9th June 2014
By Stefanie Chernow

Ethical Journalism Newsletter: June 10th, 2014

Ethical Journalism News

Humanity in the News: An Italian Case Study on How to Tell the Migrant Story

One of the toughest tests of ethical journalism in Europe is the tragic story of migration involving thousands of poverty-stricken men, women and children from Africa and the Middle East – many of them fugitives from war – who risk their lives to make a perilous sea crossing in search of sanctuary on the shores of Italy and Spain.

Mario Calabresi, Editor in Chief of La Stampa, a leading Italian daily, told the press freedom roundtable at the 66th World Newspaper Congress in Turin this week that the plight of migrants is often under reported by media who fear that they may become victims of aggressive campaigns by racists, political parties and by citizens.

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Egypt Satirist Bassem Youssef Confirms End Of Show

Bassem Youssef, known as the ‘Egyptian Jon Stewart’, announced that he will no longer broadcast his satirical TV show poking fun at Egyptian politics. It follows a decision by host channel MBC-Misr to suspend the programme during Egypt’s recent presidential election campaign. Many see the move as an attempt to stop him mocking incoming head of state field Marshal Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.  (via The Guardian)

Press Freedom Roundtable: Is Press Freedom In Democratic Countries A Trend In Decline?

Aidan White, moderator of the roundtable, discussed the treatment of journalists not only in Ukraine, but around the globe. “People who should be receiving medals are in fact being put on trial by their government,” White says. (via WAN-IFRA)

Guardian Launches SecureDrop System For Whistleblowers To Share Files

The Guardian has launched a platform for whistleblowers to securely submit confidential documents to the newspaper’s reporters. The launch comes a year to the day since the Guardian posted the first of a series of NSA documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, sparking a worldwide debate on surveillance, privacy, and civil liberties. (via The Guardian)

Did You Share Those Images of the Indian Girls Who Were Gang-Raped and Hanged?

Last month, India woke up to graphic images of the lifeless bodies of two of her teenage girls hanging from a mango tree. These shocking and tragic images were widely shared across the world, but should they have been? (via Global Voices)

The Right Way To Publish A Killer’s Deranged Manifesto

There’s a democratic value to publishing and referencing Elliot Rodger’s manifesto. The 22-year-old mass murderer left us a 141-page window into his deranged thinking. But don’t just publish it, add context. (via Poynter)

From Exile To Excellence

It is heartening to realise that Mizzima has taken the U.K.-based Guardian and The Hindu as its role models. It has a binding editorial code. It has now moved to have an independent Readers’ Editor on the lines of The Guardian and The Hindu. “Good journalistic values do not have borders or nationalities. They are universal. We want to set the bar high right in the beginning as the task of the media in a country like Myanmar which is in a transitional stage is huge and the resources meagre,” said Soe Myint. (via The Hindu)

Reports & Resources

100 Key Ethics & Media Law Resources For Journalists

The legal and ethical issues every journalist will face are growing thornier as technological advances blur the lines of what constitutes journalism, and what is or is not allowed to be published. In an era of classified document leaks, government data dumps, and increasingly antagonistic relationships between law enforcement and the media, it is important for journalists to know their rights and to understand the legal and ethical implications of their actions. This goes beyond journalism though. People in any media-related career need to be wary about what they publish online and say through social media.

The Ethical Journalism Network is renowned for their commitment to ensuring journalists operate in an ethical manner, while also advocating against censorship. The posts look at issues in journalism around the world and how to better understand journalism laws. (via journalismdegree.org)

Events

WAN-IFRA: 21st World Editors Forum

Torino, Italy

9 – 11 June 2014: The Ethical Journalism Network will participate in two sessions on 10 June on fact-checking and online codes of ethics. Follow the coverage on Twitter via @EJNetwork or using the hashtag #Editors14.

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GEN News Summit

Barcelona, Spain

11 – 13 June 2014: Tom Kent, The Standards Editor for the Associated Press, will be speaking on the ethical issues of ” robot journalism” during a session on June 11th.

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