27th March 2015
By Stefanie Chernow

Ethical Journalism Newsletter: March 27, 2015

Ethical Journalism News And Debates

The glamorous life of a journalist, sponsored content edition

The letters vary enough in length, phrasing, introductory greeting, and detailed proposals to suggest they’re not all coming from the same boilerplate source. But they’re similar enough in their overall pitch—we’ll pay you to publish “sponsored content” as long as you conceal the fact that it’s sponsored—to suggest, as with the endless flood of “I am the former Finance Minister of Gabon with $35 million for you” scam notes, that someone has figured out a potentially lucrative opportunity. (via The Atlantic)

Is slack science reporting letting down the public?

Although engagement between scientists and journalists has improved, many pitfalls lie in transferring research findings to the media. (via The Guardian)

American blogger offered money to publish Russian propaganda

“I told him what I considered proper journalistic behavior and he expressed surprise and concern that I would bring up journalism since I was a blogger. Apparently a blogger is someone you can feed propaganda to, while a journalist is someone who’s out to get you. I tried to tell him I was actually interested in communicating the facts about Ukraine to the U.S. public and that I thought that doing so would benefit both Russia and peace.” (via Global Voices)

200 writers and academics slam CBS coverage of Africa

An open letter accuses American broadcaster of rendering Africans ‘voiceless and all but invisible’ in its portrayal of the continent. (via The Guardian)

Reports and Resources

Africa Check launches training and research services on demand

Independent fact-checking organisation Africa Check launches a range of new training, research and fact-checking services aimed at improving accuracy, accountability and transparency in Africa’s media, commercial and non-profit sectors. (via Africa Check)

PA creates online course to teach journalists about the editors’ code

The Press Association (PA) has created an online learning course so that journalists can learn about, and test their knowledge of, the editors’ code of practice. Press Association Training developed the course to meet the requirements of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), which adopted the code previously overseen by the Press Complaints Commission (PCC). (via The Guardian)

Events

One-day seminar on ethics in sports journalism

On 10 April, the Centre for Journalism Ethics will host its seventh annual symposium, which this year will operate under the title ‘Fair or Foul: Ethics and Sports Journalism’. The one-day seminar will bring together journalists, athletes and academics to discuss various perspectives on ethics and sports journalism. In a mixture of panel debates and breakout sessions, subjects like money and sports media, the ethics of investigating sports, criticism and vitriol in sports journalism and race, gender and sexuality in sports coverage will be up for discussion. (via Play The Game)

Ethical Aspects of the Digital Information Society: Lecture by Aidan White

The SMIT/IES Lecture Series aims to enhance the understanding of topical debates concerning the dynamics of the European Digital Information Society through lectures or round tables of experts, both followed by discussions with the public. The EJN Director will be hosting the lecture in Brussels on March 31.