Journalism Ethics and Issues Sept. 29, 2016 Northeastern University

1. JOURNALISM ETHICS & ISSUES
CLASS #7 | JRNL 4650 | FALL 2016
• Instructor: Bill Mitchell
• bmitch (at) gmail (dot) com
• 727-641-9407
• 29 September 2016 | Northeastern Univ.

2. WHAT WE’LL DO TODAY
• Under His Influence by Marie
• Failure to Protect by Simone
• Ethical issues in the Presidential Campaign
• Review of Foreman’s Chapter 8: Making Moral Decisions
You Can Defend
• Work two cases: NYT CIA & Lawrence Eagle-Tribune
overdose video
• Assignments for Tuesday Oct. 4

3. UNDER HIS INFLUENCE

4. FAILURE TO PROTECT

5. ELECTION ETHICS!

8. TIME MAGAZINE’S HOPELESSLY
MISLEADING ONLINE POLL

9. BUT IT GETS EVEN WORSE:
FROM 4/CHAN, A SITE ENCOURAGING USERS TO
VOTE OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR TRUMP

10. A NEW TERM FOR YOUR JOURNALISTIC LEXICON:
TO BOT

11. ACTUAL SCIENTIFIC SURVEYS
(AS REPORTED BY NPR)

12. AN EVERYDAY ETHICS QUESTION
(AS OPPOSED TO JOURNALISTIC)
WITH AN ELECTION ANGLE

13. ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING AS A
VARIANT ON THE NEWS PROCESS
Applying the same skills used in
reporting the news:
1. Gather facts.
2. Analyze the facts.
3. Make judgments.
This and following slides courtesy Wiley & Sons Publishers

14. WHY A SYSTEM IS NEEDED
• Stopping to think is “a tonic against poor
choices.”
• Having a step-by-step template makes
decision-making “faster, more efficient and
more reliable.”

15. TOOLS IN THE PROCESS
• The four classic ethical theories
• Professional standards
• Critical thinking
• A step-by-step template

16. WHAT IS CRITICAL THINKING?
• The term means to apply logic to analyzing
the information you have available.
• It involves “making reasoned judgments.”
• It is the opposite of a reflexive response to a
problem.

17. STARTING WITH YOUR GUT
• If something feels wrong, it may well be wrong.
It doesn’t pass “the stench test.”
• Pay attention to your emotional reaction, but ...
• Go on to apply critical thinking.

18. THE GOAL OF THE PROCESS
• A decision that you can defend on logical
grounds
• A decision that shows you have deliberated
carefully

19. BOB STEELE’S 10 QUESTIONS
• We will use a template based on 10 questions
from ethicist Bob Steele.
• We will divide these questions into the three
steps mentioned earlier.

20. STEP 1: GATHER FACTS
1. What do I know? What do I need to know?
• You need to do a good job of gathering facts.
Otherwise, the whole process will be flawed.

21. STEP 1: GATHER FACTS (CONT.)
2. What is my journalistic purpose?
• This means you have to think through the
kind of news story you are planning. Is it
defensible?

22. STEP 1: GATHER FACTS (CONT.)
3. What are my ethical concerns?
• Examining the facts and your journalistic
purpose, define the ethical problem you face.
• Example: I can get the story, but it might be
an invasion of privacy.

23. QUESTION 3 IS CRUCIAL:
WHAT ARE MY ETHICAL CONCERNS?
Your answer to Question 3 will tell you whether
you are really facing an ethical dilemma.
• By identifying the values involved, you
determine whether you have an ethical
dilemma or a false ethical dilemma.

24. IS IT AN ETHICAL DILEMMA?
An ethical dilemma is a conflict in ethical values:
• Truth-telling.
• Promise-keeping.
• Respecting confidentiality and privacy.
• Fostering fairness and justice.
• Minimizing harm.
• Avoiding conflicts of interest.
• Informing the public about relevant
information.

25. OR IS IT A FALSE ETHICAL DILEMMA?
A false ethical dilemma is a conflict between
ethical values and such nonethical values as:
• Beating the competition on an important
story.
• Raising broadcast ratings.
• Increasing web traffic to your site.
• Selling more newspapers.

26. IF IT IS A FALSE ETHICAL DILEMMA
• In a false ethical dilemma, the ethical value
trumps the nonethical value.
• Thus, an ethical journalist knows what to do:
the right thing. The rest of the step-by-step
template is unnecessary.
• This does not mean that the decision is easy.
It usually requires self-sacrifice.
• And… there are some circumstances when
nonethical dilemmas can rise to the level of
ethical.

