What is there for a journalist to believe in? I have a copy of the code of ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists in my lap as I write this, and it says in no uncertain terms that we should be “free of obligation to any interest other than the public’s right to know.” OK, so we believe in the right to know. But ours is a slippery faith.
“I’ve traveled some,” she said. “I’ve been to Afghanistan and Sierra Leone the last couple of years, and I’d have loved to have received some guidance about relationships with sources, issues of money, issues of want-ing to do something but not being in an advocacy position. I found it very, very difficult. I found the AdviceLine method has been helpful to me after the fact. I’m working on a book about survivors of the concentration camps in Bosnia. It helps me to know there can be more than one right answer. There can be several ethical choices. I find it a tremendous relief. I didn’t understand that until I spoke to David Ozar.”
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“Yes. Now I know there are important guidelines but often more than one defensible choice.”
The Long Island caller was thinking of blowing the whistle. AdviceLine suggested contacting the New York SPJ chapter “for help in getting the station’s management to reconsider its unethical practice, and to direct management’s attention to the SPJ Code of Ethics.”
There are pertinent parts?
Bukro’s so old school. Front page, hell. Jacobson got to watch herself on YouTube.
