Оглавление
Gene Foreman. The Ethical Journalist
The Ethical Journalist. Making Responsible Decisions in the Digital Age
Contents
List of Illustrations
Guide
Pages
Detailed Contents
Foreword
Preface
Our online resources
About the Coauthors
Acknowledgments
Part I A Foundation for Making Ethical Decisions
1 Why Ethics Matters in Journalism Our society needs news professionals who do the right thing
Learning Goals
Incentives for Ethical Behavior
The moral incentive
The practical incentive
Why Standards Are Needed
The Growth of Ethics Codes
The Goal: Ethical Decision-Making
Honing Skills Through Cases
A Revolution in Journalism
Ethics in a Time of Change
A Different Role for Journalists
Notes
Point of View. A ‘Tribal Ferocity’ Enforces the Code
2 Ethics: The Bedrock of a Society An introduction to terms and concepts in an applied-ethics course
Learning Goals
Being Ethical Requires Action
The Origins of Ethics Theory
How a Society Instills Ethics
Values Shape Personal Choices
Ethical Dilemma: Right vs. Right
The false ethical dilemma
Ethical Decision: Complex Process
Notes
3 The News Media’s Role in Society The profession has matured and accepted social responsibility
Learning Goals
Journalism’s Guiding Principles
Defining ‘Social Responsibility’
The Journalism of an Earlier Era
The Hutchins Commission
Ethical Awakening in the Profession
What Caused the Ethical Awakening?
Decades of Rising Professionalism
New Challenges for Journalism
Notes
Point of View. The Essential Pursuit of Truth
Point of View. Decision-Making in the Digital Age
4 For Journalists, a Clash of Moral Duties Responsibilities as professionals and as human beings can conflict. Learning Goals
Observer or Participant?
“Fly‐on‐the‐wall” reporting
Helping police catch a suspect
Giving media access to criminals
Intervention at Central High
Lessons from the battlefield
Guidelines for Intervention
Notes
Point of View. Journalists Are Humans, Too
Case Study: Documenting the Trauma of Children Living With Addicts. The Journalist as a Witness to Suffering
Sources
Questions for Class Discussion
Case Study: “I Don’t Want to Be a Part of the Story, at All” Protester Is Beaten; Reporter Steps In
5 The Public and the Media: Love and Hate
Learning Goals
The Evidence of Public Hostility
Explanations for the Hostility
How to Respond to the Criticism
Learn From the Complaints
Applying Perspective
Notes
Point of View. Journalism, Seen From the Other Side
Case Study: A Stunt Becomes a Good Story, but Backfires on Its Writer. A Journalist’s Trial by Social Media
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
6 How the ‘Trump Effect’ Challenged Journalism The news media had never dealt with a president like No. 45
Learning Goals
An Era With No Precedent
A War on Journalists
Scrambling to Fight Back
Fox News and Trump
Lies, Snark, and ‘The Mashup’
Television Cuts Away
The AP Becomes ‘Quite Assertive’
Notes
Point of View. Impartial Journalism’s Enduring Value
Notes
7 Applying Four Classic Theories of Ethics Ancient philosophy can be a factor in the decision-making process
Learning Goals
How Ethics Theories Influence Decisions
Rule‐based thinking
Ends‐based thinking
The Golden Rule
Aristotle’s Golden Mean
Blending Rule‐ and Ends‐Based Thinking
Postscript: Publishing 21st Century Secrets
Notes
8 Using a Code of Ethics as a Decision Tool Written professional standards can be a valuable guide
Learning Goals
The Debate Over the Codes’ Value
Ethics Codes as a Decision-Making Tool
SPJ’s Four Guiding Principles
Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics [Box 8.1] Preamble
Minimize Harm
Act Independently
Be Accountable and Transparent
Notes
9 Making Moral Decisions You Can Defend How to apply critical thinking and a decision template. Learning Goals
Critical Thinking Is the Key Factor
A Step-by-Step Way To Make Decisions
Template for Making Decisions in Journalism [Box 9.1]]
Step 1: Collect information
Step 2: Analyze information
Step 3: Make a judgment and defend it
Practicing Skills in Case Studies
How the case studies will help
In the debate, avoid these traps
Notes
Point of View. Avoid These Rationalizations
Case Study: Weighing Truth-Telling Against Minimizing Harm. Deciding Whether to Identify a CIA Agent
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
Part II Putting Journalism Ethics to Work
10 Getting the Facts Right and Being Fair SPJ’s guiding principle of seeking truth and reporting it
