Banning Abused Words and Phrases

November 14, 2019Accuracy, Mediacliches, Columbia Journalism Review, language, vocabularyethicsadviceline

Banning abused words and phrases: Alexandria Neason begins a campaign to ban words and phrases that “no longer mean anything at all,” like “woke.”

Freedom To Offend

November 12, 2019Accountability, Accuracy, Freedom of Speech, Media, newspapers, Online Newscolumnists, Freedom of Speech, public editor, Toronto Starethicsadviceline

Freedom to offend: Toronto Star public editor Kathy English defends the freedom of columnists to express views that are outrageous and even offensive. “I must defend their freedom to offend,” she explains to readers.

Unethical Bosses

November 11, 2019Accountability, Accuracy, Independence, Media, Online Newsadvertisers, code of ethics, Ethics, Independenceethicsadviceline

Unethical bosses: An editor pressures a web editor to gratuitously mention an advertiser in a story. From the Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists archives.

What Teens Want

November 1, 2019Accuracy, Media, newspapers, Online News, radio, Social Media, Television newsColumbia Journalism Review, journalism for teens, news organizationsethicsadviceline

What teens want: “Ultimately, young people want the same thing from news organizations that adults do: the truth,” writes Lauren Harris. Attempts to emulate teens make them wince.

Direct Service Journalism

October 31, 2019Accountability, Accuracy, MediaCity Bureau, direct service journalism, government reportingethicsadviceline

Direct service journalism: Chicago-based City Bureau plans move to Denver to fill need for reporting on government.

The three-year-old program trains and pays people to monitor public officials in Chicago and Detroit.

Even Pirates Had Codes of Ethics

October 30, 2019Accountability, Accuracy, Media, Minimizing Harm, Online News, Social Media, Weighing Benefits and HarmCodes of ethics, Journalism, piratesethicsadviceline

Even pirates had codes of ethics: A look at various codes of ethics, including one adopted by pirates in 1722. Today’s media codes fail to show a love for words. From the Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists archives.

New Model For Local News

October 28, 2019Accuracy, Media, newspapers, Online News, radio, Television newscommunities, Local news, new model, NiemanLabethicsadviceline

New model for local news: Ken Doctor aims to launch Lookout next year.

“Overall, we believe the successful local news outlets of the 2020s will be the ones that authentically embed themselves into the life of the communities they serve,” he writes.

The Guardian Digital Profitable

October 24, 2019Accountability, Media, Online Newsdigital news, NiemanLab, profitability, The Guardianethicsadviceline

The Guardian digital profitable: “This is all pretty remarkable,” writes Laura Hazard Owen. It makes the majority of its revenue from reader donations and digital sources. The news remains free.

Offensive Halloween Photo

October 23, 2019Media, Minimizing Harm, Online News, Photoseffigy, Halloween, Offensive photosethicsadviceline

Offensive Halloween photo: Recalling a controversial 2014 photo of an effigy scene in a homeowner’s yard near Clarksville, Tenn.

A website news director uses the photo, then calls the Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists when the homeowner objects to the photo. Keep the photo up or take it down? From the archives.