Fortifying newsrooms: Kyle Pope writes that the five killed at the Capital Gazette forces us “to rethink the threat to journalism in Trump’s America.”
“It is heartbreaking, but necessary, to recognize that the openness that defines local news likely carries too high a risk; local newsrooms, at least for now, may have no choice but to fortify themselves.”
In the war against the press local journalists may be “most at risk.”
Reporters covering the circus can’t sleep with elephants: David Von Drehle faults editors in the affair between New York Times reporter Eli Watkins and a federal security aide.
“One after another, as Watkins rocketed up the career ladder, her supervisors failed to dig deeply enough to weigh the damage that could be done to the credibility of all media should her pillow talk be made public. Now that the laundry is aired and the damage is done, some of these same editors are minimizing the impact on media credibility.”
Media told to stay out of hostage situations: Michael Williams reports on a TV station’s Facebook contacts with gunman who kills four children and himself.
“The best practice is to report the situation from a distance,” says an ethics expert.
Suicide coverage best practices: Kelly McBride reports that the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain prompt a look at best practices in reporting on suicide.
Suicide is not a natural or logical outcome of adversity, she writes. “Instead, include a message of hope: Recovery is possible. In fact, most people who think about suicide do recover.”
Papua New Guinea faces a month without Facebook, following the example of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and North Korea.
Benny Geteng reports that the PNG communications minister wants time to investigate abuses and the possibility of creating a national social network site.
Spanish digital era ethics manual: Paola Nalvarte writes that the International Center For Journalists published a guide on ethical principles.
“The document highlights credibility as a fundamental value of journalism in the twenty-first century.”
Hate groups manipulate media: Whitney Phillips warns that journalists covering hate groups unwittingly spread their hateful ideology and other false and misleading narratives “with news coverage itself harnessed to fuel hate, confusion and discord.”
Guarding against deepfakes: Nicholas Diakopoulos writes that a media synthesis algorithm generates convincing but fake video.
“Dire as the case may be, it could offer a great comeback opportunity for mainstream media,” writes Diakopoulos. Trained journalists can act as validators and assessors of mediated reality the public can trust.
Putting ISIS sources at risk: Belkis Wille writes that news organizations “should not interview captured or suspected ISIS members who are in no position to consent freely.”
They “may face legal and physical risks, including torture, by cooperating with journalists — no matter how enticing the story.”
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.
