Code of Ethics Most Australian journalists are bound by the Media Alliance Code of Ethics. Media outlets and publications usually have their own set of guidelines or codes of ethics as well. Codes of ethics are designed to help journalists deal with ethical dilemma and help them handle difficult and sensitive situations where people’s lives and reputations are at stake. What code of ethics do these scenarios address? Each scenario can address more than one. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Scenario Ethical code(s) You are the editor of your school’s newspaper. A student at your school is highlighted on the local TV news. You decide to use information from the TV newscast without checking the all the facts. It turns out that several facts from the news report are wrong. Do you admit the mistake? Do you tell how you got the incorrect information? A well-known sportsperson is filming an anti-smoking PSA (public service announcement). Your newspaper has been given an exclusive interview with the sportsperson but your photographer takes candid pictures of him smoking a cigarette during a break. Do you run the story with the photographs or do you ignore the photographs and conduct the interview anyway? If you run the photographs, do you warn him about you are going to do? You become annoyed that the owner of a local business has refused to buy advertising space in your newspaper. Later that day, as you look at a sports spread, you notice that the photo of the cross-country track event shows a billboard with the local business’ name prominently displayed. It would be easy to remove the billboard with photo-editing software. Do you alter the photograph? One of your best friends says she saw the principal of the local high school smoking marijuana at a concert. You tell a local newspaper reporter that someone told you about seeing him break the law. Do you think the reporter should publish the story based on your conversation with him? What diligence should the reporter do, in order to print the story? Do you think the story would have appeared on social media without verification? What do you think about that? A national television news broadcast reporter has been charged as a result of a police investigation into a serious instance of domestic violence. You know that most television news shows will be running the story as the lead news item. The owner of the station does not want the news to go to air because he is a friend of the reporter. Do you run it with all the facts, anyway? Do you change some facts and run it? Do you follow the owner’s instructions? A friend sends you a Direct Message on Twitter linking to a photo they’ve just posted. It shows a car crash in their neighbourhood, taken ten minutes prior. There appears to be someone in the car who could have serious injuries or worse. You look online for other breaking news of this crash, but there’s nothing. Are you tempted to send this story to the news media? You post some pictures of your involvement in a Black Lives Matter protest march on your Facebook account. This incites several people to write racist and inflammatory comments. To what extent are you responsible for what is being posted? Would you attempt to have the account removed?
