Covering hurricanes: Kristen Hare and David Beard list ways to prepare for covering dangerous weather.
Such as: Plug in and charge everything you have and keep them charged. Bring pencils. Carry a lot of cash. Bring rubber boots. Wear sunscreen. Rent a car.
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.
Good news on media trust: Indira Lakshmanan and Rick Edmonds report that trust in media scored higher since last year and “the great majority of Americans trust their local news sources.”
A Poynter Media Trust survey finds “that the president’s attempts to discredit the news may be having less effect a year and a half into his presidency.”
Seven steps for a free press: “Let’s help people imagine, just for a second, a world without their regular news sources,” write Melody Kramer and Betsy O’Donovan, who propose news blackouts.
Rebuild a national belief that journalism is a public service, they write, not public enemy number one. News organizations must work together to do that.
Ten newsroom security tips: Daniel Funke reports the Capital Gazette shooting prompts safety measures.
“It’s not cheap or feasible for all newsrooms to incorporate things like bulletproof glass, armed guards and safe rooms in their offices,” he writes. “But with a small investment, outlets can make big changes to their security protocol — which could come in handy during potential attacks.”
Doors that lock, updated visitor policies, cameras, panic buttons and shooting drills included.
Romance and journalism: Indira Lakshmanan comments on a relationship between a New York Times reporter and an official of a government committee she covers, a failure of ethical journalism.
“It’s not a news flash that you can have a romantic partner and you can have a source, but they can’t be the same person,” she writes.
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.”
“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.
Fake News vs. facts: Indira Lakshmanan says the Washington Post deserves a Pulitzer Prize for journalism ethics.
The Post’s investigative journalism “was most extraordinary for its transparency, breaking the fourth wall between the newsroom and readers by revealing those techniques to readers — showing how reporters got the story,” she writes. That reassured the public about the paper’s motives, methods and findings, and inoculated the Post against false claims, she says.
“Activist” is a loaded word, writes Tara Murtha.
“Certainly, there are occasions when ‘activist’ is an appropriate way to identify a participant in an article,” she writes. “Often, though, identifying someone as an ‘activist’ is a subtle but effective way to degrade the person you are quoting and their perspective by erasing credentials and professional expertise.”
Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists 