Tag: Ethics

Watch your words

Accuracy and clarity are two of the most important principles of journalism, but at times the effort to achieve one of these goals can get in the way of the other. What does it take to accomplish both? Critical thinking…

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Using images of dead bodies in the news

Another terror attack, this time at an upscale hotel in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. At least 21 people were killed in the assault on the DusitD2 complex last week. As the siege went on for 20 hours, photojournalists captured images…

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What makes people trust the news?

You’ve heard, no doubt, that Americans have little confidence in what they see, hear or read in the news media. Last year, according to Gallup, trust in media set a new low with just 7% saying they have a great deal of confidence in the…

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A social media ethics code you can support

If you’re a journalist and you use social media, you’ll want to read this.  And if you work for a news organization — from student media on up to the top markets, you’ll want to read this, too. According to…

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3 most common journalism ethics questions

Journalists must make tough ethical decisions almost daily.  There are lots of tools to help guide those decisions, including the Radio Television Digital News Association Code of Ethics and one from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).  In addition, SPJ has…

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Why NBC News had to suspend Brian Williams

When NBC suspended its main news anchor in February, it put out a statement saying his actions were inexcusable. Taking him off air for six months without pay, said NBC Universal CEO Steve Burke, was a “severe and appropriate punishment” for having…

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Ethics made simple

The news business seems to get more complicated all the time. Journalists are expected to work faster, file more often and serve more outlets. With less time to think, mistakes can happen and errors can be costly. News outlets lose…

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YouTube Video fair game in TV newscasts?

Syracuse University professor Hub Brown put forth a good question today when he asked a group of broadcast journalism educators what they do about YouTube video in student stories. We’ve been having a discussion here at Newhouse about the use…

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