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Updating Journalism Ethics
This document discusses journalism ethics and values. It examines whether ethics should be timeless or adapt to changes. The author analyzes updates to core principles from 1990s-2015 regarding truth, transparency, accountability and consequences. Guidance is provided in 45 specific areas like reporting issues, writing, conduct, policies and financing. Enforcing ethics through codes and conversations rather than legal action is discussed. The use of confidential sources and linking practices are debated from an ethical perspective. Overall, the document explores balancing core values with adapting to changes in technology and society.
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Updating Journalism Ethics
- 1. Upholding & Updating JournalismValues Steve Buttry Manship Media Ethics class January 25, 2017
- 2. Read more aboutit • stevebuttry.wordpress.com • slideshare.net/stevebuttry • @stevebuttry • [email protected]
- 3. Are ethics timeless? Shouldethics be: 1. Timeless, reflecting values unchanged by technology, markets, circumstances? 2. Timely, reacting to changes in the situation where profession is practiced? 3. Rooted in core values but adapting to change?
- 7. Core principles, 1996-2014 •Seek truth and report it • Minimize harm • Act independently • Be accountable
- 8. Core principles, updated2014 • Seek truth and report it • Minimize harm • Act independently • Be accountable and transparent
- 10. Core principles, 1990s-2013 •Seek truth and report it as fully as possible • Act independently • Minimize harm
- 12. Core principles, updated2013 • Seek truth and report it as fully as possible • Be transparent • Engage community as an end, rather than as a means
- 15. Core principles, updated2015 • Truth and accuracy above all • Independence and transparency • Accountability for consequences
- 17. Fundamentals in 4areas • Telling the truth • Conflicts of interests • Community • Professional conduct
- 18. Nature of yourorganization • Is your journalism impartial or point-of- view? • Are your journalists independent or involved?
- 19. Guidance in 45specific areas, broken down into 7 groups • Reporting issues • Writing and editing • Professional conduct • Organizational policies • Social concerns • Multimedia and data • Financing your journalism
- 20. Reporting issues • Bombsand other threats • Concealing identity • Confidential sources • Children: Coverage, images and interviews • Hostage situations • Interviewing • Sources: reliability and attribution
- 21. Each of 45sections: • Essay with discussion questions for staff in deciding policy in this area • Further reading • Ethical choices (which you can edit) • Best practices
- 26. Enforcing ethics • FirstAmendment bars licensing, inhibits legal enforcement • Courts do have jurisdiction in some areas (defamation/truth, privacy) • Employers use ethics codes to fire unethical professionals • News councils
- 27. Is linking amatter of ethics? 1. It’s a service to the reader, providing depth, context, verification (but not every service to readers is a matter of ethics) 2. Best form of attribution in digital content 3. Practice of linking can prevent plagiarism
- 29. On all ethicsmatters Practice > policy Conversations > codes
- 30. NYT stylebook onsources
- 32. SPJ on confidentialsources
- 33. Using confidential sources 1.Opinions are worthless without names 2. Beware of eager or powerful people who won’t be accountable 3. Use confidentiality w/ reluctant sources 4. Should you avoid background briefings? 5. Use confidential sources to get to documents or on-the-record sources
- 41. Read more aboutit • stevebuttry.wordpress.com • slideshare.net/stevebuttry • @stevebuttry • [email protected]