Ethical Journalist (eBook)

Gene Foreman joined the Penn State faculty in 1998 afterretiring from The Philadelphia Inquirer, where he managednewsroom operations for more than 25 years under varioustitles--managing editor, executive editor and deputy editor.He also was a vice president of the company. At Penn State, he was the Larry and Ellen Foster Professor from1999 until his retirement from full-time teaching in December 2006.He taught courses in news editing, news media ethics and newspapermanagement. In 2003, Foreman received two awards for excellence inteaching in the College of Communications--the Deans' Awardand the Alumni Society Award. As a visiting professor, he continues to direct the FosterConference of Distinguished Writers, in which acclaimed journalistsare brought to campus to discuss their experiences and techniques.He also is a guest lecturer in courses at Penn State and conductsseminars to help professionals improve their skills.

Foreword: Journalism Genes xvii

Preface xx

Acknowledgments xxii

Part I: A Foundation for Making Ethical Decisions 1

1 Why Ethics Matters in Journalism 3

2 Ethics: The Bedrock of a Society 16

3 The News Media's Role in Society 24

4 For Journalists, a Clash of Moral Duties 39

5 The Public and the Media: Love and Hate 56

6 Applying Four Classic Theories of Ethics 74

7 Using a Code of Ethics as a Decision Tool 83

8 Making Moral Decisions You Can Defend 105

Part II: Exploring Themes of Ethics Issues in Journalism121

9 Stolen Words, Invented Facts . . . Or Worse 123

10 Confl icts of Interest: Divided Loyalties 137

11 The Business of Producing Journalism 159

12 Getting the Story Right and Being Fair 183

13 Dealing With Sources of Information 208

14 Making News Decisions About Privacy 229

15 Making News Decisions About Taste 252

16 Deception, a Controversial Reporting Tool 268

17 Covering a Diverse, Multicultural Society 288

18 Ethics Issues Specific to Web Journalism 313

19 Ethics Issues Specific to Visual Journalism 336

20 Ethics in the Changing Media Environment 360

Conclusion: Some Thoughts to Take With You 378

Case Study Sources 381

Index 392

"The book is superb - the definitive work on journalismethics and practices. It should be a basic text in every school ofjournalism."
- Gene Roberts, former executive editor of The PhiladelphiaInquirer, former managing editor of The New York Times,former professor, University of Maryland College of Journalism

"The Ethical Journalist is like GPS for sounddecision-making."
- Jim Naughton, President Emeritus of the Poynter Institute ofMedia Studies

"Gene Foreman practiced and championed high ethicalstandards in newsrooms for decades. He's now written a clear,compelling text on journalism ethics. It's practical,principled and powerful."
- Robert M. Steele, Director of The Janet Prindle Institute forEthics, DePauw University

"Gene Foreman, a great editor and teacher, has produced acomprehensive - yet very easy to read and use - guideto journalistic values and ethics that shows journalists andstudents how to make responsible decisions about news in print andcyberspace. An essential road map for a rapidly changingjournalistic landscape."
- Leonard Downie, Weil Family Professor of Journalism at theWalter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication,Arizona State University, and former editor, The WashingtonPost

"...Readers' tendency to oversimplify ethical methodwill be challenged by Gene Foreman's The EthicalJournalist, which I find more complex and engaging than othertexts, and which will, therefore, become the first ethics text Ican comfortably prescribe - for both graduate andundergraduate classes....The book's tone is thoughtful butforthright, its style clear but engaging, its stance fair butunabashed. It's obviously written by a practiced craftsmanwho is passionate about his work, and curious about itsdilemmas."
- Ivor Shapiro, chair, School of Journalism, Ryerson University,in a review in Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly,Summer 2010

"At a time when the Internet has turned journalism insideout and blown up long-held traditions, the need for media ethics iseven more critical. This is the book to help guide students and therest of us through the revolution."
- Alicia C. Shepard, former NPR Ombudsman

"I am blown away by how good this book is. It ispractical, insightful and even-handed."
- Tim McGuire, Frank Russell Professor of Journalism at WalterCronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Arizona StateUniversity, former editor of the Star Tribune inMinneapolis

"In a new book, written as a text for journalism students,former Philadelphia Inquirer managing editor Gene Foreman draws onhalf a century of journalism experience to chart a path through thethicket."
- Green Bay Press-Gazette, November 2009

"The book provides a foundation in applied ethics in journalism,and examines the subject areas where ethical questions mostfrequently arise. Many other real-life episodes are cited in thebook's narrative to illustrate how journalists have dealt withethical challenges."
- Penn State Live, August 2009