Slides for Journalism Ethics Class #20, Nov. 15, 2016, Northeastern University

1. JOURNALISM ETHICS & ISSUES
CLASS #20 | JRNL 4650 | FALL 2016
• Instructor: Bill Mitchell
• bmitch (at) gmail (dot) com
• 727-641-9407
• 15 November 2016 | Northeastern Univ.
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2. WHAT WE’LL DO TODAY
• Discussion of your posts from Dan Kennedy’s classes
• Review of Foreman’s Chapter 17: Covering a diverse,
multicultural society (including various Trump constituencies)
• Discussion of journalistic lessons from the presidential
campaign:
• How might journalists do things differently, starting now?
• Assignments for Thursday; Discussion of final paper
• Quiz
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3. TOPICS FROM DAN KENNEDY CLASSES
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• Media ownership: Billionaires better than megacorps?
--Elise
• The discipline of verification sexual assault coverage
--Janine
• The importance of language, e.g. the word, ”liar”
--Olivia

4. FOREMAN CHAPTER 17: COVERING
A DIVERSE, MULTICULTURAL
SOCIETY
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• Including diversity of thought, ideologies and
politics as well as race & ethnicity
• Implications of the Rashomon approach to
coverage of diverse communities

5. AN ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY
• Journalists have a moral duty to report
accurately, fairly, and sensitively on our
diverse, multicultural society.
• Until the final decades of the twentieth
century, this duty was rarely even
acknowledged.
Following slides from Wiley & Sons Instructors’ Resources

6. FROM THE SPJ CODE
• Tell the story “of the diversity and magnitude
of the human experience.”
• “Seek sources whose voices we seldom hear.”
• Avoid stereotyping.
• Journalists should “examine the ways their
values and experiences may shape their
reporting.”

7. COVERING OTHER CULTURES
• Challenge stereotypes by becoming informed
on people as individuals.
• Talk about cultural values and traditions.
• Learn the protocols and courtesies.

8. POLITICAL DIVERSITY (SUCH AS IT IS)
AMONG UNIVERSITY FACULTY
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9. TRUMP CONSTITUENCIES IN NEED
OF MORE COVERAGE?
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10. COVERING NEW IMMIGRANTS
• Language fluency can be an asset, but it can
also signal “culture solidarity.”
• As a result, journalists must strive to be clear
about their impartiality.

11. USE IMMIGRANTS’ NAMES?
• If the immigrant lacks documents, the
story could cause him or her to be
deported. (Raleigh News & Observer case)
• “Informed consent” is essential.

12. WHEN TO IDENTIFY BY RACE
• Is it relevant?
• Is the relevance clear?
• Is the story free of code words?
• Are racial identifiers used evenly?
• Should I consult someone of another race or
ethnicity?

13. COVERING GAYS AND LESBIANS
Sexual orientation is not relevant in most
stories, but avoid a double standard.
• In the kind of story in which the spouses and
families of a “straight” person would be
mentioned, report comparable facts if the
subject is gay.

14. COVERAGE RESOURCES -- IF
YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, ASK:
• Association of Black Journalists
• Asian American Journalists Association
• National Association of Hispanic Journalists
• Native American Journalists Association
• South Asian Journalists Association
• National Lesbian and Gay Journalists
Association

15. THE DEATH OF CYNTHIA WIGGINS:
MORE DISCUSSION OF THIS CASE
IN THURSDAY’S CLASS
• To what extent was her death a traffic
accident for which no one was to blame?
• To what extent was she a victim of racism?
• How does the Rashomon approach apply to
this case? How does it apply to other cases
involving ethnicity and race?

16. SOME PLUSES & MINUSES IN
CAMPAIGN COVERAGE
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17. PLUS: AGGRESSIVE REPORTING
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18. PLUS: RIGOROUS FACT-CHECKING
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19. PLUS: IN DEPTH REPORTING
(BUT LESS ATTENTION PAID TO IT)
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20. MINUS: FAKE NEWS
(LOTS OF ATTENTION PAID TO IT:
1 MILLION FB SHARES FOR THIS ONE)
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21. MINUS: SLOPPY USE OF POLLING (AND
POLLING THAT WAS JUST PLAIN WRONG)
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22. MINUS: INSUFFICIENT ATTENTION PAID
TO TRUMP’S REAL CONSTITUENCIES
AND ARCHITECTS
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23. MINUS: INSUFFICIENT ATTENTION PAID
TO TRUMP’S REAL CONSTITUENCIES
AND ARCHITECTS, CONT.
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25. SO NOW WHAT?
• The American people seem to want change, and it would only be
appropriate for news organizations to adapt and make some
changes themselves.
-- Wolff
• … many believe that as journalists the main goal is to be
transparent and remain objective simultaneously.
-- Maddie
• Dowd’s comment on America becoming more “tribal” was proven
to be very accurate, with Trump’s large swath of supporters
located outside of blue, urban outposts surprising the media and
liberals due to the cultural divide between the Trump and Clinton
bases.
-- Ben
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26. ASSIGNMENTS FOR THURSDAY NOV. 17
• Re-read discussion of Cynthia Wiggins case (beginning of
Chapter 17 in Foreman)
• Read Chapter 18 in Foreman: Ethics Issues Specific to
Digital Journalism
• If I haven’t given you credit for five comments to classmate
blog posts, add some and send me the url so I can read them
(you have until Dec. 6).
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27. QUIZ TIME – ALSO TIME TO DISCUSS
IDEAS FOR YOUR FINAL PAPERS
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28. A STORY ABOUT A CULTURE
• The story provides context and assigns race
its proper place.
• The story embraces complexity, revealing
“the gray truths of race relations.”

29. A STORY ABOUT A CULTURE
(CONTINUED)
• We hear the voices of the people; quotes and
sound bites are “purposeful.”
• The story has the ring of authenticity,
providing “true insight.”

30. IF TIME, KEITH WOODS
INTERVIEW WITH TED KOPPEL
AND ERIC WRAY OF NIGHTLINE
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