Student Blog: Integrity As a Media Student

As a student, integrity has been something that is ingrained in my brain. It’s been encouraged since I was in kindergarten, and I became more and more aware of it as I grew up. But ever since I started my study in media and broadcasting, I realized that integrity is not just one of the codes of conduct of my school. It’s also something that can make or break my career. 

To me, integrity is closely connected to how trustworthy and dependable you are as a person. And as a student, that can be reflected in your behavior. Here are some examples. Coming to class on time means that you respect your teachers and your classmates. Submitting your assignment before the deadline shows that you are responsible and organized. Not cheating in tests proves that you are honest. And citing when you are writing a paper means that you honor the person whose ideas you are using. By doing all these, you show your values as a student, which hopefully will be carried through your professional life. 

I remember back in elementary school when I saw one of my classmates cheat on a test. That person ended up getting a higher grade than me. Angry and disappointed, I told my mother about that person, but her calm response surprised me. She said that the person with the disadvantage in this story was the cheater. If they grow up to be a doctor by cheating through medical school, will they be able to perform a surgery when someone’s life is depending on it? If they become a lawyer, would people trust that person with their legal matters? She told me that I should be proud for not cheating. It shows my quality as a person, and it is more important than whatever grade I got from that test.

When I started my program in media and broadcasting, I walked into my first class with all of these values that I had learned since I was a kid. But after sitting in a few classes, I realized that integrity is one of the most (if not the most) important parts in my media career. When you are creating content or telling a story, you are shaping the perspective of your audience. That means whatever you publish might be viewed as the truth, and whatever you leave out may never reach the public. This also means that you can lead your audience into thinking a certain way. And this applies to anything that you put out there where there’s someone at the receiving end, whether it’s in the form of traditional media (like TV or newspaper), digital media (like Instagram posts, YouTube videos, or blogs), or most importantly, arts. That’s when integrity becomes important. Can you be trusted and be held responsible for whatever content you are putting out there? If the audience doesn't think that you are trustworthy, why would they bother to spend their time and money on whatever you have to say? What’s even worse is, if you are spreading information that turns out to be a hoax, then not only will people lose their respect, you and your company might also get sued. That’s why it is important to maintain integrity, because like it or not, it is a very valuable thing.

I guess I am just using media as an example because after all, I am a media major. But that doesn't mean that integrity doesn’t apply in other professions. In fact, wherever your career path is going, integrity is extremely important. Whether you are an artist, a scientist, or a politician, you have to have values. It’s what makes people believe in you and your work. And it starts in school. So the next time you are tempted to cheat on a test or use ChatGPT for an essay, think again. Is it really worth it to sacrifice your integrity just to pass a class?