Shaky anonymous sources: Journalists in the cyber age should shun discredited past practices like anonymous sources and off-the-record backgrounders, which damage public trust. From the Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists archives.
Category Archives: Media
Algorithm Values
Algorithm values: There’s a chance to reclaim news distribution from technology companies, and ensure that commercial and public interest values are better balanced, writes Nicholas Diakopoulos.
“Journalistic news feeds are an opportunity for news organizations to take back control over distribution by writing algorithms with more traditionally recognizable editorial, ethical and public interest values.”
Hate Crimes Collaboration
Hate crimes collaboration: ProPublica’s three-year project involving hundreds of newsrooms published over 230 stories, writes Rachel Glickhouse.
“Our approach included asking people to tell us their stories of experiences or witnessing hate crimes and bias incidents.”
Naming Shooters
Naming shooters: Many media minimized naming the culprit in the Santa Clarita, Ca. school shooting, writes Natalie Yahr. A shift.
“In response to research suggesting that extensive coverage of these assailants may encourage others to follow suit, many outlets have chosen to devote less coverage to perpetrators and more to victims and to the laws and policies that have not prevents these tragedies.”
Truth About Kathy Scruggs
Truth about Kathy Scruggs: Hagit Limor writes that the “Richard Jewell” movie portrayal of a deceased reporter is “so skewed it would define libel if this was a piece of journalism instead of a piece of fiction created in Hollywood.” Besmirching a hard-working reporter.
An Ethics Conundrum
What did Pope Francis mean when he appeared to criticize President Trump for building walls, not bridges in 2016? A misinterpretation or misrepresentation? From the Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists archives.
Philanthropy For Local News
Philanthropy for local news: The American Journalism Project aims to fill holes in media coverage with $46 million in venture philanthropy, writes Christine Schmidt.
Covering government, environment, education, social and criminal justice and public health seen as a public service.
The Power Of Rumors
The power of rumors: “A tool available to all, rumors can act as antidotes to institutional violence, propaganda campaigns or political misconduct,” writes Larissa Pham. “Press conferences are for the powerful; rumors are for ordinary people trying to take down people in power.”
They can warn; they can protect.
Fact-Checking
Fact-checking: “A perfectly checked article, after all, can still be fundamentally wrong about its assumptions or conclusions,” writes Colin Dickey.
Being fastidious about little things can lead to reader trust, but facts can be more work than they are worth.
Intuitive Editor Dies
Intuitive editor dies: Edward J. Doherty lauded as the Globe managing editor who understood readers.
“Journalism by permission won’t work,” he said, a concise observation that remains relevant today, writes Bryan Marquard.
Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists 