|
blic figures. It is huge, however, in matters of national security, where lives could be on the line. • Avoiding libel. This is a legal as well as a moral imperative for journalists. Journalists cannot print false statements that damage a person’s reputation. In most jurisdictions, true statements cannot be libelous, so journalists can protect themselves by rigorously checking facts. • Proper attribution. Journalists must never plagiarise. If they use information from another media outlet or journalist, they need to attribute it to them.What Does Ethical Journalism Look Like in Practice?It is easy to agree on the principles of ethical journalism, but applying them in real life is harder. Because the goal to reveal the truth can sometimes clash with the duty to limit harm, it is up to journalists and editors to choose how to act.For example, journalist Bob Woodward, famous for breaking the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, goes to great lengths to demonstrate he has no political affiliations. He does not even show partiality towards news networks, giving interviews to news media on both ends of the political spectrum. He doesn’t vote in presidential elections in order to send the message that he is “in the middle of the road.”How Did Journalism Ethics Come Into Play During the Pentagon Papers?The Pentagon Papers, a major investigative story The New York Times and The Washington Post, is a great example of the need for journalism ethics. The stories were published in 1971 and based on classified documents leaked by military whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. The documents showed that the U.S. government had escalated the Vietnam War and kept information about its true aims and actions hidden from the public.On one hand, journalists had a duty to reveal the truth, as it was in the public interest. On the other hand, they also had a duty to protect the people named in the classified documents. Such papers can contain the names of secret operatives or reveal military plans—information that can cost lives and arguably weaken the nation if made public.In this case, the two newspapers were guided by public interest. They decided Americans’ need to know about the government’s deceit outweighed the risks of revealing certain information. The U.S. government tried to suppress further publication of the documents, but the Supreme Court ruled that the newspapers had a right to make their own decision under the First Amendment. - blic figures. It is huge, however, in matters of national security, where lives could be on the line. • Avoiding libel. This is a legal as well as a moral imperative for journalists. Journalists cannot print false statements that damage a person’s reputation. In most jurisdictions, true statements cannot be libelous, so journalists can protect themselves by rigorously checking facts. • Proper attribution. Journalists must never plagiarise. If they use information from another media outlet or journalist, they need to attribute it to them.What Does Ethical Journalism Look Like in Practice?It is easy to agree on the principles of ethical journalism, but applying them in real life is harder. Because the goal to reveal the truth can sometimes clash with the duty to limit harm, it is up to journalists and editors to choose how to act.For example, journalist Bob Woodward, famous for breaking the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, goes to great lengths to demonstrate he has no political affiliations. He does not even show partiality towards news networks, giving interviews to news media on both ends of the political spectrum. He doesn’t vote in presidential elections in order to send the message that he is “in the middle of the road.”How Did Journalism Ethics Come Into Play During the Pentagon Papers?The Pentagon Papers, a major investigative story The New York Times and The Washington Post, is a great example of the need for journalism ethics. The stories were published in 1971 and based on classified documents leaked by military whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. The documents showed that the U.S. government had escalated the Vietnam War and kept information about its true aims and actions hidden from the public.On one hand, journalists had a duty to reveal the truth, as it was in the public interest. On the other hand, they also had a duty to protect the people named in the classified documents. Such papers can contain the names of secret operatives or reveal military plans—information that can cost lives and arguably weaken the nation if made public.In this case, the two newspapers were guided by public interest. They decided Americans’ need to know about the government’s deceit outweighed the risks of revealing certain information. The U.S. government tried to suppress further publication of the documents, but the Supreme Court ruled that the newspapers had a right to make their own decision under the First Amendment.
Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: |
