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It is a good idea to make sure whomever you are interviewing understands what the difference between off the record and on the record are. As a journalist you should strive to maintain good relationships with your sources. I would attempt to explain to him that it would be best for him to tell me the information.
I believe in the statement that, “giving journalists the opportunity to work through more ethical dilemmas, whether they are real, occurring on the job or hypothetical in seminars and workshops, bodes well for the profession.” Yes, there is no comparison to what people will do when put in a real life situation compared to a hypothetical one but using scenarios opens up peoples eyes to possible opportunities they may face.
I think walking through hypothetical situations in groups is the best way to explore and learn. Working in groups allows for numerous points of view to be heard. This is quite beneficial because we all have different ethics and morals and need to be able to understand why other people make the certain ethical decisions we may not agree with.
This ethics course in particular I found to be beneficial as a reminder of my personal ethics and how the choices I make in the business world reflect me as a person. There were many situations brought up that I was unaware of and it was a good learning tool to discuss them as a class.
As for the article written by the New York Times – they have been scrutinized a few times for their questionable ethics and they are in no position to be writing about ethics unless they are planning on enforcing their own.
The Merchants of Cool is a little out of date for my generation. Yes many of us experienced a time when TRL existed and Brittney spears showed off her midrif but we have been out of MTV’s grasp for a few years now. MTV and similar television stations should look to target kids ages 12-17. Once we can drive and start to end our high school careers the majority of begin to become independent and create our own style.
The Merchants of Cool created a segment highlighting the “mook”. Now, I think these people have always been around and the media simply took the idea and ran with it. Unfortunately, the introduction of the ‘mook’ to main stream television and movies made it cool and lead the ‘mook’ to take on a whole new form.
Now, I have to admit that I was once a midriff girl. I idolized Brittney Spears and Christina Aguilera and they taught me that sex sells. I learned at a very young age that I could use my body and my looks to my benefit. This isn’t something that I am necessarily proud of but it’s the truth – and I wasn’t the only girl to ever do this so don’t sit their and shake your head at me.
It’s funny thought because although I was a midriff girl, the phase only last a 2 or 3 years and then I realized how ridiculous and kind of trashy it was. I find myself not trying to stop my 13 year old cousin from making the same mistakes I did and to respect her self.
“They Spat in My Face”
1. Why does Benjamin Fine think he tried to help Elizabeth Eckford? Did he do the right thing?
Benjamin thinks he tried to help Elizabeth because he had a daughter around the same age as Elizabeth and no child deserves to be treated that way. He had a bigger heart and more of an open mind than all those people in the mob and could look past the color of Elizabeth’s skin. I think he most definitely did the right thing. As a decent human being how can you not reach out to this poor little girl and offer her some words of wisdom and let her know she isn’t alone. I don’t care if he is supposed to remain unbiased as a reporter. There has to be a line in which being a good person overrides the necessity to do your job and report the story as an outsider.
2. What is the danger in a journalist becoming a part of the story he or she is reporting?
In this particular case, the minute Fine sat down and put his arm around Elizabeth he was no longer capable of reporting on the Little Rock case. He did the right thing but now he would have to hand over the story to someone who would be unbiased and report with blinders on to their bias’. Also, in a time of crude hatred for anyone who associated themselves with African Americans, Fine was putting his job on the line because people may protest reading his articles or boycott the Times for keeping him on staff.
3. Dvid Halberstam wrote that when Ben Fine comforted Elizabeth Eckford he lost “his cool”. “He had started to argue with the mob and the Times had been forced to bring back to New York. Halberstam maintains however a reporter “feels about the events taking place in front of him, it has to be kept bottled up.” What is he suggesting about the role of a reporter? To what extent do you think Fine would agree? Did the Times do the right thing when it replaced Fine with another reporter?
We will NEVER be able to understand what Fine experienced that day so I feel that Halberstam is in the wrong for judging Fine’s actions. There is no telling what each and everyone of us would have done in this particular situation and therefore can have very little opinion or judgment on the matter. However, it is in the best interest for a reporter to keep his or her emotions in check and not get involved in your own story.
“I decided not to run”
1. Why did Wilson refuse to run? What message was he trying to send? At whom was that message aimed? What individuals and experiences inspired his decision?
Wilson decided to make a stand and let the mob know that he wasn’t afraid of them. He wouldn’t let the mob take away his pride and dignity and run away like a coward. I admire Wilson’s bravery – it would take a very strong person to be able to stand up to adversity like that. Wilson’s decision not run was a symbol to all other African American’s that they had to take a stand if they wanted change.
The thought of Elizabeth Eckford and her bravery as a 15 year old girl to stand up to the mob gave Wilson the strength to stand and fight. Also, his training as a U.S Marine in World War II and the work her did on Emmett Till case fueled his desire to make a statement to the crude world against him.
2. David Halberstam writes that however a reporter “feels about the events taking place in front of him, it has to be kept bottled up.” What is Halberstam suggesting about the role of a reporter? To what extent do you think Alex Wilson would agree?
Halberstam is once again speaking out of turn. Until Halberstam is in these situations I do not want to hear his judgmental tones and I don’t believe Wilson would either. Wilson was being chased by a mob because of the color of his skin. His bravery in turning around and facing them is unparalleled to anything most of will do in our lifetimes.
3. Why do you think Wilson and the other African American reporters found themselves part of the story rather than simply as reporters of the story? What is the danger in becoming part of the story?
I think Wilson and other African American reporters had little to no choice when it came to keeping themselves out of the story. The white people were actually the cause of the men being dragged into the story. They had no hidden agenda, as far as we know, to protect the Little Rock Nine or interfere in anyway.
Writers and reporters deal with ethical decisions every day. How they handle each specific scenario says a lot about their values and morals as well as the papers code of ethics. Below is a possible situation.
A reporter encounters a source in a story on illegal drug use who maintains that he will not talk on the record if his name is used. The source is a drug dealer who has extensive knowledge about the local drug trade. What are the ethical issues at stake here?
First off the reporter must understand the seriousness of the information he or she is seeking. Reporters must be careful when trying to get to the bottom of illegal activities. If I was in this particular scenario I would have to remind myself that if a source asks to keep their name off the record I must obey their request. There is more than likely a legitimate reason the source does not wish to have their identity revealed and I will respect their request because honesty is an important value to me.
Now, although I would respect their request to keep their identity hidden I would try to build a foundation of trust with the source in order to find out more valuable information or another source that would let me publish their name.
Another issue to consider is the reliability of the source. Getting information from someone who is a drug dealer does not seem like the most legitimized resource. I would have to find hard evidence to back the statements made by this source in order to feel comfortable publishing and article.
An article posted in December of 2004 by PBS’ Liz Harper explores the questionable journalism ethics and how to find a simple code to expand all grey areas. The article was in response to the New York Times scandal with Jayson Blair in 2003.
The Society of Professional Journalists developed one of the more comprehensive ethical codes. The SPJ code says journalists should “Seek Truth and Report It,” and addresses plagiarism, vetting sources, presenting full and fair information, avoiding stereotypes and reporting subjectively.
Second, the code says “ethical journalists treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect.” This section, entitled “Minimize Harm,” encourages journalists to be sensitive in covering tragedies and to recognize that “gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort.”
The third section, “Act Independently,” addresses the issue of conflict of interests, which could include political activities, family ties and financial issues.
“Journalists should remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility,” the SPJ said.
SPJ’s final section, “Be Accountable,” says that journalists “are accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and each other.”
Their are always grey areas in real life situations that cannot be explored through hypothetical situations. Journalists must find a way to straighten out their ethical codes or their integrity will be lost forever.
Project Implicit is a non-profit organization and international collaborative network of researchers investigating implicit social cognition. What is social cognition you ask: thoughts and feelings outside of conscious awareness and control. Project Implicit is the product of a team of scientists whose research new ways of understanding attitudes, stereotypes and other hidden biases.
Project Implicit joined with Harvard University to translate academic research into practical applications for addressing diversity, improving decision-making, and increasing the likelihood that practices are aligned with personal and organizational values.
