6th November 2014
By Stefanie Chernow

Ethical Journalism Newsletter: November 7th, 2014

Ethical Journalism News

Press Syndicate Urges Journalists To Respect Profession’s Ethics

The Jordan Press Association (JPA) on Wednesday called on media outlets to abide by journalism’s code of conduct and not to resort to blackmail, defamation and rumour mongering that harm the credibility of the profession. The JPA’s statement follows complaints it received from public and private institutions and individuals who were blackmailed and threatened with defamation by certain media outlets if they did not meet their demands. (via The Jordan Times)

Romania: Journalist to be investigated by TVR ethics committee

Journalist Adelin Petrisor will face an internal Romanian Public Television (TVR) ethics committee after he published on his personal blog an interview that was not aired by TVR news broadcasts. The ethics committee will investigate whether Adelin Petrisor broke internal TVR rules by disclosing previously unpublished material owned by the public broadcaster. (via Media Freedom)

Pianist Dejan Lazic Asks The Washington Post To Unpublish Negative Review

Lazic’s request was made in response to this year’s EU court ruling allowing EU citizens the “Right to Be Forgotten.” People can ask for search engines to remove links to articles they say are inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant. Yet who determines what is no longer relevant for the public is a hot topic for debate. (via iMediaEthics)

English PEN Calls For Review Of ‘Chilling’ Press Regulation Legislation

Lord Justice Leveson did not expect the new regulator to encompass all the media, although he believed that it should be open to small publishers to join. The failure to define the scope of the regulator clearly both during and after the Leveson inquiry was a serious omission,” says English PEN. (via The Guardian)

That Awkward Moment When Journalists Must Write About Their Employer

Journalists are told to avoid conflict of interest, but then are faced with covering themselves when they make news. Most news organizations do write about themselves, wading into the nitty gritty of both their successes and failures, yet do not have a policy for how to cover their own stories. (via American Journalism Review)

Public Editor: Why Comments Are Closed On Some Articles

For the Globe and Mail, comments are closed in limited circumstances, such as when there is a danger of commenters committing libel or prejudicing an accused’s right to a fair trial. However there is also the case that premoderated comments would be better a better solution for furthering the public discourse. (via The Globe And Mail)

The Unfortunate Legacy Of Legacy Culture

In journalism’s legacy culture, reporters pride themselves on informing rather than educating nor advocating in fear of appearing bias. However it might be more truthful to identify the type of interpreting that constitutes good journalism, rather than deny that interpretation exists. (via Media Morals)

Russian Journalist Fired Over “Insensitive” Tweet, Radio Station’s Fate In Limbo

TheRuNet is in uproar over a new scandal that threatens the fate of one of the few arguably independent media outlets in Russia. A comment made on Twitter by a veteran Ekho Moskvy journalist has caused him trouble with the radio station’s owners and possibly cost him his job. But is this really about a tweet? (via Global Voices)

FBI Admits An Agent Impersonated Reporter, Writing Fake Article During Criminal Investigation

FBI Director James Comey says an agent impersonated an Associated Press reporter during a 2007 criminal investigation, a ruse the news organization says could undermine its credibility. (via The Guardian)

Events

A Journey Towards Diversity Inclusiveness In The Media

Brussels, 12 – 14 November 2014: Based on participants’ practices and experiences, the third Mediane European Encounter will develop and implement various sessions aiming at raising awareness among European media outlets and professionals on the Mediane Box for Media Diversity Inclusiveness (The Roadshow) and at building a shared strategy for promoting the Mediane Box as way for giving very concrete and practical content to the approach of diversity inclusiveness in media context. The Mediane Box on Media Diversity Inclusiveness aims at supporting media efforts to include diversity in their daily work and production. This Mediane Box on Media Diversity Inclusiveness is conceived for being both:

  • a self-monitoring tool to monitor the capacities of the media and their staff members to improve their diversity inclusiveness in production and professional practices,
  • an action support tool for strengthening diversity inclusiveness in media content design and production.

Mediane is a joint programme between the European Union, its Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Programme and the Council of Europe. More information on the event can be found here.