Monday, April 30, 2012

Jour.4470-Blog #5:Final Thoughts


This semester has been an educational roller coaster for me. I’ve learned a great deal and acquired so much knowledge in a variety of areas I never would’ve imagined. Learning about different types of ethical situations and how to deal with them has really opened my eyes. This class has really allowed me to evaluate things differently. Every time I see a news story, I always take the time in the end to decide whether or not it was ethical and view it in different perspectives. I now remind myself that there are 2 sides to every story-the good and the bad.

All of the case studies we did in class really helped me with my research skills. It made me realize that in order to find every detail of a story, you always have to dig deeper. There will always be something someone will miss and can make the story be interpreted in whole different way that can sometimes be untrue.  
Professor Bufkins made us look beyond the facts and really made us use our critical thinking skills. I never knew there were so many laws professionals had to abide by when dealing with the public.  

 My “oh wow” moment in this class was definitely the working in groups part. With the class consisting of advertising and PR majors, I never knew how different we all think. It was an interesting experience and I have to say it has definitely prepared me for when I actually have to work with people who have different views than me.  After the first case study and having everyone present different case studies from then on made class ten times more interesting. Getting to present to the class and explaining our case studies made learning the material so much easier.

I enjoyed our class discussions of “what would you do” if you were in the situation. Sure, we had our disagreements but Professor Bufkins would always ensure it never got out of hand. She wanted us to express our thoughts and opinions, which helped to see the situation in a better light. Doing this made me understand everything a lot better. She wanted the students to engage in order to make the material easier to understand, which in my opinion helped out a lot.

From learning that the word “privacy” is nowhere to be found in the U.S Constitution, to knowing the difference between libel and slander, my mind was filled with all these new ideas and perspectives of things. Every class was different and had some type of entertainment along with the discussion for the day. Incorporating social media into the class was also something I enjoyed. What other professor lets you tweet in class? Making social media a part of our grade was extremely helpful for me in so many ways. Using it now will only help us stay ahead with what is going on in our world. Also, with social media growing everyday, using it now will definitely help out in the near future.
  
As journalists, being ethical is crucial in the professional world, and after taking this class, I feel like I’m prepared to at least differentiate the wrong from right. Professor Bufkins has taught me a lot and after taking this class, as cheesy as this sounds, I feel like I can do so much more with my degree and take it to a whole new level.  I always knew the importance of ethics, but now I know the true meaning of why they exist in the workplace. As this semester comes to an end, I look back at all the things I’ve learned in this class and can honestly say I’ll take it all with me and use it in my future career.

No comments:

Post a Comment