Ethics AdviceLine

Instant messaging apps: Sharon Moshavi writes that news is heading to a place that presents a new set of challenges. “If journalists don’t step up, audiences won’t find much credible news on private messaging apps,” she writes.   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.

News on stage: Catherine Adams writes: “One of the best ways journalism can address its well-documented crisis in credibility is to meet its readers face-to-face.” Newsrooms across the world are experimenting with “live news” formats and filling theaters.   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.

Covering tragedy delicately: Four Pulitzer Prize recipients give advice on approaching victims and survivors, writes Bobby Ross Jr. You need to ask victims or family members for permission to intrude in their most vulnerable moments. Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.

Fact-checking hits and misses: Presidential fake news tweets found to spur greater interest to read more news. Denise-Marie Ordway sums up 2019 research on fake news warnings.   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.

Newspaper corrections: The Toronto Star’s public editor, Kathy English, surveys a decade of Star corrections. Misspelled or mangled names account for about 30 percent. “I have learned through these years that most every mistake the Star’s journalists make matters to someone for some reason,” she writes. Visit the Ethics […]

Top words of 2019: Merrill Perlman describes the rise of “they” as a gender-neutral pronoun, and “climate emergency” signals increasing urgency to view what is happening to earth as an “existential” threat.   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.

Anonymous sources: Most reporters know that stories are only as good as the reliability of identified sources who are quoted. From the Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists archives.   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.

Media ethics issues of 2019: Sydney Smith summarizes noteworthy media ethics issues. Misinformation, verification, racism, bad taste and damaging tweets from the past are among them.   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.

Journalists criticizing journalists: The Bret Stephens NYT column on “The Secrets of Jewish Genius” evoked a wave of criticism for appearing to advance a theory of genetic superiority. Good journalists should point out bad journalism, says the Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists. From the archives.   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine […]

Reporting tip sheet: iMediaEthics offers a roundup of guidance in 2019 from media organizations on standards and reporting. The Guardian issued climate reporting advice and The Orlando Sentinel updated its social media guidelines.   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.