To my audiences,

I know many of you question the media right now. Many of you don’t know if you can trust the media anymore, especially in a world with fake news and a 24-hour news cycle often leading to mistakes.

As someone who works in the media and will work with the media, I make these promises to you.

First, I will report everything with accuracy. As I learned in my media writing class at the University of Oklahoma, accuracy is the paramount quality of all media writing, and I will never knowingly report false information. I vow to fact check everything I share, create, or publish.

Next, I promise to report everything objectively. People often get entangled with one side of an issue. As a journalist, I will seek out both sides of an issue to ensure objectivity. As a public relations professional, I will keep my publics and organization in mind and write objectively by staying clear of unverified claims and puffy writing.

Thirdly, I will write and advocate ethically. I will never write or publish something with the intention of hurting someone’s reputation. I will never represent someone who engages in unethical behavior. I will do everything I can to create mutually beneficial relationships between my organization and my publics. I will abide by the Public Relations Society of America’s Code of Ethics.

Finally, I will support good, investigative journalism. People often refer to the media as watchdogs entrusted with the function of uncovering any wrongdoing in the government and elsewhere. I will share the outlets continually investigating the government and other organizations without bias. Without continued support, these outlets won’t be able to do what they do and bringing the truth to the public.

Rebuilding the media’s reputation is going to take some serious work. I want everyone who reads the things I publish and share to know I will do what I can to be the best media writer I can be.