A cable news anchor in New York has lost his job for making a crank call to one of the station’s talk shows. A Washington Post reporter has been disciplined for sending an angry email. Both journalists expressed their personal…
Journalistic suicide
Category: Multimedia Ethics
Are social networks fair game for journalists?
Social networking sites now host billions of pictures and comments, a few of which might be relevant in covering a news story. Can the media use them? In the October 2007 NPPA News Photographer magazine, Brian McDermott reports that different…
What do you owe your newsmakers?
There’s no doubt that your approach to a story may change in the process of reporting it, but do you need to let the people you’re covering know that, too? For me, this question was raised by a little brouhaha involving a student…
Multimedia can add diversity
“Multimedia has the power to reach a more diverse audience. Mastering these new communications tools is how African Americans can ensure they will continue to have a voice in government and advance their own personal power.” Speaking to an audience…
VNR: FCC says pay for play doesn’t matter
The Federal Communications Commission says just because you’re not getting paid to air it, doesn’t mean you get a free ride when it comes to identifying VNRs for viewers. According to Broadcasting & Cable, the FCC has issued four more…
Maintaining independence
Being a good journalist does not mean you can’t have personal opinions; you just can’t let those opinions creep into your reporting. But how do you stay independent from what you are as opposed to what you think? By being…
FCC News: VNR fines and minority media-ownership
Here’s another good reason to avoid using a Video News Release (VNR) without proper attribution: You could be fined! According to the Hollywood Reporter, for the first time ever, the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau is calling for a $4,000 fine against…
Do your homework
How can you avoid being suckered by sources or stampeded by the competition? Do your own homework. That’s the advice from Stuart Taylor of the National Journal. His book about the Duke lacrosse case, “Until Proven Innocent,” says the news…
Ignore the “if only” voice
“If only his eyes were open…” “If only that clock were not behind his head…” Jack Zibluck, who teaches photojournalism at Arkansas State University, says the only way to deal with these musings is to say “No.” Just because you…
Golden age of photo ethics?
There’s good news and bad news when it comes to photo manipulation. David Perlmutter, associate dean at the University of Kansas school of journalism, believes that by some standards, this is the golden age of photojournalism ethics. “If you are…