Learning Goals
Getting It Right Is a Moral Duty
Ethics Guidelines for Reporting. Avoiding bias in story frames
Taking care on social media
Avoiding confirmation bias
Using neutral language
Hoaxes Flourish in the Digital Age
Problematic Trends in the Newsroom
Shifting to multimedia jobs
Diminished editing oversight
Notes
Point of View. Declaring What You Won’t Report
Case Study: The Single Source’s Account Wasn’t Checked Out. A Story of Rape at Mr. Jefferson’s University
Skepticism over the story
The story collapses
Examining the story
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
Case Study: A Town’s Celebration Dissolves Into Sorrow and Disbelief. A Double Disaster at the Sago Mine
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
Case Study: ‘Innocent Until Proved Guilty’ Is a Good Rule for Journalism. Richard Jewell: He Really Was a Hero
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
Case Study: Why Journalists Should Develop a Healthy Sense of Skepticism. The Football Star’s Fictitious Girlfriend
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
11 Showing Empathy for People in the News
Reporting Truth, Yet Causing Pain
When Lives Are at Stake
Weighing Pleas to ‘Unpublish’
Interviewing Children
Interviewing Survivors
Reporting on Suicides
When Journalists Are Intrusive
Notes
Case Study: Assessing the News Coverage of a Family’s Tragedy. The Death of a Boy
Questions for Class Discussion
Point of View. Reporting a Fact, Causing Harm. Readers thought the story was a piece of vandalism: destructive, irrelevant
12 Avoiding Conflicts: Appearances Count SPJ’s guiding principle of acting independently
Learning Goals
What Is a Conflict of Interest?
A Duty to Avoid Conflicts
Problem Areas for Conflicts. Commentary in a public forum
Personal financial interests
Gifts from newsmakers
Civic activities
Collaboration with newsmakers
Notes
Case Study: Critics Raise Questions of an Apparent Conflict of Interest. A Reporter’s Son Joins a Foreign Army
Analysis of the case
Argument by analogy
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
Case Study: George Stephanopoulos Was Once a Key Player in Politics. A Journalist’s Gifts to the Clinton Foundation
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
Case Study: David Brooks Wrote About a Nonprofit That He Was Paid to Run. The Columnist’s Other Job
‘My journalism’ and more
Rules and consequences
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
Case Study: Should Journalists Take Part in the Events They Cover? Carrying a Torch, Stirring Debate
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
13 Lifting the Curtain on How Journalism Is Done SPJ’s guiding principle of being accountable and transparent
Learning Goals
It’s About Being Responsible
The Duty to Be Accountable
Advocating for the audience
Reporting on themselves
The Duty to Be Transparent
Explaining news decisions
Correcting errors
Sharing source material
The power of the people
Transparency Has Its Limits
Notes
Point of View. Engaging Readers in a Digital Dialogue
Case Study: The Audience Was Angry, but for an Unexpected Reason. Roughed Up at Recess
Questions for Class Discussion
14 Navigating Social Media’s Uneven Terrain Connecting with the audience while maintaining impartiality
Learning Goals
Competing Goals on Social Media
An Internal Study at The Post
‘Twitter Mobs’ and Accidental Tweets
A Discipline for Journalists
Old-School Rules at the AP
A Day of Reckoning in Newsrooms
Notes
Point of View. Race, Gender, Social Media, and Power
Point of View. A Journalist’s Duty
Case Study: Alexis Johnson Was Barred From Covering Demonstrations. A Reporter’s Tweet Hits a Sour Note
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
15 Covering a Diverse, Multicultural Society An ethical duty to be inclusive in news coverage and in the newsroom
Learning Goals
Identifying Ethics Issues
Covering Other Cultures
Covering Immigrants
Capitalizing ‘Black’ in Copy
When to Identify by Race
Making the News More Inclusive
Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparity
Covering LGBTQ People and Issues
Diversity Resources
Notes
Point of View. Gaining Respect by Showing Respect
16 Dealing With Sources of Information The fine line between getting close and too close
Learning Goals
Reporters and Their Sources
Protecting a Source
Challenges of Beat Reporting
Should Sources Be Paid?
