Staying impartial: New York Times staffers comment on political impartiality, write Caryn A. Wilson and Lara Takenaga, explaining some journalistic practices. Working against their own preconceptions.
Category Archives: Online News
Believing Election Results
Believing election results: Pew Research Center finds Americans who get most of their political news on social media display less confidence in the public’s acceptance of election results, regardless of the winner, than those who mostly get this news in other ways such as cable TV, news sites or print newspapers, write Mark Jurkowitz and Amy Mitchell.
Fact-Checker’s Dilemma
Fact-checker’s dilemma: Facts alone have limited power to resolve politicized issues like climate change or immigration policy, writes Adrian Bardon.
We accept expert testimony we like and reject the rest.
Speaking Ill of the Dead
Speaking ill of the dead: A backlash against Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez for mentioning the Kobe Bryant rape case “steams from the ancient wisdom that urged folks not to speak ill of the dead,” writes Erik Wemple.
“A fine rule for everyone except for historians and journalists….,” he writes.
Media Transparency Debate
Media transparency debate: Two views of transparency in journalism. From the Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists archives.
Kobe Coverage Chaotic
Kobe coverage chaotic: The rush to get news first forced errors, reports Margaret Sullivan.
“In any major breaking news event, whether a hurricane or a school shooting, you can assume that some of the early coverage will be wrong,” she writes. “The Kobe Bryant story was an especially bad example of that truism.”
Canada Media and Royals Clash
Canada media and royals clash: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle warn media about privacy, writes Darcy Schild.
It’s “new territory” for Canadian media and privacy laws, which are “relatively undefined.”
NYT Seeks Ethical Op-Eds
NYT seeks ethical Op-Eds: After an Op-Ed stumble, top editors assign the standards editor to advise the Opinion department.
“While our news and opinion journalists will continue to have separate, distinct missions, their work is rooted in common standards for accuracy, fairness and integrity,” they say.
Chasing Foundation Grants
Chasing foundation grants: Jacob Nelson and Patrick Ferrucci report that foundation funding often goes to news nonprofits for technology-driven projects, audience-engagement projects and for pushing journalists to expand their work beyond traditional routines.
Decade of Media Ethics
Decade of media ethics: Sydney Smith gives an overview of major issues and trends from 2010-2019.
The term “fake news” rises in political reporting. Hoaxes, lawsuits, retractions and firings crop up in covering the president.
The last half of the decade saw an apparent decrease in plagiarism and fabrication cases.
Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists 