Sex abuse against freelancers unnoticed: Though sex abuse in newsrooms was a major story, writes Steven Potter, misconduct against freelance journalists got little attention.
Women are especially vulnerable, he writes. They have little recourse against abusers and remain unprotected.
Ethical aggregation tips: Kelly McBride tells how to aggregate ethically: Transparent attribution, add value, percentages matter and create a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Using the right word: A memo from the NPR standards editor says sexual abuse victims under 18 should be called girls and boys, not women and men, reports iMediaEthics.
Clarifications came when NPR listeners were upset about the language used in reporting on Jeffrey Epstein and R. Kelly.
Combatting disinformation: How do journalists report on disinformation “without pouring gasoline on the fire?” asks Mathew Ingram.
Fact-checking efforts can have a boomerang effect and actually entrench a false belief in some cases, he writes.
The perils of identification: Obtaining permission is not the same as informed consent, writes Megan Frye.
A New York Times story about gang violence in Honduras including real names and photos is criticized for failing to recognize dangers.
Use of graphic photos explained: iMediaEthics writer Sydney Smith tells why the Associated Press, The New York Times and USA Today published photos of a dead man and his daughter drowned in the Rio Grande.
Deemed a moment in time showing the danger and desperation of immigrants from Central America.
Ethics of showing horrifying images: Photos of the bodies of a drowned man and his daughter on the bank of the Rio Grande raise questions about how far media should go in using such images.
They stir debates over news value, focusing public attention on tragedy and dilemmas and psychological impacts. The Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics says show good taste and avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.
Forcing change through fact-checking: Simply reporting fact-checks is not enough, writes Laura Hazard Owen.
The “second-generation” of fact-checking includes not just publishing but also pressure and working for system change.
Making sensible decisions from weather reports: “When it comes to weather, there is no universal understanding of cautionary language,” writes Justin Ray, “and no single standard for alerting TV viewers — a fact that should raise more concern than it does.”
A welcome shift in news ethics: Kelly McBride notes a vast majority of media covering the Virginia Beach murders refrained from naming the shooter unless absolutely necessary.
“It demonstrates that newsrooms can alter their standards and practices in a fairly dramatic way over a relatively short period of time….,” she wrote, to avoid glorifying a criminal and inspiring future mass murders.
Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists 