Contacts

Definition

In journalism, contacts refer to individuals who can provide information, insights, or resources that are valuable for reporting. These relationships are built on trust and mutual understanding, allowing journalists to gather news, verify facts, and gain access to stories that may not be readily available to the public.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Building contacts is a continuous process that involves actively engaging with people in various fields to create a diverse network for gathering information.
2. Strong contacts can enhance a journalist's credibility and provide unique perspectives or insider knowledge that enriches reporting.
3. Contacts can include experts in specific fields, community leaders, officials, and even ordinary citizens who have experienced events firsthand.
4. Maintaining relationships with contacts often requires journalists to balance professional boundaries while fostering personal connections.
5. Ethical considerations are crucial when dealing with contacts, as journalists must navigate issues of trust, confidentiality, and the potential consequences of sharing sensitive information.

Review Questions

• How do journalists develop and maintain contacts, and why is this important for effective reporting?
  • Journalists develop contacts by actively networking within their communities and industries, attending events, and seeking out conversations with individuals who have relevant knowledge. Maintaining these relationships is vital because they provide access to information and perspectives that may not be available through traditional channels. By nurturing these connections over time, journalists can build a reliable network that enhances their ability to report accurately and comprehensively.
• Discuss the ethical challenges journalists may face when interacting with their contacts.
  • When interacting with contacts, journalists must navigate several ethical challenges, including issues of confidentiality and the potential consequences for sources who share sensitive information. Journalists have a duty to protect their sources' identities, especially if revealing them could lead to harm or retaliation. Additionally, there is a responsibility to ensure that the information gathered from contacts is verified and presented fairly to avoid misrepresentation or bias in reporting.
• Evaluate the impact of technology on how journalists build and utilize their contacts in today's media landscape.
  • Technology has significantly transformed how journalists build and utilize their contacts by enabling quicker communication and broader networking opportunities. Social media platforms allow journalists to connect with a diverse range of sources worldwide, making it easier to gather information on various topics. However, this shift also presents challenges, such as the potential for misinformation and the difficulty of verifying sources online. Overall, technology has created both opportunities and complexities in managing contact relationships within journalism.

Related terms

Sources: Individuals or documents that provide information for news stories, which can range from official spokespeople to anonymous whistleblowers.

Networking: The process of establishing and nurturing professional relationships that can lead to opportunities for collaboration, information sharing, and support within the field of journalism.

Confidentiality: The ethical obligation of journalists to protect the identities of their sources, especially when those sources share sensitive or potentially harmful information.