Ethics for Journalists

Description

Ethics for Journalists criticallyexplores many of the dilemmas that journalists face in their work and supports journalists in good ethical decision-making. From building trust, to combatting disinformation, to minimizing harm to vulnerable people through responsible suicide reporting, this book provides substantial analysis of key contemporary ethical debates and offers guidance on how to address them. Revised and updated throughout, this third edition covers: the influence of press freedom and misinformation on trust;the novel ethical challenges presented by social media;the need for diversity of sources and in the newsroom, specifically relating to gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability; issues around vulnerable people―reporting traumatic events, bereaved people, suicide and privacy;health journalism and reporting a pandemic; andthe impact of regulation on professional standards. Taking an accessible and engaging approach, including expert reflections on personal and professional experience, Ethics for Journalists provides a wealth of insight for those in journalism, from students and trainees to specialist correspondents and experienced editors. Cover Half Title Series Information Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Contributors Acknowledgements Introduction: Core Principles of Ethical Journalism The Core Principles of Ethical Journalism Truth and Accuracy Independence Fairness and Impartiality Humanity Accountability The Structure of this Book References 1 Trust, Information Disorder and Freedom of Expression: Influences On Ethical Journalism Why Is Trust Important? Creating Distrust and False Realities Trust in Journalism Begins to Recover What Is Information Disorder? Why Is It a Threat to Trust? Information Disorder in the Time of COVID-19 Different Types of False Information Why Is Freedom of Expression So Vital to Press Freedom and a Free Press? Journalism’s Responsibilities Limits to Free Expression Freedom of Expression in Times of Crisis Is There a Totally Free Media? References 2 Regulating the Mainstream Media: Who Guards the Guardians? Who Are the Key Regulatory Bodies in the UK? What Do They Do? Independent Press Standards Organisation Independent Monitor for the Press Office of Communications BBC Complaints Process Are There Any Other Forms of Regulation? What Issues Arise With Codes of Conduct? What Are the Advantages? What Are the Disadvantages? What Principal Underlying Values Appear in the Codes? What Is the Public Interest and What Does It Have to Do With Codes? What Are the Major Differences Between the National Union of Journalists’ Code and the Other Industry Codes? Do Current Codes Adequately Address Ethical Issues in Digital Journalism? Ethical Workout Five Takeaways From this Chapter Ethics Toolbox References 3 Journalists and Social Media: Entering an ‘Ethical Vacuum’? Is Journalism Actually Any Different From Other Online Content? Is It Ever Ethical to Report On Online Rumours? How Do You Responsibly Cover Online/social Media Conspiracy Theories? What Are the Ethical Challenges Around Using Content From Social Media Accounts and Online Groups? Should Journalists Clearly Identify Themselves When They Join Closed Social Media Groups? How Should We Handle Content From ‘Witness Contributors’ and ‘Citizen Journalists’? How Does a Journalist Keep Their Own Social Media Accounts Ethical? How Should Journalists Engage With Comments From Audiences? Ethical Workout Five Takeaways From this Chapter Ethics Toolbox References 4 Sources: The Lifeblood of Journalism How Should Journalists Choose Their Sources? Should Journalists Be Concerned About the Growing Industry of News Management and Their Reliance On “Embedded” Journalists? Can I Use Anonymous Sources? What Are the Concerns? Can I Protect My Sources From Public Disclosure in the Digital Age? How Can I Be Sure I’m Dealing Fairly With Interviewees? Ethical Workout Five Takeaways From this Chapter Ethics Toolbox References 5 Privacy and Intrusion: Navigating the Muddy Waters of Conflicting Rights What Are Privacy Rights and Why Should Journalists Respect Them? What Do Regulatory Bodies Have to Say About Privacy? Should Journalists Intrude On Celebrities’ Private Lives? How Far Can the Media Intrude Into a Celebrity’s Family Life? What Were the Ethical Issues in the Sir Cliff Richard Case? Are the Media Denying Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, a “Basic Right to Privacy”? Timeline What About the Privacy of Ordinary People? Should News Outlets Take Special Care With Children’s Privacy? Ethical Workout Five Takeaways From this Chapter Ethics Toolbox References 6 Covering Death and Trauma: Focus On Compassion and Respect What Are the Main Ethical Issues Journalists Need to Consider When Covering Death and Trauma? How Should Journalists Treat Someone Who Is in Grief Or Shock? Using Social Media Content to Write a Story Will Spare a Grieving Family From Dealing With the Press, Won’t It? Is That an Ethical Way to Report? Should the Media Cover Funerals? How Can We Report Road Crashes More Responsibly? What Are Some of the Ethical Complications of Reporting Violent Crimes? Ethical Workout Five Takeaways From this Chapter Ethics Toolbox References 7 Reporting Suicide Responsibly: A Force for Good What Are the Important Factors to Consider When Reporting Suicide Responsibly? Missing Persons The Media’s Positive Role in Working With the Bereaved Working Under Pressure What Is the Responsible Suicide Reporting (RSR) Model? How Does It Work? Have I Minimized Harm to Those Affected By Suicide? Have I Told the Truth Yet Avoided Explicit Details of Method and Location? Have I Taken Care in Producing the Story, Including Tone and Language? Have I Used Social Media Responsibly? Have I Avoided Stereotypes, Harmful Content and Stigmatising Stories? Have I Provided Support Via Helplines? Tell Me More About the Suicide Reporting Toolkit Ethical Workout Five Takeaways From this Chapter Ethics Toolkit References 8 Diversity in the News: Seeking Fair Representation and Inclusivity To What Extent Can the Mainstream Media’s Coverage Be Described as Discriminatory? What Is Unconscious Or Implicit Bias? Has Representation of Women in the Media Improved in the Last Decade? What About Media Reporting of Ethnic Minorities? How Can Coverage of People With a Disability Be Improved? What Should Journalists Consider When Reporting the LGBT+ Community? Ethical Workout Five Takeaways From this Chapter Ethics Toolbox References 9 The Ethics of Health Journalism: Reporting a Pandemic What Is Unique About Health Journalism? What Are Some of the Ethical Issues Health Journalists Need to Consider? The Expansive Nature of Health Journalism The Potential to Do Harm An Example of Positive Health Reporting Balancing the Need to Challenge With the Risk of Harm What Are Some of the Main Ethical Challenges That UK Health Journalists Faced During the COVID-19 Pandemic? Dealing With an Infodemic Competing Narratives How Significant Was the Use of Information Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic? Scaremongering What Advice Can Newcomers in Health Journalism Follow When They Report On Health Or Science Issues Related to COVID-19 and Beyond? Ethical Workout Five Takeaways From this Chapter Ethics Toolbox References 10 Battling for News: Reporting War and Conflict How Can We Understand, Critically, the Emergence of the Professional War Reporter? How Important Is the War Correspondent’s Role as Eye-Witness? Is It Right for the Media to Back ‘Our Boys’ Always During Wars? In Many Countries Since 9/11, Reporters Covering Conflicts Have Been Intimidated, Shot at and Killed. What Are the Reasons and How Should Journalists Respond? But Surely There Is a Space for Critical, Progressive Reporting On Conflict in the Mainstream? How Important Is Peace Journalism as a Critique of Mainstream Coverage of Conflict? Does Peace Journalism Have a Special Role in the Reporting of the ‘War On Terror’? Whistleblowers—why Are They So Important? Ethical Workout Five Takeaways From this Chapter Ethics Toolbox References Index