Ethics AdviceLine

Using digital media to debunk or verify news: Mathew Ingram tells how BBC’s Africa bureau linked Cameroon soldiers to the deaths of two women and two children. Ingram calls it “an inspiring use of digital journalism” leading to seven arrests.   Source: Using Digital Media To Debunk Or Verify […]

Staying sane in a news storm: Margaret Sullivan gives seven tips to keep your cool in a hot mess, including: “Take a break. The news never stops, so put down your phone, turn off your TV and do something else for a few hours. Cook a meal, take a walk, […]

The many names of marijuana: Caren Lissner writes that “as more journalists cover the (legalized marijuana) industry, worth billions of dollars, many have had to scrutinize the synonyms and slang they use — often at the urging of merchants.” Sellers say the word “marijuana” has a dark history, while “pot” […]

Media bullying: Alexandria Neason and Nausicaa Renner comment on media intimidation of Prof. Christine Blasey Ford. “Journalists spend much of our professional lives wading through justifications for our subjects’ behavior and asking when has it crossed an ethical line,” they write. “This hearing shows the urgent need for us to […]

Toronto Star updates standards: Sydney Smith describes new guidelines that mesh long-standing principles with current digital realities. New policies call for greater transparency, labels for news and opinion and reluctance to unpublish except for rare circumstances.   Source: Toronto Star Updates Standards“>Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists

Doubting anonymity: David Frum challenges the New York Times decision to publish an anonymous anti-Trump op-ed. “Previous generations of Americans have sacrificed fortunes, health and lives to serve the country,” Frum tells the anonymous writer. “You are asked only to tell the truth aloud and with your name attached.”   […]

An accuracy checklist: Mark Memmott lists 13 things to double-check in a story, followed at National Public Radio. It is “a reminder of things we all know we should do,” he writes, like checking names, dates, quotes and locations. “When an NPR journalist says something is ready for editing, that […]