By Samean Yun
Associate editor, The Cambodia Daily
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Hosted by the Denver Rocky Mountain News

Newspapers in the United States are a vital element to the society. As a reporter from Cambodia, a developing country, I have learned a lot of skills including journalistic practices, standards and values within six months at the Rocky Mountain News through the Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships.

Accurate and fair stories are what readers want to read. U.S. journalistic practices regard accuracy as the top priority in the story. Reporters always check and recheck before they send the story over to the editor.

During my fellowship at the Rocky Mountain News, we had a lot of discussions between reporters, editors and the chief editor.

I remember a discussion about accuracy. The editor allowed reporters to discuss with sources about the facts in the stories to make sure that the facts are accurate.

Reporters don’t allow the sources to read the whole story, but part of the story that reporters feel may not be correct.

The editor has also allowed reporters to tape telephone interviews without permission because sources anticipate that reporters want to be accurate and fair. Taping during telephone interviews can allow reporters to go back and check to make sure it is accurate. But there are some exceptions in some U.S. states that demand reporters to ask permission before taping sources.

In the newsroom where I work, most reporters don’t tape interviews because it is a waste of time. They tape interviews only for serious stories. One reporter told me that although the chief editor told the reporters that they can tape sources without telling them, reporters should inform their sources that they tape them.

There are a lot of things that my paper at home doesn’t often cover, such as sports, lifestyle, movies, food and fruit. I think these sections are very important to readers. The readers can have different flavors in the newspaper.

Newspapers in the United States cover stories mostly dedicated to local news rather than outside state information. I think this way, the paper can produce more stories that happen in the local community that readers are more interested in compared to stories outside their communities.

The newspaper has defined its own style of writing. Reporters usually use AP stylebook as the paper’s sample in writing. Sometimes, the paper makes it own stylebook for reporters.

One editorial reporter at the Rocky Mountain News resigned in August after the editor found out he used some sentences from a newspaper and a website in his story.

The editor said he abused the newspaper’s standard by using someone’s words without attribution to those sources. He said reporters should use their own words, or if they use some sentences that contain the exact words from someone else, they should attribute them.

Readers in U.S. society regard newspapers as one of their main resources. They have trust in information that appears in the newspapers. Journalists fight for their freedom in writing. They respect the journalism code of ethics.

There are some disadvantages in U.S. journalism since journalists were imprisoned and their access to information is limited. Although United States government has offered journalists freedom to write, some journalists have been imprisoned after they tried to protect their sources.

Some journalists plagiarized and exaggerated in their stories. During my six-month fellowship in the United States, there were a few cases of plagiarism and exaggeration. Those journalists were fired from the newspaper but the reputation of journalists was jeopardized following the scandal.

The Cambodia Daily, the newspaper for which I work doesn’t have sections such as sports, food, movies, technology, lifestyle and entertainment. I want to introduce my ideas about these sections to my paper back home because I think that it will provide readers a chance to read not only about politics but something that can entertain them.

In my newsroom, reporters are not assigned to cover a specific beat. They can write whatever they want, so reporters don’t have full comprehension over the beats. They can’t conduct deep investigation in the beats. I will introduce to my editor-in-chief my idea to assign reporters to cover particular beats. This way, I think it is very useful for the paper.

When I return to my newsroom, I want to share my experience and the knowledge that I have learned from a U.S. newsroom. We will have a discussion to find what knowledge I can apply to my newsroom.

Journalists in the United States are lucky because their government guarantees press freedom. In Cambodia, reporters don’t have access to information in court, legislation and execution. Government officials treat Cambodian journalists as beggars. Reporters who conduct investigations on government authorities about land encroachment and corruption are often intimidated and imprisoned.

United States journalism practices, standards and values could not be applied in Cambodia largely because the Cambodian Constitution doesn’t provide enough press freedom for journalists and journalists in Cambodia are not yet professional.

It will take at least ten years for Cambodian journalism to improve as a whole, but with the knowledge that I have learned in the U.S., I hope that my colleagues and I can apply it into practice.