Ethics in the News

• Fox News’ decision to broadcast false information an ‘egregious’ violation of journalism ethics, experts say

• DeSantis proposes making it easier to sue journalists with hopes of overturning landmark defamation ruling

• Ex-MSNBC host Krystal Ball says she was told to get network boss’ permission before criticizing Hillary Clinton

• Playbill CEO pulls article detailing abuse of staffs at Broadway theaters: ‘We want people to go to the theater’

• Jenna Bush Hager selling luxury bedding upsets some NBC staffers concerned about news division’s credibility

• Help audience navigate news, listen to criticism among tips for covering police violence and protests with care

• The Wrap: Video of attack on Paul Pelosi vindicates NBC’s Miguel Almaguer, who was disciplined for his story

• Opinion: Should the government subsidize local media? There are some valid arguments in favor of doing so

• Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has a backstory journalists love; they can’t ignore their role to hold him accountable

• NABJ: Report on Memphis police brutality case with ‘accuracy, responsibility, sensitivity, fairness, and support’

Diversity in the News

• NABJ: Report on Memphis police brutality case with ‘accuracy, responsibility, sensitivity, fairness, and support’

• AAJA offers guidance for ‘responsibly and fairly’ covering California communities affected by mass shootings

• ‘Sensational storyteller’ Cecilia Vega leaves ABC’s White House beat for CBS’ ‘60 Minutes’ as correspondent

• Fellowship gives students a platform for stories about their HBCUs, access to pipeline of emerging journalists

• Newspaper runs heavily edited version of King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech; allegations of whitewashing follow

• Visual data journalism is not always accessible to blind news audiences, but there are ways to make it so

• News site whose reporting on missing Black women turned out to be right shows relevance of Black media

• Rebecca Blumenstein leaves NY Times for top role at NBC News, where she will lead wide-ranging coverage

• Racialized misinformation: Media incorrectly frames communities of color as more susceptible to false content

• Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts bids readers ‘so long,’ ponders a future writing books: ‘If not now, when?’

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  May 13, 2022 • Top Story

  After George Floyd’s death, fashion editor pivots to covering race, culture

  After nearly 20 years of interviewing designers, coordinating photo shoots and identifying fashion trends, Houston Chronicle fashion editor and writer Joy Sewing yearned for a change. “I was really trying to leave,” said Sewing, a native Houstonian. “I felt like I’d done all I could do in the fashion realm that I had. I felt I needed another challenge.” Then police killed George Floyd. “When George Floyd happened, I think a lot of journalists, particularly Black journalists who may not have been focusing in a big way on issues of race, kind of felt like they had to speak up,” Continue Reading

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  April 14, 2022 • Top Story

  Op-ed writer challenges newspaper’s decision to inform readers of past crime

  Steve Schulz’s social life often led him to downtown Minneapolis, where he’d attend ball games, go to the theater or just have drinks with friends. Since he was there so much, he decided to sell his house in the suburbs and get an apartment downtown, where he could walk to his favorite hangouts. Shortly after he arrived in 2019, the coronavirus shut down the city and police killed George Floyd, leading to numerous downtown protests, some of them ending with riots. There were other issues: noise from drag racers, more frequent sirens, more protests, more riots and rising crime. Continue Reading

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  February 17, 2022 • Top Story

  Hicks: Palin case dismissal comes with a reminder of vulnerability

  Both the jury and judge who considered Sarah Palin’s libel lawsuit against The New York Times concluded she did not prove her case. That means news shops will continue to enjoy the high legal standard that’s rarely met by plaintiffs attempting to prove libel. 

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  February 16, 2022 • Top Story

  Beyond the Zucker headlines, another ethics issue

  Jeff Zucker’s departure from the network he led has been big news. But media executives and newsroom managers who strive to produce journalism with high ethical standards should take note of a passing detail in the events at CNN that preceded his leaving.  CNN guidance that would have prevented former host Chris Cuomo from interviewing his brother, then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was waived during the early days of the pandemic, apparently with Zucker’s support.  Zucker resigned Feb. 2, saying he failed to report a consensual relationship with a close colleague, CNN Chief Marketing Officer Allison Gollust (who has Continue Reading

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  December 21, 2021 • Top Story

  Blair admits ethics misdeeds but would do it ‘all over again’ for lessons learned

  In the 18 years since Jayson Blair was caught plagiarizing and fabricating his way through stories he wrote for The New York Times, public awareness of journalistic missteps has increased and the need for journalists to consistently adhere to high ethical standards has become even more critical.