Moral Reasoning for Journalists

✍ Scribed by Steven Knowlton, Bill Reader

• Publisher: Praeger
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 262
• Edition: 2
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Despite the fact that the public's trust in the news media is at historic lows, despite the fact that hardly a day goes by without another report of unethical behavior by news professionals, journalists and teachers remain dedicated to ethical issues—perhaps more so now than at any other time in history. News companies are developing rigorous codes of conduct; journalists and editors are vigorously reporting on ethical lapses by their peers, and many journalism schools are creating standalone courses in journalism ethics and hiring faculty members who are devoted to ethics research and instruction. Using more than two-dozen actual cases from around the world to examine and apply those principles of ethical journalism, Knowlton and Reader suggest an easy-to-follow, commonsense approach to making ethical decisions in the newsroom as deadlines loom. Moral Reasoning for Journalists serves as an introduction to the underpinnings of journalism ethics, and as a guide for journalists and journalism teachers looking for ways to make ethical choices beyond going with your gut.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 8
Foreword......Page 12
A Note to Our Fellow Journalists......Page 14
Part I: Locating Ethical Journalism in the Western Tradition......Page 18
1. Introduction to Ethical Thinking......Page 20
2. The Political Case for Moral Reasoning in Journalism......Page 34
3. The Philosophical Case for Moral Reasoning in Journalism......Page 45
4. The Economic Case for Moral Reasoning in Journalism......Page 52
5. The Principles of Ethical Journalism......Page 61
6. How to Solve Moral Dilemmas: Balancing Competing Elements......Page 83
Part II: Case Studies: Tough Calls from the Front Lines of Contemporary Journalism......Page 92
7. How Close Is Too Close When the Subject Is a Little Girl?......Page 94
8. Keeping Cool When You Get a Hot Quote......Page 101
9. First-Person Journalism: The Challenge of Perspective......Page 109
10. The Hostile Interview: What Sets Real Journalism Apart from Fake News?......Page 117
11. A Candidate’s Past: News, Political Manipulation, or Mere Pandering?......Page 122
12. When a Journalist Balks at Talking about Journalism in Front of the Camera......Page 128
13. The Graffiti Artists: Turn ‘Em In, Get the Story, or Both?......Page 133
14. When Your Own Newspaper Is in the News......Page 139
15. Primary Authorship: Can You Lie about Your Day Job?......Page 144
16. Private Citizens in the Courts: When to Name Names......Page 150
17. Sex in an Elevator: Legitimate News or Sophomoric Titillation?......Page 155
18. Suicide: Important News or a Grotesque Invasion of Privacy?......Page 160
19. Offensive Cartoons: Inciting Anger or Inspiring Serious Debate?......Page 170
20. When Journalists Put Themselves in Harm’s Way......Page 175
21. The Grisly War Photo: Powerful Information, but What about Taste?......Page 181
22. Memogate: The Reporting Scandal that Trumped the Real Story......Page 190
23. Anonymous Sources: From Deep Throat to the Clinton–Lewinski Affair......Page 196
24. Anonymity in Feedback from the Public: How Open Should Forums Be?......Page 202
25. The Casting Couch: Is Entrapping a Libidinous Actor Serious News or Simply a Ratings Stunt?......Page 209
26. The Exploding Truck: If It Doesn’t Have Pictures, It’s Not Good TV......Page 216
27. Is It Okay to Use Deception to Reveal Shady World Politics?......Page 222
28. The Brilliant Student with the Dark Past: How Much Is Relevant in Follow-up Reports?......Page 227
29. Fact-Checking Candidates’ Claims on the Busy Campaign Trail......Page 233
Conclusion: What Is a Journalist?......Page 238
Notes......Page 244
Bibliography......Page 248
B......Page 252
C......Page 253
F......Page 254
I......Page 255
M......Page 256
O......Page 257
R......Page 258
T......Page 259
Z......Page 260