27. STEP 2: ANALYZE THE FACTS
4. What organizational policies and
professional guidelines should I consider?
Apply rules-based thinking.
• Consult your newsroom’s code if there is
one, or ...
• … Consult the SPJ Code.

28. STEP 2: ANALYZE THE FACTS (CONT.)
5. How can I involve other people, with
different perspectives?
• Whenever possible, consult the best advisers
available. There’s usually time to do this.

29. STEP 2: ANALYZE THE FACTS (CONT.)
6. Who are the stakeholders?
Consider all the groups and individuals who
will be affected by your decision.
• What are their motivations?
• Are they legitimate?

30. STEP 2: ANALYZE THE FACTS (CONT.)
7. How would I feel if I were in the shoes of one
of the stakeholders?
• Apply the Golden Rule.

31. STEP 2: ANALYZE THE FACTS (CONT.)
8. What are the possible consequences of my
actions?
• In the short term?
• In the long term?
Apply ends-based thinking.

32. STEP 2: ANALYZE THE FACTS (CONT.)
9.What are my alternatives to maximize truth-
telling and minimize harm?
• This requires thinking of multiple options
• Using Aristotle’s Golden Mean, consider
what options might work from the perspectives
of various stakeholders

33. STEP 3: MAKE JUDGMENTS
10. How can I clearly and fully justify my
decision?
• The audience, the subjects of the story, your
colleagues – all of these may challenge you.
Be prepared to respond.

34. TESTING YOUR DECISION
• What if your thinking were on tomorrow’s
front page?
• What would your mom think?
• Would a jury of your peers think you tried
to be fair?
End slides from Wiley & Sons Publishers

35. THE ELEMENTS OF A CASE
• You’re the executive editor of the New York Times
(congratulations).
• Your paper has reported – but not yet published -- the
details of interrogations by former CIA analyst “Deuce”
Martinez of al-Qaeda leader Khalid Shaikh Mohammed
• Martinez’s attorney says Mohammed has threatened him
but they don’t know his name. Attorney & CIA ask not to
publish Martinez’s name
• No record of al-Qaeda retribution against individuals in the
U.S.
• Martinez has posted lots of personal info on an easily
accessed website

36. STEP ONE: COLLECT THE INFORMATION
1. What do I know?
2. What do I need to know?
3. What is my journalistic purpose? What are my ethical
concerns?

37. STEP TWO: ANALYZE THE INFORMATION
4. What do the SPJ guidelines indicate I should consider?
5. How can I include different perspectives in the
decision-making?
6. Who are the stakeholders? Their motivations? Legit?
7. What if the roles were reversed? Putting myself in the
shoes of various stakeholders
8. Possible consequences? Short term? Long term?
9. What alternatives do I have in maximizing truth-telling &
minimizing harm?

38. MAKE A JUDGMENT AND DEFEND IT
10. Can I clearly and fully justify my thinking and my
decision?
To my colleagues?
To the stakeholders?
To the public?

39. WHAT THE NEW YORK TIMES DECIDED TO DO

40. HOW THE TIMES EXPLAINED ITS DECISION

41. THE ELEMENTS OF A CASE
• You’re the managing editor of a local paper in a
community hit hard by the opiod crisis
• Employee at the local Dollar store has just uploaded
video of an unconscious, overdosed customer. Her
toddler is trying to wake her up.

43. STEP ONE: COLLECT THE INFORMATION
1. What do I know?
2. What do I need to know?
3. What is my journalistic purpose? What are my ethical
concerns?

44. STEP TWO: ANALYZE THE INFORMATION
4. What do the SPJ guidelines indicate I should consider?
5. How can I include different perspectives in the
decision-making?
6. Who are the stakeholders? Their motivations? Legit?
7. What if the roles were reversed? Putting myself in the
shoes of various stakeholders
8. Possible consequences? Short term? Long term?
9. What alternatives do I have in maximizing truth-telling &
minimizing harm?

45. MAKE A JUDGMENT AND DEFEND IT
10. Can I clearly and fully justify my thinking and my
decision?
To my colleagues?
To the stakeholders?
To the public?

47. EAGLE-TRIBUNE’S EXPLANATION OF ITS DECISION

49. ASSIGNMENT FOR TUESDAY OCT. 4
• Read and perhaps post a comment to posts by Elise & Olivia
• Read Chapter 9 in Foreman (Stolen Words, Invented
Facts…or Worse)
• Ethics in campaign coverage: Send me your examples
(optional)
• Prep for Oct. 4 quiz on material from first seven classes
• 27 questions, 4 multiple choice, 23 true/false
• All from text, includes case studies at ends of chapters