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Media Ethics, Part 2

Media Ethics, Part 2. How professional codes guide journalists’ behavior. Schedule Update. Today: Ethics, Part 2 Friday: Guest speaker Ted Warren, The Associated Press Photojournalism in the digital era Next week: Media Law. Calculating your grade. 3 exams @ 100 = 300 1 paper @ 30 = 30

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Media Ethics, Part 2

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  1. Media Ethics, Part 2 How professional codes guide journalists’ behavior JAMM 100

  2. Schedule Update • Today: Ethics, Part 2 • Friday: Guest speaker • Ted Warren, The Associated Press • Photojournalism in the digital era • Next week: Media Law JAMM 100

  3. Calculating your grade • 3 exams @ 100 = 300 • 1 paper @ 30 = 30 • Clicker quizzes: 20 @ 10 = 40 • Total points so far: 340 Still to come: 1 paper, 1 exam, extra credit Total points for semester: 500 JAMM 100

  4. Student Course Evaluations • On-line at: http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/studentevals/ • Please be constructive, specific in responses to open-ended questions • Surveys are anonymous, confidential • Last day to participate: Sunday, Dec. 12 JAMM 100

  5. Clicker Quiz #1 Which philosopher advocated the Golden Mean, which suggests moderation between extremes? a) Socrates b) Sophocles c) Plato d) Aristotle e) Thucydides JAMM 100

  6. Clicker Quiz #1 Which philosopher advocated the Golden Mean, which suggests moderation between extremes? d) Aristotle JAMM 100

  7. Ethics: Enforcement • Journalists aren’t licensed, so face no formal sanctions for unethical acts • Many groups have ethics codes, but lack enforcement power • Peer pressure, public embarrassment are only consequences for violations JAMM 100

  8. Professional Codes • Radio-TV News Directors Association • American Advertising Federation • Society of Professional Journalists • Public Relations Society of America JAMM 100

  9. Code of Ethics Public Relations Society of America • Act as responsible advocates • Provide a voice in marketplace of ideas • Adhere to highest standards of accuracy, truth JAMM 100

  10. SPJ Code of Ethics Society of Professional Journalists • Seek truth and report it • Minimize harm • Act independently • Be accountable JAMM 100

  11. Common ethical violations • Sensationalism • Conflict of interest • Fakery • Plagiarism JAMM 100

  12. Fakery • 1992: Dateline NBC • Report on safety of Chevrolet trucks • Claim: side-mounted fuel tanks prone to explode in collision • NBC rigged gas tanks with igniters • Video showed fuel spill, flames JAMM 100

  13. 1992: NBC • VIDEO: When Good Journalists Do Bad Things: Truthtelling & the Public Trust • Poynter Institute: www.poynter.org JAMM 100

  14. 1992: NBC • GM filed lawsuit; lawyers negotiated • NBC retracted story, apologized • NBC News President Michael Gartner resigned • GM used PR strategy for crisis management JAMM 100

  15. Plagiarism • The act of taking ideas, thoughts or words from another and passing them off as your own • Closely related to fabrication (making up stories, facts, quotes) JAMM 100

  16. Plagiarism: Case studies • 1981: Janet Cooke • 1998: Stephen Glass • 2003: Jayson Blair JAMM 100

  17. Janet Cooke Washington Post, 1981 • ‘Jimmy’s World’ • 8-year-old heroin addict • Illustrated urban drug problems in D.C. • Cooke won Pulitzer JAMM 100

  18. Janet Cooke Problems with ‘Jimmy’s World’: • Jimmy didn’t exist • Story couldn’t be verified • Post returned Pulitzer • Cooke resigned JAMM 100

  19. Stephen Glass • Writer for The New Republic • Fabricated dozens of stories, 1997-1998 • Subject of movie (2003): Shattered Glass • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA4N9ex56jA JAMM 100

  20. Jayson Blair • New York Times • Fabricated stories • Cut and pasted from other newspapers’ Web sites • Made up sources & descriptions JAMM 100

  21. Jayson Blair • Resigned May, 2003 • Blamed Times editors • Interview with Katie Couric, 2004 • http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/4455995#4455995 JAMM 100

  22. Fallout from Blair Affair • 2 top editors resigned • Times appointed ombudsman to improve credibility JAMM 100

  23. Holding the media accountable • Ombudsmen (or women) • Journalism reviews • Watchdog groups • News councils JAMM 100

  24. Ombudsman • Staff member assigned to hear, respond to audience complaints • Original purpose: government position in Sweden JAMM 100

  25. Ombudsman Also known as: • Ombuds officer • Reader representative • Reader advocate • Public editor (New York Times) JAMM 100

  26. www.newsombudsmen.org JAMM 100

  27. Journalism reviews • Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) • American Journalism Review (AJR) • Quill (published by SPJ) JAMM 100

  28. Watchdog groups • Founded in 1986 by Jeff Cohen • Believes corporate media has conservative bias • Monthly magazine: Extra! JAMM 100

  29. Watchdog groups • Media Research Center • Conservative group founded by Brent Bozell, 1987 • Believes media have liberal bias JAMM 100

  30. News Councils • City or state groups • Public & media members • Review complaints & issue reports • No enforcement powers except public opinion JAMM 100

  31. News Councils Mission: To help maintain public trust and confidence in the news media … by creating a forum where the public and the news media can engage each other in examining standards of journalistic fairness.www.wanewscouncil.org JAMM 100

  32. Clicker Quiz #2 Which of the SPJ ethical standards did NBC violate with the Dateline report? • Seek truth and report it • Minimize harm • Act independently • Be accountable JAMM 100

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