The Ethics of Source Use
Ethics of Photojournalism
Ethics of News Selection
Let's start with a test case in the ethics of reporting. Go to the course documents section of Blackboard for this course and read the article about Georgetown College that appeared in the Washington Post in 1996. The article is an interesting test case in press ethics. It isn't a bad story; it's not intentionally lying about Georgetown College. But in its selective presentation of the truth, one could argue that the journalist made some questionable ethical decisions. What did you think? What is clearly inaccurate? What is an effective use of observation--but admittedly selective and therefore perhaps slanted? Does the selection of facts suggest bias on the part of the writer?
The ethics of the news media have been questioned in several recent
high-profile plagiarism and fabrication scandals, particularly the Stephen Glass
and Jayson Blair cases. Read this article to get a sense of how those
scandals are affecting press credibility (this from a conservative on-line
newspaper):
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/7/9/201953.shtml
But for anyone who thinks the conservatives are the only ones with cause to
distrust the media, take a look at this article in Salon, which revealed the
shoddy ethics of reporting on the Clinton administration:
http://dir.salon.com/politics/feature/2001/02/09/gifts/index.html
In the Blair and Glass cases, blatantly unethical reporters damaged the reputation of the media. But I actually find the second situation more disturbing: good reporters failed to check on the accuracy of material; they picked it up from another source and ran with it, regardless of the truth. Granted, they are probably not guilty of libel (remember why?), but they are destroying the credibility of the media.
In situations involving inaccuracy and plagiarism, the ethical issues are reasonably clear. But when it comes to situations that involve privacy and matters of taste, the ethical questions are much tougher.
There are key steps to take in order to resolve ethical questions. Consider breaking the process into three steps:
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Define the dilemma |
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Examine all your alternatives |
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Justify your decision |
You should also consult the Poynter Institute Model of questions to ask in order to resolve ethical questions:
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Why am I concerned about this story, photo or graphic? |
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What is the news? What good would publication do? |
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Is the information complete and accurate, to the best of my knowledge? |
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Am I missing an important point of view? |
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What does my reader need to know? |
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How would I feel if the story or photo were about me or a member of my family? |
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What are the likely consequences of publication? What good or harm could result? |
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What are my alternatives? |
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Will I be able to clearly and honestly explain my decision to anyone who challenges it? |
Sometimes you'll have an ethical reaction that seems very clear; other times, it may be more difficult to identify the nature and components of your ethical reaction. Don't just react in a knee-jerk way; try to come to understand the process through which you come to ethical decisions. We'll use a set of photographs to illustrate.
Below is a link that will take you to a series of photos and to descriptions of situations, all with implications on the issue of ethics.
Media Ethics
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For background on the codes that guide journalistic ethics, follow the link below:
http://www.journalism.org/resources/tools/ethics/codes/print.asp