Weekly Question: Is the UK’s Hacking Scandal and Johann Hari’s suspension indicative of a decline in journalistic ethics?
Please leave a comment below to let us know what you think.
July 13, 2011
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Please leave a comment below to let us know what you think.
Is the Israeli Government Press Office right to sanction journalists who participate in the flotilla to Gaza?
Please leave a comment below to let us know what you think. ...
Jackie
4:33 pm
Jul 13, 2011
I believe ethical behavior has been eliminated in many areas of society. When I attended college, there was an honor system and professors did not even stay in the rooms where students took exams. And no one cheated. Can you imagine that happening today with the young people who feel entitled.
As a journlist, now retired, I learned early ethical journalism and keeping opinions out of news articles. Today, few newspapers hold to that division. Even the New York Times, once regarded as a bastion of fact, has fallen to low levels.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
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Hillel Margolin
4:36 pm
Jul 13, 2011
I think it is indicative of utter journalistic laziness which leads to a decline in ethics each time a writer gets away with it. Crafting articles directly from press releases and the uninformed conversations of “talking heads” results only in fluff pieces. Journalism is supposed to investigate and disclose. The fourth estate’s job is to keep the public informed however, given the financial pressures on newspapers these days, anything that will get the public to purchase a paper seems to be acceptable.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
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Matt Wardman
5:05 pm
Jul 13, 2011
I think it indicates that Johann Hari was never a journalist, and that for some reason we do not yet understand Simon Kelner neglected to make sure that he grew into one.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
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Roger Radford
5:12 pm
Jul 13, 2011
While working as a sub-editor on the Reuters world desk in 1975, I was given a wire report from the Palestinian news agency WAFA to edit. It claimed that the PLO had blown up a petrol station in Tel Aviv. The report named the street and, as a former Associated Press foreign correspondent in Israel, I knew that the station in question was a stone’s throw from Reuters’ own bureau. If a bomb had gone off, the staff would surely have heard it. I had to fight to get the editor-in-charge to call our bureau for corroboration. Reluctantly, he did so. As you might have already guessed, there was no such incident. The story was spiked (although I was informed that my pro-Israel bias would count against should I ever wish to become the agency’s correspondent in Israel).
The difference today is that while a repeat of such impertinence on my part would undoubtedly still blight my career, the story would not have been spiked.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
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Steve Mann
6:38 pm
Jul 13, 2011
I am afraid its not just journalists within the paper industry- the whole of the media especially the BBC and France 2 are morally corrupt down to their last sentence.
What happened to the Malcom Balen report?
How much publicity was given to the al-Dura incident after it was exposed?
Need I go on!
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
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Naftali Spector
7:39 pm
Jul 13, 2011
It is obvious from the present and previous episodes, their is a lapse in the ethical behavior of many journalists and newspaper editor. Just look at the many criticisms by Honest Reporting of the New York Times, Time Magazine, the Guardian, the Independent, BBC, etc.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
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Rich Elliott
7:49 pm
Jul 13, 2011
It’s difficult to make an objective case over decline in ethics as there is no objective baseline. Subjectively, there are many standards, some honest and otherse less so. Seeing Hari get his comeuppance is welcome indeed. A two month suspension will leave him twisting in the wind of public scrutiny. It’s the modern day equivalent of having him placed in a public pillory much like a practice in colonial America.
At the same time, the reality is that journalism has become loosened from its traditional moorings. Readers and viewers have many more options to get information. Some is from recognized journalists and some is from wannabe or pseudo journalists and folks in between. In my opinion, Julian Assange is one of the latter. Hari has too tattered a credibility to be in the first group but is slightly ahead of the second group. The point? Multiple points of view are and will continue to be offered. All that we as consumers of news can demand is honest reporting, and fortunately, the team at Honest Reporting is part of that efforty.
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Linda Elliott
8:23 pm
Jul 13, 2011
With all this, how low can a journalist get…This is an interesting thought from a speaker on the BBC radio 4 programme.
With all that is going on regarding newspaper reports, there are underlying questions too. That is not so much about the details of these events, but what kind of society is it, that has allowed this to happen.
As individuals we make our own decisions about what newspaper we buy, or which web site that we visit. We have our own opinions about style and content of the news we engage with, and the truth is, the contemporary media landscape that The News of The World and other Red Tops, have long sold huge numbers of newspapers, everyday.
Our appetite for sensationalist journalism is seemingly veracious.
The decision of an individual private investigators, or journalist or news executive, are taken in a culture that has become highly competitive, and the commercial motive is sited as reason enough for their actions.
Scape-goating is ugly, and makes everyone feel self-righteous, better than our neighbour.
It is too east to simply throw some names around, and then think, it has nothing really to do with us.
The Christian tradition talks about sin. It is a word that is very often misused. But simply means a state of separation from what is good from God.
When we as human beings become, separated from our healthy-selves, the conscious that knows deep down that lives dominated by self-interest are mean spirited and cruel.
When we become separated from our hopeful-selves, the we have no way of putting a check on our lowest instinct.
As well as individual separation or sin, the Christian tradition also talks about structural sin, where collective fantasies prevail, no longer anchored by the commitment to the good of the whole.
These action of individuals in the media are arguably in the context of such a collective fantasy, where anything is fair, as long as it gives you the competitive edge.
This is a symptom of a sickness in all of us, that can lurk under the most innocent of everyday exchanges, that insists that we put ourselves first, because no one else will.
This weeks public anger is welcome, because this storey is a reminder, that we get the press we deserve, and every-time we felt ashamed of ourselves, for being a little too interested in every salacious detail, we have contributed to the culture that is structured around sinful self-interest, where anything goes, as long as it’s not us.
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Phil Parker
8:34 pm
Jul 13, 2011
“jounalistic ethics” is this an oxymoron??
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
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Frank Schwartz
8:36 pm
Jul 13, 2011
Unfortunately, there are few mdeia writers and commentators who have any professional ethics any more. israel bashing is what they do. They do it out of total ignorance, or their own ingrained anti-semitism. It is hard to explain how these people can spew out their hate and filth and still stand upright. My thinking is that if they have an agenda or some vilifying statement, they should save it for the editorial page. Reporting the news should be a sacred obligation to tell the news truthfully and leave their own bias elsewhere. Sadly there seem to be few truly honest media people any more. What has happened to integrity ???
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
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Mal Tomlin
9:14 pm
Jul 13, 2011
The impulse to do wrong seems to be part of our nature. American manipulation and bias is embarrassing. I go to Israel, by way of the internet to see what’s really happening-Israel is central. Moses received promises that G-d will keep, they are always fulfilled right on time. The father of lies whispers in the ears of any weak minded son or daughter of Eve that is filled with supernatural hate by the god of this world-that is, the Devil.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
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Leon Hale
12:01 am
Jul 14, 2011
Is the UK’s Hacking Scandal and Johann Hari’s suspension indicative of a decline in journalistic ethics?
Definately and most journos in the west appear to be completly biased against Truth.
Something like Political decline in the west.
Its the same in Australia
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
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Shmuel B
5:10 am
Jul 14, 2011
Journo’s are only interested in getting their name on an article, and the publishers in getting distribution numbers to keep the biosses happy.
“Eithis”, what a joke in todays (a)moral climate.
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Frank Schwartz
5:18 am
Jul 14, 2011
Decline of Journalism ethics? It has not declined. It has hit rock bottom. Some twenty years ago, when I was in business, I was interviewed by a bright young lady who printed an article that totally misquoted me. I called her and told her what she had done, and her answer was that it was way she perceived it. My answer to her was that she had prostituted her art…and she hung up on me. My gosh…it was going downhill fast back then.
Years ago reporters and journalists took pride in reporting the news as factual. Ethics, decency, morals and honesty now have been forgotten. A sad state of affairs..
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
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Ethan D.
9:52 am
Jul 14, 2011
Sean Hannity told us in 2008 that the media is dead. Not only bias, but false reporting and hatred toward Israel are all driven by the left wing media or as Sarah Palin calls the – the lame media.
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Noreen
12:57 am
Jul 15, 2011
Not at all. These scandals are part and parcel of what passes for “journalism” today. The decline started a long time ago; now we are dealing with senility.
