Ethics AdviceLine

Lagging Freedom of Information Act: Passed in 1966, but “it’s more difficult than ever to pry loose documents about the federal government”, writes C.J. Ciaramella. Roughly 800,000 FOIA requests were made in 2017. A record number were denied or censored in the first year of the Trump administration. Ciaramella calls […]

BuzzFeed adopts rules for covering mass shootings: Don’t shy away from the story, but don’t glorify the assailant. Sydney Smith describes guidelines for language on mass shootings. All interviews should be considered on the record until a reporter agrees to go off the record or on background. Visit the […]

Shoeleather promotes local reporting: National database helps editors find local reporters. They are “local, knowledgeable and ready to tell their community stories” says the website, and a way to avoid “parachute journalism.”   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog for more.

A media business analysis: Rick Edmonds sees gains in broadcasting, weaker newspapers and digital sites. “My version of a partial silver lining: the 22,000 professional journalists left at newspaper organizations (even after 33,000 such jobs have vanished) continue to find ways to do outstanding work,” he writes. “And will in […]

Quoting too many men: London’s Financial Times is using a bot to warn its journalists against quoting too many men, writes Jim Waterson, forcing writers to look for women experts. “The paper, which covers many male-dominated industries, is keen to attract more woman readers, with its research suggesting they are […]

Hexing tax collectors: Sydney Smith offers a roundup of recent media corrections. Historical facts, names and numbers trip journalists, including Romanian witches. “Stories aren’t the only content that needs editing,” writes Smith. “Case in point, an NPR graphic on the midterm elections had numerous errors.”   Visit the Ethics […]

American bias: David W. Moore explores American racism. “It is in the realm of possibility, I think, to suggest that most of us, and maybe all of us, are afflicted to some degree with implicit bias — but the notion that we all share the same biases seems completely implausible,” […]

Conceptual scoops and wit: Essential to thinking in new ways about a familiar issue is wit, writes James Geary. “Journalists need to be witty to bear witness to the connections others don’t see — or don’t want to see,” he writes, adding that as journalists come under attack, “we need […]

Reporters making statements: CNN’s Jim Acosta lost press credentials after questions for Trump ended with a statement, note Al Tompkins and Kelly McBride. “Ask tough questions, avoid making statements or arguing during a press event and report the news, don’t become the news,” they write.   Visit the Ethics […]

Covering elections: The Reporters Committee For Freedom Of The Press offers an election legal guide. “Generally, the First Amendment protects journalists’ right to gather news outside of polling places for the purpose of reporting on early election results,” says the exit polling guideline.   Visit the Ethics AdviceLine blog […]