Ethics AdviceLine

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 […]

Textbooks on the newsroom ethos: Raymond McCaffrey describes journalism textbooks from 1913-1978 and ethics codes telling how journalists should act. The textbooks “contributed to the crafting of an ethos that encouraged detachment and discouraged the displaying of emotions in what was depicted as a macho profession,” he writes.   […]

Reporting on abortion: NPR has careful guidelines for reporting on abortions, writes Sydney Smith. The goal is to be factual, clear and non-political. NPR does not use terms like “pro-life” or “pro-choice.”   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.

Fixing contrived news: A Pew Research poll finds Americans think made-up news is a bigger problem than terrorism, violent crime and climate change. They blame political leaders and activists for misleading news, but expect journalists to fix the problem.   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.

Stickers warn of false news: Some fact-checkers around the world developed sticker warnings, writes Cristina Tardaguila. “For now, they seem to be a nice (and colorful) way to tell friends and family they are spreading low-quality information — and should think twice before sharing content,” she writes.   Visit […]

Salt Lake Tribune seeks nonprofit status: In a novel approach, the newspaper wants to convince the IRS that it operates for educational purposes, writes Christine Schmidt. “The IRS will be the judge of that,” she writes. Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.

A perfect news product: Ron LaForme calls morning newsletters something all publications should consider. One sent by The Buffalo News “combined packaging of news, politics, food, sports and other tidbits” painting a lively portrait of the Western New York region.   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.

Self-care tips for journalists: Journalists who cover trauma can suffer after-effects, writes Kari Cobham. Pay attention to your mind and body, she writes. Consider therapy, exercise and help from friends.   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.

The Facebook effect: Users often think they are immune to negative influences of social media, while others are not, writes Joseph B. Walther. “That paradox helps explain why more than 2 billion people continue to use the site each month,” writes Walther, “and it also helps explain what’s behind the […]