Journalists face the following ethical problems:
- Deceit- to lie, misrepresent, use a hidden camera or recorder, steal documents
- Conflicts of Interest- start out with no hidden agenda and no bias
- Friendship- a powerful conflict of interest
- Payola- never accept money for a story except by employer
- Freebies- never accept free gifts from people you cover because they always come with a price
- Checkbook Journalism- is it ethical to pay a source for an exclusive story?
- Participation in the News- let your employer know what organizations you are working for
- Advertising Pressure- work for an organization that clearly separates editorial and advertising
- Invasion of Privacy- figure out what you consider an invasion of privacy
- Withholding Information- would you withhold information from the news organization you work for
- Plagiarism- never use someone else’s work as your own
Journalists can solve Ethical issues by using Principled Reasoning, reflecting on your ethical principles that will help you decide on proper or moral ways to act.
Ethicists Clifford Christians, Kim Rotzoll, and Mark Fackler created a model for reasoning including these steps:
- Appraising the Situation
- Identifying Values
- Appealing to Ethical Principles
- Choosing Loyalties
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