MEDIA ETHICS AND JUDGMENT

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MEDIA ETHICS AND JUDGMENT
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Journalism and Ethics A Personal Choice

• Personal ethical decisions might involve
  protecting a source taking gifts whether to lie
  to get a story and distorting a news item for
  some kind of personal gain.
• Professional ethical decisions might include
  defamation or slander checkbook journalism
  being too friendly with news sources
  misrepresentation of yourself as a reporter
  invasion of privacy use of stolen documents and
  sensationalism.

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What to Consider When Facing a Tough Story

• Your own conscience - will you be able to sleep
  at night?
• Who is affected by your story? Will information
  from the story put anyone in danger? Cost someone
  their job?
• Will the company you work for be affected?
• Will your decision have a negative effect on the
  profession/institution?
• Will it effect your co-workers?
• How will your community react?

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Libel - false information broadcast to an
audience of more than one, that identifies
someone and injures their reputation,
relationships or occupation.

• To prove libel in court defendant must show that
  1. The statement was communicated to a 3rd
  party. 2. People who saw the statement would be
  able to identify the person, even if the person
  wasnt named 3. The statement injured someones
  reputation or income or caused mental anguish.
  4. The journalist or
  broadcast organization is at fault. (Intent
  negligence v. malice - did you air story knowing
  information was false) (TRUTH)
• Slander same as libel, only refers to print
  media

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Journalistic Challenges

• INTERVIEWS CONSENT When an interview subject
  makes libelous statements about another party on
  camera your responsibility to check on the
  accuracy of the statements, and allow the other
  party to respond to the charges.
• PRIVILEDGED SITUATIONS You can report fair and
  accurately statements made at a public meeting,
  even if they are libelous but things said after
  or outside of the room/building must be treated
  differently.

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Public vs. Private Person

• Private people are most of us who go about our
  lives without seeking to be in the public eye.
• If a person voluntarily inserts him or herself
  into the public eye, the person is considered a
  public person.
• Supreme Court has ruled that you can
  involuntarily become a public person for a short
  time and be treated like a public person by
  journalists.

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Invasion of Privacy

• Media can be guilty of invasion of privacy by
• A) intruding on a persons physical or mental
  solitude (can photograph on a public street/event
  - persons home or office are private)
• B) publishing or disclosing embarrassing facts -
  must be newsworthy
• C) giving someone publicity that places the
  person in a false light - is malice involved?
• D) using someones name or likeness for
  commercial benefit.

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For Thursday
Read Chapter 2 (pages 18 31)