Showing Copy to Sources
Interviewing by Email
Verbatim Quoting
Notes
Point of View. Sometimes, Different Rules Apply
Case Study: Seeking to Verify a Document but Revealing Its Source. The Strange Intercept at ‘The Intercept’
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
17 Making News Decisions About Privacy The public may need to know what individuals want hidden. Learning Goals
Public Interest Versus Privacy
Legal Restraints in Privacy Cases
Making Decisions: A Template
Making Decisions in Privacy Cases [Box 17.1]
Step 1: Analyze the information
Step 2: Analyze the likely harm
Step 3: Make the Decision
News Situations Involving Privacy. People thrust into the news
Victims of sex crimes
Politicians’ sexual affairs
Juveniles accused of crimes
Lives of public figures
Social‐media content
Notes
Case Study: Information the Newsroom Wasn’t Supposed to Have. Tracing the Source of Web Comments
Discussion of the case
Sources
Case Study: She Had Been Named in the Media While a Missing Person. Identifying a 13‐Year‐Old Rape Victim
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
18 Making Decisions About Offensive Content The conflict between reflecting reality and respecting the audience
Learning Goals
A Process for Making Decisions
If the Audience Sees Insensitivity
Offensive Words in the News
FCC Definitions of Offensive Content [Box 18.1]
Offensive Images in the News
A Problem of Interactivity
Notes
Case Study: Sacrificing Authenticity Out of Respect for the Audience. A Vulgar List in the News
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
Case Study: Is There a Journalistic Purpose in Using the Images? A Killer Records a Video of His Murders
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
19 Deception: A Risky, Controversial Tool When values collide: Lying while seeking the truth. Learning Goals
Is Deception Acceptable?
Avoiding Rationalizations
Going Undercover: A High Threshold
Memorable Examples
‘Beneath the Radar’
Testing Security Is Problematic
Deceiving the Audience
Notes
Point of View. The Truth About Deception
Case Study: A Reporter’s Question, Asked Through a Soldier. Rumsfeld’s Q&A With the Troops
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
Case Study: Outsourcing a Job Reporters Were Not Allowed to Do. Spying on the Mayor in a Chat Room
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
20 Ethics Issues in Visual and Audio Journalism Seeking truth with the camera or microphone while minimizing harm
Learning Goals
Distorting Truth Through Images
Integrity Standards for Still Images
Integrity Standards in Video and Audio
Journalism in Podcasting
Offensive Content Guidelines
Using Police Arrest Portraits
Intrusion by Photojournalists
Use of Drone Photography
Notes
Case Study: “[T]he Picture Told a Story Our Readers Needed to See” The Falling Man, World Trade Center, 2001
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
Case Study: Out of the Horror in the Subway, Two Ethics Questions. Photographing a Man Pushed to His Death
Discussion of the case
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
21 Stolen Words and Invented Facts Dishonesty can kill a career in journalism. Learning Goals
A Definition of the Terms
Cautionary Examples
Janet Cooke, The Washington Post (fabrication, 1980)
Stephen Glass, The New Republic (fabrication, 1998)
Patricia Smith, The Boston Globe (fabrication, 1998)
Mike Barnicle, The Boston Globe (plagiarism and fabrication, 1998)
Jack Kelley, USA Today (plagiarism and fabrication, 2004)
Jonah Lehrer, The New Yorker and Wired.com (plagiarism and fabrication, 2012)
Journalists Who Broke the Law
R. Foster Winans, The Wall Street Journal
Mike Gallagher, The Cincinnati Enquirer
News of the World phone hacking
Confronting the Problems
Detecting Dishonest Work
Notes
22 The Business of Producing Journalism Seeking financial stability in a turbulent era of transition
Learning Goals
Print to Digital: The Finances
Who Covers News and Who Pays?
Ways to Finance Journalism. Subscriptions for websites
Owners infusing capital
Nonprofits and subsidies
Integrity in Native Advertising
Relations Between News and Business
Notes
Case Study: A Special Magazine Was All About the Staples Center. Sharing Ad Profits, Creating a Crisis
Questions for Class Discussion
Sources
Thoughts to Take With You Advice for aspiring journalists
Glossary
Notes
Index
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