Journalism Ethics and More

JOURNALISM ETHICS

Here we have it: Journalism news departments strive to ensure that their employee's are constantly performing the company's ethics. Ethics in the journalism world are codes of conduct, placed order to keep journalists from being liable from being fired, hurt, in a lawsuit, or in some cases jail. These codes are here to protect the station (who may look unpartisan) and importantly you (who wants to keep your salary.) While newsrooms may stress the important of these conducts, it is up to the individual to adhere to them.

Here are some examples and definitions for "dummies."

TRUTHFULNESS
Making sure that there is no false information or attribution in your story. Everything reported must be accurate. For all the Christians, the eight commandment clearly states "thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

FAIRNESS
Making sure that a story is told presented with all sides included sides. As my Human Resource Manager told me today at CNN-DC, there are three parts to every story: two parts and somewhere in the middle lies the truth.

PRIVACY:
Making sure that you as a reporter, producer, or newsroom manager is doing everything in your power to not invade someone else's privacy. This goes from as small as peering over someone's phone when they go to the bathroom, or as far as breaking onto their property to take a picture of them in malicious behavior. There is a quote that says "do onto others as you would want others to do upon you."

RESPONSIBILITY: 
Making sure that you are always responsibility AND taking responsibility for your actions (whether good or bad.) When you are responsible, others will rely on you, making you more valuable as a journalist.


TRIVIA FACT: 
Who was the longest person to spend time in jail for not revealing their source?
Josh Wolf. The freelance Journalist spend 226 days in jail for refusal to deliver tapes from a San Francisco demonstration.

TRIVIA FACT:
Write about a journalist that didn't follow ethical code:
The most popular answer to this would be Jayson Blair of the New York Times. The UMD graduate and New York Times renown journalist was busted for writing a story in similarity to someone who used to intern with him. In contrast they found that most of his writing was in some form, stolen from other articles.