Choose your Battle: Bribe or Ethical Standards?

In school, we are taught to study fundamentals, principles, and ethics. Our Teachers give their promising efforts for us to able to learn and absorb new knowledge. We are being molded...shaped... and prepare for the time when we engage in battles in the corporate world. We know that school is far different from the outside world, it will come to a point that situations will try to tempt us to do things that are against our will, principles, beliefs, and moral convictions.

We, the youth, are the light of tomorrow. If we start spreading the good news, affirmations, and positiveness "We could have an amazing world where negativity could not grow and foster" as the Miss Universe 2018- Catriona Gray states. If we do not start now, when? If not us, who? I know that this may sound cliche but, this is the reality and this should be done. Hence, we do not have the ideal world that we wanted to. I must say, it's not perfect.

However, We are living now in a digital era where everything is made out of technology and everything that is happening around us? It's all digital and online. The information will just pop out if we allow our thumb to do the drill. By just posting anything on social media, it will reach every edge of the globe. You can post whatever and everything you want. Isn't it amazing? Yes, absolutely. 

Therefore, we should always remember that what we post online is what we value in life. When we are spreading negativity and fake news just like the you-know-who persona that is full of hatred and problems inside her body system, that is what she values in life and she's living on it. Can you imagine it? It will just ruin your reputation and credibility as a person, especially in your branding. Spreading accurate and fair information, on the other hand, will help society to know what is true and what isn't. It will dominate those fake news peddlers and trolls that are being scattered around. We, as future media practitioners should practice and possess the tenets, ideology, and ethics when it comes to journalism or publishing news, or even posting something online. We cannot promote something that we do not believe in, right? But, we are held accountable and responsible for whatever article we are publishing. For us, to able to produce fair, just, and accurate information and news it should have the ethical concepts of independence and transparency by that we are delivering true and factual messages that we wanted our audience to be absorbed.

Nonetheless, In school, We will learn fundamentals and principles regarding media. We possess the media laws and ethics for us to have a guide on deciding in an ethical, logical, and legal manner. But, school is far different from the corporate world; when we go out in the portal of the institution, the real combat is there--- there are lots of temptations that will test our ethical beliefs, principles, and integrity as a media practitioner and a citizen of our country. This is what we need to do when we are in the media industry, we should not be complacent with what and who we are; we need to study.

Never stop learning; have constant reinvention to cope with the demands of the industry, the competition between you and the world. It doesn’t matter if you failed for a first try, second or third time, what matters most is that your passion and that you love what you are doing. Never be afraid to take risks, be brave enough to defend the facts and truth behind the news, you should not conceal the truth by fabricating facts and publishing unrelated statements and fake news. Prioritize the interest of the general public not to be dazzled by money and wealth. The best training ground that will shape and mold you is the challenges, trials, and circumstances that you have and will encounter while you are in media practice. Books cannot suggest or tell you what will be your decision-making using ethical behavior, it is your experiences and positive mindset that will direct you to become a good media practitioner. You should always stand for the truth, justice, and freedom to have a humane society.

Notwithstanding, we may not have numbers in the industry but a few select will trigger a domino effect that would result in the benevolence of the universe, and as Prof. Clarence Benjamin says, "Everything will just come into place, one factual news at a time".