Journalists are increasingly disregarding the Ninth Commandment, which emphasizes the importance of honesty, in their reporting.
Bearing false witness: Journalists increasingly fail to obey the Ninth Commandment The Ten Commandments are an anchor for the values of Judeo-Christian Western civilization. Consisting of just 10 relatively short statements, the Ten Commandments present the fundamental components for a stable and just society. They focus on faith, respect, decent behavior and, very importantly, honesty.
The traditional interpretation of this commandment suggests that it refers to the role of a person engaged in testifying in a criminal or civil court proceeding. In that context, an individual’s testimony can obviously have the gravest of consequences. By giving testimony before a judge or jury, a person can deprive another of liberty or even life. If an important witness’s testimony is false, then terrible injustice can result.
Other people, however, have a particularly high responsibility not to bear false witness — those who have arrogated to themselves the role of being societal witnesses: the members of the press. While everyone is free to express their opinion, the journalists who pretend to be objective observers and reporters of events, and therefore effectively witnesses, have the moral obligation, so and succinctly articulated by the Ninth Commandment, not to disseminate false testimony. Distortion of the facts by those who claim to be reporting the news can have as nefarious an impact as the false testimony of a courtroom witness.
The reports turned out to be false. But they unleashed a flood of anti-Israel demonstrations across the globe. The reports of an alleged Israeli crime caused a dramatic worldwide uptick in antisemitism, jeopardizing the lives of Jews everywhere. Even some members of Congress shamelessly disseminated the story after its falsity had been demonstrated.
Journalists Ninth Commandment Honesty Reporting Media Ethics
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Bearing witness to the aftermath of the October 7th attacksI recently traveled to Israel as part of a group mission with the intent to bear witness to the tragic events of October 7, 2023. I was forewarned that I
Read more »
10 Weight-Bearing Exercises To Keep Your Bones Strong As You AgeYour ultimate source for expert nutrition tips and health advice, covering wellness, healthy recipes, cooking hacks, food news, style trends and shopping.
Read more »
Weight-Bearing Exercise: 8 Workouts for Strong BonesMature woman lifting a kettlebell, What's the Least I Can Do to Stay Healthy? Slideshow,
Read more »
Solv Introduces SolvBTC, First Yield-Bearing Token for BitcoinersNovel asset by Solv is backed by delta-neutral liquidity management strategies on GMX, Curve and Aave Finance
Read more »
Dept. of Labor’s ‘Bearing the Cost’ research shows gender, racial wage gap costs billions annuallyThe New Black View
Read more »