Journal 76: Participation

   The job of the journalist is to first witness an event, observe it, and write honestly about what happened then report it to the public. Although the news report now a days, at least in Taiwan, is not very reliable, what the journalist suppose to do does not change.

    When a journalist need to write about a event that he or she is the participant, it might be hard for them to write about the event without any bias, or personal judgment. It might be also hard to write clearly about the details because, as a participant, it is hard to notice small details. An observer and a participant are both at the place when the event happened but the observer does not involve in the event. It is generally more reliable if the event is reported by a observer because observer notice more details, less likely to exaggerate the event and more likely to report the event without bias.

     It is hard to be in a event such as a disaster without being emotional involved, if someone wants to do that, I guess they have to feel very detach from the whole event even as it if happening.

     I think a professional journalist should be able to report the event as a observer even if himself is a participant.