I participated in the ‘thin’ or ‘fat’ test and found it a little difficult to be honest and answer the questions asked. However, the results I received were comforting in knowing I had little to no automatic preference between Thin People and Fat People. There are a lot of issues in this world one could be biased about but I would hope a persons weight wouldn’t be one of my bias’.
The conclusion of the test gave a break down of the results by all whom had participated in the survey.
25% of people have a strong automatic preference for thin people
27% have a moderate automatic preference for thin people
18% have a slight automatic preference for thin people
19% are just like me
7% have a slight automatic preference to fat people
4% have a moderate automatic preference to fat people
1% have a strong moderate preference to fat people
These averages are weighted in favor of thin people due to our society. Society and the media have shaped our frame of mind to believe that thin people are happier and live a fuller life than those who are over weight.
Kohlbergs theory of moral development can be grouped into three levels of two stages:
1. Pre conventional
How can I avoid punishment?
What’s in it for me?
2. Conventional
Social Norms
Law and order morality
3. Post Conventional
Principled Conscious
After reading this article by David Brooks I found myself questioning the source of the information. I was shocked when I saw the headline “New York Times.” Brooks tells a tale of a study done with the the youth of today and their views on morals and virtue.
He goes on to say that what was troubling wasn’t the typical college activities but ,” What’s disheartening is how bad they are at thinking and talking about moral issues.”
I would like to know which people of my generation this study was conducted upon because I guarantee the majority of my friends would have an opinion on morality.
We face decisions every day when choosing between right and wrong. Some are easy because they have consequences to them. But regardless we are constantly making decisions based on our morals and to say that my generation isn’t able to communicate this is absurd.
Jonathan Harris wanted to make since of the emotional world of the web. He creates projects to find out what we are all thinking and feeling online. Millions of people post about their feelings on blogs or other social media sights around the world. Some of these thoughts are accompanied by pictures. Jonathan’s programs take all of these bits of information and put them into eye catching and easily understood data. His presentation “We Feel Fine” explains what Harris’ programs are all about.
Now, the question to be considered – is the material Harris is presenting art? is he a story teller? Could you consider him a reporter? I believe all these questions propose interesting possibilities that lead one into a very grey area today.
First, Art can be defined as, “ The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture” or “works produced by such skill and imagination.” So by these terms Harris is creating art. He used a creative skill and a whole lot of imagination to produce a software which accomplished his theorized goal.
The second question I proposed – is he storyteller? – leaves me a little perplexed. I feel as though there are no certain requirements to be considered a story teller. Anyone who has information to share kind of tells a story.
Finally, and in my opinion most controversial, is he a reporter? Yes, he is taking information from other people and relaying it into a medium in which others can view said information. BUT I do not consider what he is doing reporting. There is no precision in his work. He does seek out a story to tell the general public. His bots simply nit pick at words or phrases that could tell you what women in China were feeling on a Wednesday when it was cloudy.
Garry Bryant, a staff photographer with the Desert News of Salt Lake City has a checklist he goes through in”hundreths of a second” when he reaches the scene of a tragedy.
There is a thin line between newsworthiness and intrusiveness and photojournalists must understand this concept and walk the often blurry line. Warren Bovee offers a different perspective with a set of questions in an essay called “The Ends Can Justify the Means – But Rarely.”
The Image above was published in three different newspapers across the country during the tragedy of hurricane Katrina. The Newspapers included The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and my hometown St. Louis Post Dispatch. The ethical controversy comes with a simple questions if wether or not to print a picture with a dead body.
The editors of the paper claim that they printed the picture to give the public a strong visual impact of the horrid conditions in New Orleans. Unfortunately, the newspapers were scrutinized for their printing of the picture and even lost some subscribers because of the ‘graphic image.’
You’re a new reporter covering local government for a newspaper in a small town. After attending numerous council meetings, you get your first interviews with several well-placed sources about a controversial new highway bypass around the town. Localbusinesses are against it because it will decrease traffic to their storefronts, and residents are for it because it will reduce congestion and provide more peace and quiet in many neighborhoods. In an interview with the mayor hints that he and two members of the city council have “strong-armed” a few of the larger businesses to keep quiet regarding their opposition by offering some attractive zoning and tax incentives. Then, after he says that, he adds, “That’s off the record.”