Ethics AdviceLine

Using drones in journalism: Newsrooms need policies on using drones, according to a Center for Journalism Ethics report. “While news organizations and individual journalists are safely integrating drones into their daily operations, as well as the national airspace, it is crucial to remember that this evolving technology still faces many […]

AP tweets on term “racist.” In a series of tweets, AP explains its style usage. “In general, avoid using racist or any other label as a noun for a person; it’s far harder to match the complexity of a person to a definition or label than it is a statement […]

Liar’s dividend explained: Exposing lies can have an unsettling backlash, writes Kelly McBride. “Debunking fake or manipulated material like videos, audios or documents ultimately could stoke belief in the fakery,” she writes, making it harder for the public to trust the media. Collaboration by media could help.   Visit […]

Evaluating medical studies: Journalists should consider newsworthiness, methodology and categories of studies before covering them, writes Chloe Reichel, who offers a tip sheet. “With the amount of research published on a daily basis, journalists have to work to discern what’s worth covering,” she writes.     Visit the Ethics […]

SF police sow suspicion of media: The heavy-handed seizure of a freelance reporter’s records and devices is a gross violation of federal rules, writes Kelly McBride. “By continuing to argue publicly that their raid was justified, and that this particular journalist is a bad person who shouldn’t be trusted, the […]

Philanthropy boosts western media: A journalism collaboration stretching from Montana to New Mexico focuses on rural issues and Native American stories, writes Christine Schmidt. A partnership started in 2015 aims to make local newspapers and TV stations useful sources of information. Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.

Opinion in the news: It’s a split decision when RAND looked at media objectivity, reports Laura Hazard Owen. Journalism became more subjective over time, she writes. But it depends on the type of journalism. “Newspapers reporting remains much as it was before the Web — but both TV and online […]

Updating its code of conduct, Investigative Reporters & Editors adopted principles calling for banning members who violate the code. “IRE may take any action it deems appropriate to deal with those who violate our principles, including exclusion from our events, forums, listservs and the organization itself,” says the code. By […]

Media covering their own scandals: Sex scandals in 2017 and 2018 brought down top media figures, forcing outlets to report about themselves. Organizations faced questions of how sexual harassment and assault could fester unaddressed, writes Claudia Meyer-Samargia. “But for individual journalists, particularly those who cover news media, questions focused on […]

Poynter deletes list of unreliable sites: Poynter Institute says it “messed up” in calling 515 websites unreliable without checking the facts, reports Sydney Smith. “These lapses are surprising given Poynter’s reputation and position as a vaunted journalism education organization,” writes Smith. Poynter admitted using lists compiled by others. Blames “methodology.” […]