Staging video

I believe one of the most important issues when discussing the staging and unethical editing of video is the perception of journalists by viewers. Both Dave Wertheimer and Al Tompkins touched briefly on the problem of losing the trust of the public. When viewers realize they are being deceived or experience, firsthand, the staging and recreation of a news event, as journalists, we lose all credibility. Though the majority of journalists may have the same strong beliefs as Wertheimer, with no tolerance for staging, if even one scene is faked, no news story is ever 100% believable. The public begins to doubt every print, audio and video story. Those people present at the NFL draft party Wertheimer spoke of will have no reason not to believe each story is staged and over-dramatized, just as that one was. In the minds of the public, news sources become no better than tabloids, exploiting the truth and over-exaggerating facts.