Democracy requires transparency and openness from it's branches of government in order to operate effectively and fairly. As we have often stated in class, the news media is considered the fourth branch of government. This means that we expect to see the same transparency and openness from the news media. Transparency and openness also need to reflect inside the institution itself. Checks and balances should be everywhere.
If journalism claims to be an institution of the government, it needs to function like one. This can include speaking out about something that you, as a journalist, feel wrong about; whether this is in your own organization or another. It is okay for journalists to have a conscience, though I am not sure it should be called a "moral compass" as Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel say. This is because people have vastly different feelings on issues that are typically deemed to be moral. I find that I do not like the authors' use of the words moral and ethical interchangeably. Journalists should not be deciding what is moral. Ethical is more of a word that suggests they work through a process of decision-making. This way it is not a doctrine but more of a guidance of conduct. Ethics is more along the lines of separation of church and state, which is mainly what this country believes in. This will help the process of democracy work more smoothly and fairly.
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