What are Ethics? Ethics are the moral principals that govern the conduct of individuals and organizations. The moral basis we use to resolve dilemmas. Ethics is not about laws. Journalists must always conduct themselves ethically

Elements of Ethics 1. Accuracy 2. Credibility 3. Objectivity

Accuracy Accuracy means getting all the facts right and always seeking the truth. From something as simple as getting the correct spelling of a name The smallest mistake reduces credibility Never guess, always double check if you are not sure. PLAY – Richard Jewell

Credibility Credibility is the reputation for being right. It is the ability to be believed and trusted. Without credibility a Newspaper or News station loses its audience

Objectivity Objectivity is to be fair and impartial..to present both sides. Avoid any conflict of interest. No matter what your personal feelings are, you must remain objective. Always set aside personal feelings

Ethics Violations Plagiarism Fabrication Lack of objectivity Deception

Plagiarism Plagiarism is copying the work of others and passing it off as your own. Computers and the internet make it easy to cut and paste and pass things off as your own. There are no excuses for plagiarism

Jayson Blair 27-year-old rising star at the New York Times Fired in 2003 after he was caught plagiarizing and fabricating stories about the Washington-area sniper case Editor Howell Raines and Managing Editor Gerald Boyd resigned after failing to catch the fraud. PLAY

Fabrication Making up a story that never happened Making up quotes Making up details Fiction

Stephen Glass a 25-year-old former superstar at the New Republic fabricated quotes, sources and stories to rise to the top. He attempted to substantiate his wrongdoing by inventing phony business cards, creating a bogus Website and crafting notes from interviews that never took place. His con ended in 1998 when a Forbes online reporter unmasked the serial liar's "Hack Heaven" story as a fraud. PLAY

Lack of objectivity Not keeping personal opinions to yourself. Not just in stories, but in the public Not being balanced

Juan Williams Commentator for NPR Fired for making statements about muslims on Fox News Has a right to his opinion Doesn’t have a right to continue being employed by NPR PLAY

AVOID LIBEL & SlANDER Libel is printed false defamation of character Slander is spoken defamation of character Libel is rarely considered a crime, it is a civil action Only the truth is a defense against libel Attribution is no defense

Case of Richard Jewell American police officer While working as a security guard became known in connection with the Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Discovered a pipe bomb on the park grounds and alerted police. Helped to evacuate the area before the bomb exploded, saving many people from injury or death. Initially hailed by the media as a hero, Jewell was later named as a suspect through the media. Jewell's case became an example of the damage that can be done by reporting based on unreliable or incomplete information. He was never charged Eventually he was exonerated completely. In 2006, Governor Sonny Perdue publicly thanked Jewell on behalf of the state of Georgia for saving the lives of those at the Olympics. PLAY – Getting it Wrong