Secrets are no fun... but are Secrets are for Everyone?

This is an interesting topic; we actually discussed this last week in our group meetings. So this blog is about the release of the Pentagon Papers, and whether or not it is ethically correct to leak that information, or keep some things secret. The first bullet point that Professor Bindig acknowledges, is about our takes on the information that should be kept secret or not. Now I understand that the government keeps things from us in order to protect us. But if government has a secret that they do not want anyone to know, then it is the government’s job to keep that a secret. So the question is if I were in a predicament where I found top-secret government documents that no one knew about, would I release it? I have mixed feelings on this topic. One part of me says that there are things that should be kept a secret in order to protect the people. But there is another side of me that says, why not tell the people the truth. Because the people’s reactions could go over a lot smoother if the government says, “ This is our problem, and this is how we are going to deal with this,” rather than keeping a secret until leaks, and loosing the trust of the people.
So again if I were to come across top-secret documents, would I tell? You are damn right, especially if it is a document such as the Pentagon Papers. That my friends is what is wrong with our government officials today… they lie to us to get them into office, they lie to us when they are in office, and they lie to us when they are out of office. No wonder why people don’t trust them (politicians). But anyway, staying on topic I have 2 rules in keeping secrets, and they are both FULL and FOOL PROOF.

Ryan’s Rules in keeping secrets:
1. Don’t tell anybody anything if you do not want anyone else to find out.
a. So if Person ‘A’ and Person ‘B’ have a secret, there should never be a Person ‘C’
2. NO PAPER TRAIL
a. This simply means do not write down secrets, that’s just common sense. There is a chance that the wrong eyes may find them.

When it comes to secrets, especially secrets at that high of a level, there are a few steps that one has to take. The first step is to see if anyone would be directly and physically harmed by the secret. An example of a secret that should be told, would be telling some one that you are about to get “personal” with, that you have an STD. So really, I guess that is the only step you have to take in keeping secrets.
But I also believe that people lose sight in the difference between secrets and something that isn’t anyone’s business. For example, people feel that it is their right to know where Beyoncé Knowles had her baby. People feel that she is keeping it a secret, when really it’s not anyone’s business where she has her baby.

When I am stuck in an ethical dilemma, I just put my self in the other person’s shoes and ask, “ Would I want that done to me?” And there is where I find my answer. My views as a media professional and as a person will never differ. My objective in life is to always do what is right even if it is harms me. Just fallowing in the steps of Good Ol’ J.C. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”