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ARLINE MATHEWS
3:05 am
Jul 15, 2011
Murdock is only one example of how monopolistic practices have been allowed to run rampant in the media/news industry. Big oil advertisers are largely behind much of the anti- Israel bias as shown by much of the Western media. They not only twist the news but they re-write history. Examples are plentiful. Instead of telling the public that Jews lived in the land of Canaan which scientific DNA samples prove, and instead of telling that the Ottoman Turks reached a settlement with the British to “return the land to the Jews” and instead of telling the public that the mandate giving temporary possession of Palestine was a mandate ordering the British to “return Palestine to the Jews”. Of course the British Colonialists double crossed them, divided up the land and created Arab Palestines [ Jordan and Iraq-1922 ] with Faisal made King of Iraq promising never to war on the Jews again.
The press wants to pretend that history began in 1967 when Jordan seizes the West Bank and the oldest part of Jerusalem.
When Israel recaptured their own territory the PRESS LABELED ISRAEL OCCUPIERS NOT INTERNATIONAL COURTS. For it did match the definition of “occupiers” under International law.
Just to illustrate how unfair the press is; they decided to label Hezbollah as “militants and a Political party, no longer referring to them as terrorists. I reminded the foreign desk that they
murdered 300 0f our young people at the airport in Lebanon. They said to me that Hezbollah is nicer now. Last time I heard there is no statute of limitations on murder. But are they nicer? The U.N. investigators have now indicted hezbollah for the assassination of
former Pres. Harriri of Lebanon. Oh yes, they also are allied with Iran. Who exactly are our enemies? The press won’t tell us or they don’t know. The same is true of Hamas – The International community has called them terrorists as has the U.S. but the press has decided to call them terrorists if they attack us but not if they lob bombs into Israel or kidnap people.
Too few publishers control most of the press so that only one side is heard. That does not help in the search for truth. Upon arriving in Los Angeles half a century ago there were more than 6 newspapers. They were gobbled up by the L. A. Times. Some were left of center and some right. There were different points of view. Today there is the L.A. Times and a former throwaway that is pretty local. There is nowhere else to go. How sad for democracy.
Israel needs to help publish their own Al Jazeera and to have radio penetrating the airwaves worlwide. Al Jazeera is carried in Southern Ca. with enormous population on Public radio several times a day. “Put that in your hat and smoke it”!
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Roger Radford
10:01 am
Jul 15, 2011
Arlene, I agree with you about Israel having its own Al Jazeera – but it must be run by Honest Reporting, and not by Israelis. The reason for this is quite simple: left to their own devices, policy makers at the station would do more damage to Israel’s cause that all the Arab TV stations put together. This is because those running the media in Israel are liberal left do-gooders who, aligned with their fellow travellers in the United States and Europe, are determined to bring about the demise of Western civilisation in order to protect the human rights of the minorities in their midst who have the same objective. Once again, an Israeli Al Jazeera? Yes. Run by Israelis? No.
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Cameron Horn
3:42 am
Jul 16, 2011
I think these 2 incidents indicate that journalistic intergrity is improving!
Compared to the Mohommad Al-Durah affair, this stuff is a walk in the park!
At least they didn’t award the News of the World the prizesfor newspaper of the year!
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Cameron Horn
3:53 am
Jul 16, 2011
As a member of my country’s journalisim union and a media professional of over 20 years, (and an author on media ethics) I can safely say this stuff is just par for the course. In the 1700s the US Founding fathers started the committees of correspondence, sending letters to each other via pony express, because they could not trust the media of the day.
Nothing has changed since Nero blamed the Christians for burning down Rome. It takes the media to get that sort of bull-dust spread around. It’s like the flat earth myth. The media has never been trustworthy. In 20 years of close watching, I don’t think I have seen a single article – no, not even one – where quotes were accurate and the story was untainted. Not a single article that I have known the background to, has ever been written up accurately.
The imperative of journalism is sales – not information, or human interest or accuracy – it is sales. So whatever tosh will sell a newspaper or a broadcast, that’s what gets a run. And as Hitler said, “it must appeal to people’s predetermined prejudices.”
Yes – rationalisation has happened within media and shortcuts are taken – but that is still no excuse for sloppiness and undeclared bias. And this is a myth about media – bias is ok, as long as it is declared. It is undeclared bias, it is opinion masquerading as impartiality, which is the scourge of media.
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