AP’s changing style: Merrill Perlman points to a change in the definition of “collision.”
AP no longer requires that two bodies must be in motion for a “collision” to happen. The old style, writes Perlman, “was more honor’d in the breach than in the observance…”
World Press Freedom Day: Brian Stelter reports that dozens of news organizations join forces to promote high-quality journalism.
“It’s unusual to see media companies encouraging people to check out rival brands,” says Stelter. “The New York Times, in a print ad on Tuesday, is recommending its arch-rival The Wall Street Journal.” The move encourages the public to seek other sources of news.
Domain spoofing remains a big source of ad fraud, writes Michael Tiffany.
“Cybercriminals use malware and other means to send bid requests to the RTB ecosystem that look like they come from browsers visiting major publishers,” he writes. “These spoofed bid requests attract real bids and make real money.” Ads.txt is a simple solution.
Michelle Wolf’s jokes: Jen Chaney writes that the comedienne’s jokes at the White House Correspondent’s dinner were misunderstood, scathing, unapologetic and often funny.
“They’re missing the underlying point of Wolf’s comedy: That what should concern every American are the smokescreens that Sarah Huckabee Sanders and other members of the Trump administration create, and that make it so hard for White House correspondents to uncover the actual truth.”
Making transparency clear: Andrew Seaman explains how “transparency” grew as a recognized concept in journalism.
Journalism was largely opaque until the invention and widespread use of the internet, he writes.
“News organizations can no longer stubbornly refuse to issue corrections or other clarifications without pushback,” he writes. “Journalists and news organizations are — in many ways — completely exposed to the public.”
Facebook publishes its community standards:
Hate speech defined as “a direct attack on people based on what we call protected characteristics — race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, sex, gender, gender identity and serious disability or disease.”
The goal of its community standards “is to encourage expression and create a safe environment.”
Facebook says “we remove content, disable accounts and work with law enforcement when we believe there is a genuine risk of physical harm or direct threats to public safety.”
Putting the Sean Hannity quandary to rest: Kevin Horrigan says the pro-Trump Fox News host linked to the president’s lawyer is not a journalist. “He just plays one on TV.”
“Does anyone in America with a room temperature IQ really regard Sean Hannity as a journalist?” Horrigan wites. “Sure, he works for an outfit with ‘news’ in its name. He sits behind a desk and pontificates about news. So do Rush Limbaugh and Bill maher. They are weird hybrids in the media universe: ‘Infotainers.'”
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation updates standards: Sydney Smith quotes source saying, “Given the extra scrutiny applied to journalism, there’s never been a time when standards in journalism have mattered more.”
Accuracy, fairness, balance and impartiality emphasized.
Guidelines include advice for using social media, new technologies like drones and bots and expand on the importance of respect and transparency.
Fake News vs. facts: Indira Lakshmanan says the Washington Post deserves a Pulitzer Prize for journalism ethics.
The Post’s investigative journalism “was most extraordinary for its transparency, breaking the fourth wall between the newsroom and readers by revealing those techniques to readers — showing how reporters got the story,” she writes. That reassured the public about the paper’s motives, methods and findings, and inoculated the Post against false claims, she says.
Comey hype warning: Margaret Sullivan warns against a media “swoonfest” as the fired FBI director embarks on a tour to promote his anti-Trump memoir.
“The conflict-addicted media love a high-profile fight, and Comey vs. Trump continues to be a classic steel cage match,” she writes. “That is fine, as long as some critical distance is brought to bear.”
Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists 