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.
Facebook fake news: It’s not easy to spot fake news, writes Laura Hazard Owen, who conducted a test on whether posts identified as fake are flagged as false.
Fixing contrived news: A Pew Research poll finds Americans think made-up news is a bigger problem than terrorism, violent crime and climate change.
They blame political leaders and activists for misleading news, but expect journalists to fix the problem.
Liar’s dividend explained: Exposing lies can have an unsettling backlash, writes Kelly McBride.
“Debunking fake or manipulated material like videos, audios or documents ultimately could stoke belief in the fakery,” she writes, making it harder for the public to trust the media. Collaboration by media could help.
Brits propose global tech ethics code: Taking aim at fake news and disinformation, a United Kingdom parliament committee reports “our democracy is at risk” from election interference through social media.
Celebrity death hoaxes: Daniel Funke and Alexios Mantzarlis report that celebrity deaths are a popular subgenre of misinformation and offer 15 fact-checking links.
“At a time when we are at pains to distinguish ‘real news’ from ‘fake news,’ falling for these shallow fabrications undermines the argument,” they write.
Media mount attack on “fake news” charges.
Cleve R. Wootson Jr. writes the Boston Globe urges American news groups to respond to the president’s scorn of the press.
“The rally calls for the opinion writers that staff newspaper editorial boards to produce independent opinion pieces about Trump’s attacks on the media,” he writes. The Associated Press reports that 70 news organizations agreed.
Enemy of the people: Ken Thomas writes about the impact of President Trump’s attack on the U.S. media as “fake news.”
Thomas quotes Prof. Jay Rosen saying, “It’s the erosion of the common world of fact. If we can’t agree on what the facts are, if there are no facts because they are in endless dispute, there is no accountability.”
“Dead” journalist is alive: Al Tompkins ponders the credibility impact of a Ukrainian ruse to nab a contract killer by saying a reporter was killed.
“Generally, journalists should not be part of a government deception plot,” writes Tompkins. “Generally, journalists should not be part of something that will produce untrue global coverage.”
Everyone who published or broadcast the false information has a stake in knowing the decisions that led to creating a fake news story, he adds.
New poll: Trust in media weakens.
“Large majorities of the American public believe that traditional media outlets engage in reporting fake news and that outside sources are actively trying to plant fake stories in the mainstream media,” reports the Monmouth University poll. Editiorial decisions are called “fake news.”
Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists 