Month: June 2019

Use of graphic photos explained: iMediaEthics writer Sydney Smith tells why the Associated Press, The New York Times and USA Today published photos of a dead man and his daughter drowned in the Rio Grande. Deemed a moment in time showing the danger and desperation of immigrants from Central America. […]

Forcing change through fact-checking: Simply reporting fact-checks is not enough, writes Laura Hazard Owen. The “second-generation” of fact-checking includes not just publishing but also pressure and working for system change.   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.

High court favors secrecy: In a blow to freedom of information, the U.S. Supreme court expanded the federal definition of what can be deemed confidential, the Argus Leader reports. “At issue was whether confidentiality, as used in a section of the Freedom of Information Act, means anything intended to be […]

Ethics of showing horrifying images: Photos of the bodies of a drowned man and his daughter on the bank of the Rio Grande raise questions about how far media should go in using such images. They stir debates over news value, focusing public attention on tragedy and dilemmas and psychological […]

Photos of dead bodies: Images of the bodies of a man and his daughter drowned in the Rio Grande are examples of journalists showing a truth the public would prefer not to see, writes Kelly McBride. “Don’t exploit horrific photos without a journalistic purpose,” she advises. “But don’t hide them […]

Making sensible decisions from weather reports: “When it comes to weather, there is no universal understanding of cautionary language,” writes Justin Ray, “and no single standard for alerting TV viewers — a fact that should raise more concern than it does.”   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.

A welcome shift in news ethics: Kelly McBride notes a vast  majority of media covering the Virginia Beach murders refrained from naming the shooter unless absolutely necessary. “It demonstrates that newsrooms can alter their standards and practices in a fairly dramatic way over a relatively short period of time….,” she […]

Public editors redux: Kyle Pope announces the appointment of public editors for The New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN and MSNBC. “As watchdogs for the biggest news organizations in the country, they’ll be ready to call out mistakes, observe bad habits and give praise where it’s due,” he writes. […]

Automated journalism: Newsrooms always adapted to new technology like artificial intelligence, writes Nicholas Diakopoulos. “Reporting, listening, responding and pushing back, negotiating with sources, and then having the creativity to put it together — AI can do none of these indispensable journalistic tasks,” he writes.   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine […]

A global look at media: The Reuters institute For The Study of Journalism finds publishers are pushing hard to distinguish high-quality journalism from the mass of information that is now published on the internet. Complaints persist of media bias and negativity, and of information overload in a report covering almost […]