NPPA student chapter of the National Press Photographers Association ritnppa@gmail.com

Fort Hood Shooting

Last Friday we talked about recent stories in the news, including the shooting in Fort Hood, Texas. At the time there has be controversy about the press overstating Nidal Hasan’s religion. A recent article on Poynter.com discusses how we label people based on their religion. This is often done in the press with Muslim people, which perpetuates false stereotypes and unwarranted fear. It is our job as journalists to handle tragic situations as this in the most professional manner. We need to know the facts before we can declare judgment on people and then publish that judgment. Something to keep in mind when looking for internships and jobs at newspapers where you may run into an ethical dilemma.