One journalist went out of his way to ignore this standard while another—a photojournalist—took just the opposite approach.

"While the driving standard all journalists should observe is accurately reporting a story without bias, there is another standard that occasionally comes into focus, although while recently being violated, no mention was made about it. The standard at issue is that which advises journalists only to report on the story and not to become part of it.

"It should be no surprise to learn the party bringing this standard into question is the leftist co-host of “Morning Joe” —Joe Scarborough.

"On May 1, the MSNBC [MSNOW] network was broadcasting a Pentagon briefing by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, initially providing an update on the war with Iran. Hegseth then began to give a briefing on our NATO allies in which he mocked their collective inaction.

"Suddenly, Scarborough broke into the broadcast, angrily decrying the administration of President Donald Trump’s “obsession” with hating Europe. At a time viewer trust in the media is at an all time low of 28%, those reporting the news should be pursuing objectivity by remaining neutral. There was zero neutrality exhibited by Scarborough in his outburst as he flagrantly violated the standard.

"Just the opposite extreme was exhibited in March 1993 by a South African photographer who took what would become one of the most controversial photos in photojournalism history. The photo in question was not only memorable, but disturbingly so. In fact, so memorable and disturbing was it that it received the 1994 Pulitzer Prize. But the consequences of taking it would, months later, cause the photographer, South African Kevin Carter, to commit suicide.

"Originally titled “Suffering Girl,” the photograph captured a little Sudanese girl, perhaps only four or five years old, folded over on the ground, her face hidden in the dirt but with the skeletal bones that were protruding on her side telling a tale of starvation.

"However, the disturbing part of the photo was the presence of a vulture. . . More...

James Zumwalt is a retired Marine infantry officer who served in the Vietnam War, Panama and Operation Desert Storm. He is the author of three books and hundreds of opinion pieces in online and print publications. He speaks frequently on foreign policy and defense issues as well as on the leadership of his famous father, after whom the world’s first stealth destroyer is named.