17th October 2014
By Stefanie Chernow

Ethical Journalism Newsletter: October 17th, 2014

Ethical Journalism News

Did Al Jazeera Uphold its Responsibility to its Staff?

This latest report on the media crisis in Egypt focuses on the responsibility of Al Jazeera to its staff now languishing in jail and also highlights the widespread support among journalists and media people against the jailing of journalists. Like the recent iMediaEthics report it poses some pertinent questions. (via Tahrir Institute of Middle East Policy)

Why is There Still So Little Diversity in the British Media?

This is an article I swore I would never write. First, as a protest against the minority media ghetto where minority writers are limited to writing about minority issues and gripes, second, because it just looks like sour grapes, and finally, because this kind of journalism about journalism can edge into the self-indulgent. But two lists published in close succession have made me break my vow. (via The Guardian)

Right to Be Forgotten: Article 19 Calls on Google and Data Protection Watchdogs to Protect Free Speech

Today, Article 19 is giving evidence before Google’s Advisory Council on the so-called right to be forgotten. Gabrielle Guillemin, Senior Legal Officer at Article 19, said: “In the debate over the Right to Be Forgotten, we must not forget freedom of expression. Data protection must never be used as a trump card simply in order to protect individuals from embarrassing information that was already lawfully in the public domain.” (via Article 19)

We Need the Media for Real Social Change

We might ask whether media matters when it comes to bringing clarity and light to complex issues of building social justice in society. Does it help? Or hurt? Do sensational stories elicit solutions that work? (via Huffington Post)

There’s ‘Bad News About The News’ (But Also a Little Good News)

When The Brookings Institution asked Robert Kaiser to write an essay about the state of journalism, they asked that the last section include some solutions. “And I had to tell them when I was finished that there would be no such section” – it’s misleading, Kaiser said, to look at all the great journalists and platforms and what they’re producing online and think journalism is in good shape. There’s still no real business model. [But] Kaiser does see a few things that are working. (via Poynter)

California Journalism Conference Teaches Importance of Accuracy and Ethics

“Don’t publish anything until you know it to be true.” Seems simple, but that warning needed to be repeated to attendees at Cal Poly’s journalism ethics conference last week. The Oct. 10 event was the first Jim Hayes Symposium: Advancing Integrity in Journalism and Communication. (via iMediaEthics)

The Not-So-Secret Side of Anonymous Confession Apps

Increasingly, editors and reporters are mining Whisper and similar sites for news tips. They use the posts to break stories, often by contacting posters directly via e-mail or Whisper’s private chat function, and asking for documents or on-the-record interviews. (via American Journalism Review)