The ethical journalist : making responsible decisions in the digital age /
Saved in:
Main Authors: | |
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Group Author: | ; ; |
Published: |
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,
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Publisher Address: | Hoboken, NJ : |
Publication Dates: | 2022. |
Literature type: | Book |
Language: | English |
Edition: | Third edition. |
Subjects: | |
Carrier Form: | xxiii, 423 pages : illustrations, portraits ; 24 cm |
Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
ISBN: |
9781119777472 111977747X |
Index Number: | PN4756 |
CLC: | G214 |
Call Number: | G214/F715/3rd ed. |
Contents: |
Machine generated contents note: Note continued: Why Ethics Matters in Journalism -- Our society needs news professionals who do the right thing -- Contemporary journalists are keenly aware of the ethics of the profession, dealing frequently with ethics questions. -- In a profession that cannot be regulated because of the First Amendment, responsible journalists adhere voluntarily to high standards of conduct. -- The goal of this book and course is to teach you how to make ethically sound decisions. -- Discussing case studies in class is crucial to learning the decision-making process. -- The digital era, which has radically changed the way the news is gathered and delivered, has provoked controversy over whether ethics should radically change as well. -- Confronted with a daily deluge of information, the public depends on ethical journalists for news that can be trusted. -- Point of View: A "Tribal Ferocity" Enforces the Code -- Ethics: The Bedrock of a Society / An introduction to terms and concepts in an applied-ethics course / Ethics is about discerning between right and wrong and then doing what is right. / Ancient societies developed systems of ethics that still influence human behavior. / Though often related, ethics and law differ; law prescribes minimum standards of conduct, and ethics prescribes exemplary conduct. / A member of a society absorbs its ethical precepts through a process of socialization. / Our value system -- based on the things we prize most -- influences how we make moral choices. / An ethical dilemma demands such a moral choice: a person may have to violate one ethical principle to fulfill another. / The News Media's Role in Society / The profession has matured and accepted social responsibility / Journalists generally agree that their fundamental ethical principles are to seek truth, serve the public, and maintain independence from the people they report on. / Journalism, like other professions and institutions, owes society a moral duty called social responsibility. / In the 1940s, the Hutchins Commission defined journalism's social responsibility: to provide reliable information for the community. / An ethical awakening occurred in journalism during the decade beginning in the mid-1970s. / During this period of reform, many news organizations codified their principles, first addressing conflicts of interest and then refining news-coverage practices. / Today's journalism reflects decades of rising professionalism, but the transition to the digital era presents new challenges. / Point of View: The Essential Pursuit of Truth / Point of View: Decision-Making in the Digital Age / For Journalists, a Clash of Moral Duties / Responsibilities as professionals and as human beings can conflict / In the abstract, journalists should avoid becoming involved with the events and the people they cover. / However, certain situations require journalists to decide whether they should step out of their observer role and become participants. / In those situations, guidelines can help journalists reach sound decisions about whether to intervene. / Point of View: Journalists Are Humans, Too / Case Study: The Journalist as a Witness to Suffering / Case Study: Protester Is Beaten; Reporter Steps In / The Public and the Media: Love and Hate / The goal for the journalist should be respect, not popularity / Even as the news media mature and accept social responsibility, the public is increasingly hostile, and that is documented in surveys. / As a journalist, you should be aware of this hostility and the likely reasons for it. / You should treat the audience with respect and take complaints seriously; stripping away the rancor, you might find useful lessons. / The public's hostility has to be put in perspective; it may not be as bad as it seems. / Point of View: Journalism, Seen From the Other Side / Case Study: A Journalist's Trial by Social Media / How the 'Trump Effect' Challenged Journalism / The news media had never dealt with a president like No. / As a candidate and president (2015 -- 2021), Donald Trump vigorously tested journalism's habits, tools, and tenets. / Modifying their reporting practices, journalists adapted to Trump much as earlier generations had adapted to Se Case Study: The Death of a Boy / Point of View: Reporting a Fact, Causing Harm / Avoiding Conflicts: Appearances Count / SPJ's guiding principle of acting independently / In an actual conflict of interest, journalists allow self-interest, or a loyalty to any other person or organization, to take precedence over their duty to the audience. / Because a conflict of interest gives the audience reason to doubt the journalist's loyalty, it undermines credibility. / An appearance of a conflict of interest can damage credibility even if the journalist's reporting is honest. / By following reasonable guidelines, you can avoid most conflicts, actual or apparent. / Identifying situations that commonly lead to conflicts. / Case Study: A Reporter's Son Joins a Foreign Army / Case Study: A Journalist's Gifts to the Clinton Foundation / Case Study: The Columnist's Other Job / Case Study: Carrying a Torch, Stirring Debate / Lifting the Curtain on How Journalism Is Done / SPJ's guiding principle of being accountable and transparent / News organizations should correct their mistakes promptly, prominently, and clearly. / News organizations should have a system to invite, receive, and act on inquiries and complaints about news coverage. / News organizations should be willing to explain and discuss how they cover the news. / The audience can be a partner in reporting the news, but journalists have a duty to verify all user-generated content. / There are limits to journalistic transparency, including the question of whether reporters' personal opinions should be revealed. / Point of View: A Digital Dialogue With Readers / Case Study: Roughed Up at Recess / Navigating Social Media's Uneven Terrain / Connecting with the audience while maintaining impartiality / Using social media helps journalists report their stories and promote them. / However, journalists' comments about people and events in the news can damage their credibility and that of their news organizations. / Social media policies are a common source of tension in newsrooms, and enforcement of those policies has led to staff protests. / Point of View: Race, Gender, Social Media, and Power / Point of View: A Journalist's Duty / Case Study: A Reporter's Tweet Hits a Sour Note / Covering a Diverse, Multicultural Society / An ethical duty to be inclusive in news coverage and in the newsroom / Covering society's diversity is an ethical responsibility, because news organizations have a duty to cover the entire community. / Careful, sensitive reporting is required to analyze the complex issues of racial and ethnic conflicts. / Journalists face challenges in their efforts to provide knowledgeable coverage of cultures other than their own. / Reporters who cover new immigrants are confronting ethics issues such as protecting the identity of sources who are not documented. / Point of View: Gaining Respect by Showing Respect / Dealing With Sources of Information / The fine line between getting close and too close / Ethics issues arise in reporters' efforts to cultivate sources while maintaining independence from those sources. / If a journalist agrees to protect a source who provides information on condition of anonymity, honoring that agreement is a solemn ethical duty. / Journalists must avoid placing their sources in any kind of jeopardy. / Beat reporting requires reporters to balance their relationships with newsmakers whom they depend on for information but also may have to report on critically. / Showing copy to sources and other situations in which ethics issues arise in source relationships. / Point of View: Sometimes, Different Rules Apply / Case Study: The Strange Intercept at "The Intercept" / Making News Decisions About Privacy / The public may need to know what individuals want hidden / Journalists often must decide between the public's legitimate need to have certain information and the desire for privacy by the individuals involved. / Although there are certain legal restraints on publicizing private information, most decision Although advertisers have historically paid for news coverage, consumers are now being asked to pay for digital subscriptions. / Native advertising has found a home on news websites, where stringent rules are needed to protect integrity of news content. / The business and news executives of media companies frequently have a strained relationship, mainly because their cultures are so different. / Case Study: Sharing Ad Profits, Creating a Crisis / |