Ethical Journalism Newsletter: March 17, 2015

Ethical Journalism News And Debates

The distinction between a satirical swipe and a racist attack

An If … cartoon strip by Steve Bell prompted more than 300 complaints to the Guardian and nearly 1,000 comments below the line, most of which were critical. The strip, published on 9 March, features caricatures of Nicola Sturgeon, first minister of Scotland, and Alex Salmond. (via The Guardian)

A rare exception to chequebook journalism

Some of us were taken aback when we heard that Vinod Mehta had agreed to pay for an interview with the legendary actor Zohra Sehgal. Vinod asked us to wait for the publication of the interview before he could explain his rationale. The interview, “A nymph named Zohra,” opened with an acknowledgement of the payment. Her fee was not too large but not too small either. Her argument: “I’m 85 and have to start saving for my funeral.” (via The Hindu)

Why headline choices must be driven by news value

Why does the media continue to repeatedly print the photo and full name of terrorists? If suicide terrorists are seeking glory, why does the media contribute to his/her infamy? (via The Globe And Mail)

Disregarding Gaza

The documentary, less than 10 minutes in duration, is essentially a series of interviews with bloggers of Israeli-Palestinian blog-based web magazine +972 with the goal of examining the mainstream media landscape, and its marginalization of the Palestinians, the occupation and the war in Gaza. (via Global Voices)

Legal systems of self-regulation in journalism

Are there benefits to legal systems of self-regulation? Tom Porter from Channel 4 discusses why institutions such as Ofcom work in broadcasting. Watch the EJN video here.

Reports

Time to Act Over the Corruption That is Killing Ethical Journalism

The world of journalism is full of good intentions but the idea of news media as a cornerstone of democracy and ethical values is fast disappearing according to a report released by the Ethical Journalism Network. The report, Untold Stories: How Corruption and Conflicts of Interest Stalk the Newsroom, covers 18 countries and exposes how financially-stricken news media are being overwhelmed by political and corporate forces.

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