The Ideal Journalist (5)

The Ideal Journalist (5)¹
In this section we will publish every week a simple remark or a piece of advice… concerned with idealism in journalistic work.
The ideal journalist is a person chaste in pen, chaste in tongue, chaste in article, chaste in news:
He does not allow himself to descend to the level of defamation and scandalizing, or to the level of insults and abuse…
The ideal journalist’s goal is not to harm people, nor to distort them in the eyes of the readers, and his writings are not an exhibition of others’ faults.
The reputation of people is a trust upon his neck that he is careful to preserve.
He presents matters of reform in an objective manner, not in a personal manner, and in his speech about persons he is very polite in his expressions, scrutinizing every word, so that it may be purposeful and not hurtful.
Insults lower the level of the journalist in the eyes of people, and they do not take his criticism on the level of responsibility…
-
An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – in Al-Keraza Magazine – Sixth Year – Issue Forty-Two, 17–10–1975
For better translation support, please contact the center.




