5th September 2014
By Stefanie Chernow

Ethical Journalism Newsletter: September 5th, 2014

Ethical Journalism News

Celebrating Good journalism: A Helping Hand From the United Nations

Commenting on the calls at a United Nations conference in Indonesia at the weekend for media to play a more active role in promoting peace and tolerance , BBC journalist Mark Easton warned bluntly that it’s not the job of journalists to celebrate diversity.

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The African Media Leaders Forum Postponed due to the Ebola Crisis

The African Media Initiative (AMI) has taken the difficult decision of postponing the 7th African Media Leaders Forum, which was due to take place from November 12-14th 2014 in Johannesburg, South Africa. This action is a result of much debate by the AMI board and management, and is informed by current developments on the continent. (via African Media Initiative)

Steven Sotloff Beheading: How Newspapers Used Images From Video

Even though Twitter threatened to suspend users who posted images or video from the beheading video of U.S. journalist James Foley last month, it appears that was an empty threat for major media. (via iMediaEthics)

Digital Journalists Have a Great Chance to Develop Much-Needed Transparency

In a series of interviews with editors of all types of publications, [media researcher Kellie Riordan] discovered that legacy media and digital natives alike were using the web to improve journalism. Despite the challenges publications face as the old print model collapses, she believes new and promising ways of working are developing. Riordan found that by combining the best of the old editorial standards and new ways to establish credibility, journalists could create a new transparent form of the craft. (via The Guardian)

When Quoting Both Sides and Leaving it There is the Riskier Call

If the weight of the evidence allows you to make a judgment, but instead you go with “he said, she said,” you’re behaving recklessly even as you tell yourself you’re doing the cautious thing. (via PressThink)

Fact-Checking Claims About the Islamic State

The violent terrorist group that calls itself the Islamic State is eliciting fear from all corners of the world after its brutal advances through Iraq this summer, including the slaughter of religious minorities and soldiers and the video-recorded beheadings of two American journalists. Feeling lost in the chaotic developments? Here’s a roundup of claims about the group that we have vetted so far. (via PolitiFact)

Chinese Newspaper Journalists Arrested On Suspicion Of Extorting Money

Chinese police have arrested eight people, including several editorial staff from a prominent financial newspaper, on suspicion of extorting money from businesses, the official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday. Experts have long said that corruption was rife within Chinese media, with poorly paid journalists often susceptible to bribery. (via Huffington Post)

Reports and Resources

Media-Friendly Glossary on Migration

This glossary lists some key terms associated with migration and migrants, to ensure journalists are effectively and ethically reporting on the subject. The glossary is the result of a year-long project supported by the Open Society Foundations.

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