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Shirley Sherrod

A journalism ethics case study. Shirley Sherrod. Shirley Sherrod. In July 2010 Sherrod, Georgia director of rural development for the USDA, was forced to resign after a conservative blogger posted edited video of a speech she made 23 years earlier.

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Shirley Sherrod

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  1. A journalism ethics case study Shirley Sherrod

  2. Shirley Sherrod • In July 2010 Sherrod, Georgia director of rural development for the USDA, was forced to resign after a conservative blogger posted edited video of a speech she made 23 years earlier. • The video clip seemed to suggest she was racist: http://biggovernment.com/abreitbart/2010/07/19/video-proof-the-naacp-awards-racism2010/

  3. Shirley Sherrod • As it turned out, the clip was carefully edited from a longer video, 43 minutes. • The longer video clearly showed Sherrod was using the story as an illustration of importance of racial equality. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5Nz0D9v108&feature=related

  4. Shirley Sherrod • The NAACP, the White House and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack quickly apologized for basing their decisions on an excerpt of an obviously biased blogger. • The blogger did not apologize, nor did Fox News, which covered the story in detail.Andrew Breitbartclaimed he was misunderstood, that he felt sorry for Sherrod.

  5. Shirley Sherrod • Clearly, taking remarks out of context to support a point of view is unethical. • In Sherrod’s case, it destroyed her career. • But the case shows the power of civic journalism today: one individual, writing opinions, can move an entire national debate all the way to the White House.

  6. Shirley Sherrod • Questions: • How can readers gauge ethical standards in blogs? • Should bloggers be considered “journalists,” and held to the same ethical standards? • Why (or why not) are legacy media considered more trustworthy than independent bloggers?

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