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Journalism Ethics: The Global Debate
simple matters of enforcement of rules
set down by the boss. The decisions
tend to be arbitrary and inconsistent
over time. Indeed, this approach
discourages lower-level employees—
reporters, photographers and
videographers, for example, who
encounter the majority of ethical
problems in their day-to-day work—
from bringing an ethical problem to the
boss’s desk.
Unfortunately, this top-down approach
is how decisions are made in most
news organizations.
Bottom-up approach
There is another approach, which
stems from the fundamental notion
that ethics involves both the individual
and the organization, both the
personal responsibility of each
journalist and the authority and
responsibility of the news organization
for which he or she works. A bottomup,
teamwork approach recognizes
that ethics draw strength from the
commitment of each person to the
values that underlie the norms.
Viewed in this way, ethics are largely
self-enforced rather than imposed
from above as if they were laws. Or,
as Dr. Kidder says, ethics are
“obedience to the unenforceable.” To
be effective, ethical decision making in
newsrooms should involve a relatively
simple process, understood by all, that
allows most problems to be dealt with
at the lower levels of the organization.
This kind of process recognizes that
journalism is a team sport. The work
of a reporter, while often carried out by
an individual, has an impact that
radiates out in concentric circles
including people about whom we write
or broadcast, and who read what we
write or broadcast. In the professional
sphere, a journalist’s work affects the
individual reporter, his or her
coworkers, the news organization,
and, at a more abstract but significant
level, the profession as a whole. In
other words, the decision of each
individual reporter and editor
ultimately determines the respect and
trust with which the public regards the
entire newspaper or broadcast station
and the journalism profession as a
whole.
Steps for Making Ethical
Decisions
Here is a description of an ethical
decision-making process:
1. Consult colleagues and
editors.
The first step begins when we
encounter a problem. We may
recognize an ethical problem simply
because our gut, our internal voice,
our conscience—call it what you will—
alerts us that we may have to make
an uncomfortable decision. It may be
because our journalistic training or
guidelines from our editor have made
us sensitive to certain ethical red
flags.
Our gut, or our individual moral sense,
is a reliable first warning, but it is
seldom sufficient and can often
mislead if not reinforced by other
steps.
When confronted by an ethical
problem as part of your work as a
journalist, do not act alone. First, talk
to a colleague, a fellow reporter, or
your immediate supervising editor.
International Center for Journalists