Bearing witness has been the job of journalist as long as the press has had this job. With social media becoming more prominent in our everyday lives and news being just at our fingertips 24/7 it has made for an in depth and devastating battlefield that could subject one to go doom scrolling for hours. This is the first time ever a constant cycle of news has been so accessible and broad, making the journalistic job of bearing witness and doing it with accuracy that much more important. 

Not every journalist is going to go out onto bloody battlefields of soldiers to document war in real time but each journalist because they see moments in history unfolding in real time has the moral responsibility to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Journalists work to serve the public rather than those in charge. It’s important to bear witness with factual reporting and evidence so the public can maintain trust in journalism.  

Bearing witness is saying “I saw this. This is what happened. This is what was said. “Here’s three other people who saw it and what they have to say about it,” so the public can form their own opinion. Journalism must be free from bias and deception. You also must back up what you’re saying with evidence to support it. A good way to do this is with photography of the event (something we refer to as photojournalism,) primary sources (people who were involved in the event,) and secondary sources (people who were not their but hold a position related and related information that give context and insight.)