For Journalism Students/Graduates

BabyBlue91 · #1 05-12-2003, 04:56 PM

I stumbled across this on The New York Times' web site. Basically, this young reporter resigned after being confronted about inaccuracies and plain old untruths in his filed stories. No doubt your ethics professors will be talking about this one.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/11/national/11PAPE.html

Steeltrap · #2 05-12-2003, 05:08 PM

It really is. It reminds me of Janet Cooke, who had to give back the Pulitzer in 1982 or 1983. I had just started college then, taking Journalism 190 and 205 at USC.

People just don't realize that if you use others' work, you need to credit it. Even saying "published reports" will protect you.

ST
1986 journalism graduate of USC
1989 graduate of Maynard Institute's Summer Program for Minority Journalists

Eclipse · #3 05-12-2003, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Steeltrap
It really is. It reminds me of Janet Cooke, who had to give back the Pulitzer in 1982 or 1983. I had just started college then, taking Journalism 190 and 205 at USC.

I thought of her too. That was a pitiful case. She made up a story about a 10 year old heroin addict that turned out to be totally fabricated. I remember the hub bub of people looking for "him" wanting to help him.

I was also reminded of a journalist who committed suicide some years back. I think she left a note about the pressure of being a black female in a white world or something like that. She was married to Clarence Page at one time and published a collection of her essays before she died. Do you recall her name?

Wonder if this guy will try to spin his story that way?

Steeltrap · #4 05-12-2003, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Eclipse
I thought of her too. That was a pitiful case. She made up a story about a 10 year old heroin addict that turned out to be totally fabricated. I remember the hub bub of people looking for "him" wanting to help him.

I was also reminded of a journalist who committed suicide some years back. I think she left a note about the pressure of being a black female in a white world or something like that. She was married to Clarence Page at one time and published a collection of her essays before she died. Do you recall her name?

Wonder if this guy will try to spin his story that way?

Leanita McClain was the columnist's name.

AXJules · #5 05-12-2003, 06:13 PM

This reminded me of the picture in the L.A. Times that was doctored to make it look more impressive during the Iraqi freedom war.

http://www.poynter.org/content/conte...w.asp?id=28082

Moxie · #6 05-12-2003, 07:24 PM

i'm taking a media writing class and a huge part of the course load is focused on ethics. you will find unethical people everywhere you go, but luckily most of our media pride themselves and work extra hard to be as accurate, precise and ethical as possible.

Steeltrap · #7 05-12-2003, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Moxie
i'm taking a media writing class and a huge part of a course load is focused on ethics. you will find unethical people everywhere you go, but luckily most of our media pride themselves and work extra hard to be as accurate, precise and ethical as possible.

Thanks for this reminder. It's important to know that, in view of a lot of media-bashing that I've sensed on this site and elsewhere.

AXJules · #8 05-12-2003, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Moxie
i'm taking a media writing class and a huge part of the course load is focused on ethics. you will find unethical people everywhere you go, but luckily most of our media pride themselves and work extra hard to be as accurate, precise and ethical as possible.

Do all you J students/careerpeople really believe this?? I've taken a couple media ethics courses here at the U. of Missouri-Columbia J school, and I'm not sure I agree. I'd say the people in the newspaper industry are probably the best example of journalistic integrity. Now the cable channel, FOXnews? Ever since they showed up at an airport on 9/11 and told the people waiting at the gate that the plane crashed, I have ZERO respect for them.

bluz4 · #9 05-12-2003, 09:44 PM

i graduated with a j degree from howard and i have to say that when i was there, i had a real idealistic idea of the media. i thought that being objective was something that we all as reporters and editors and photogs strived for. but now that i'm at a major daily paper and i'm inundated with coverage from tv, papers and radio, i think the media has fallen short. at times, our coverage is one-sided or we act as propaganda puppets, selling citizens on what we think is right or "in."

the jayson blair situation makes me so sad. i have dreams of working as an editor at NYT, but i think what occurred there will have horrid repercussions for young, black journalists trying to get up in the world.

BabyBlue91 · #10 05-13-2003, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Steeltrap
It really is. It reminds me of Janet Cooke, who had to give back the Pulitzer in 1982 or 1983. I had just started college then, taking Journalism 190 and 205 at USC.

This morning, one of the NY radio stations was talking about the clean-up job the Times is doing now, and I thought about Janet Cooke as well. Her story didn't get exposed until the Washington Post staff started fact-checking her resume (after she won the Pulitzer for "Jimmy's World") and found several of her statements in dispute. Similarly, this young man never completed the requirements for his journalism degree.

Of course, conservatives are now rallying for the end of affirmative action, claiming that this reporter received so many opportunites to improve because of race.

Long story short, all companies make hiring mistakes.

Sadeyes21 · #11 05-13-2003, 11:49 AM

When I was in Fl my news writing prof worked as an editor for the Pensacola News Journal. When we started talking about ethics he told us how some photojournalists carry shoes with them so if they go to an accident site and children were involvev they throw shoes by the scene and take a photo because this is more emotional for people. It is unethical to do that-- but when I came back to CO i was watching the news and there was a car accident and it involved children and I saw shoes. All i could think of was were those placed there on purpose?
As a pr emphasis I've learned a lot about how unethcial people are and often it sounds like if you do try to be honest you get fired. A lot of people try to be spin doctors or find ways to make more money etc and if they are higher up in the chain then they usually get to fire those of us honest people.

Steeltrap · #12 05-13-2003, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AXJules
Do all you J students/careerpeople really believe this?? I've taken a couple media ethics courses here at the U. of Missouri-Columbia J school, and I'm not sure I agree. I'd say the people in the newspaper industry are probably the best example of journalistic integrity. Now the cable channel, FOXnews? Ever since they showed up at an airport on 9/11 and told the people waiting at the gate that the plane crashed, I have ZERO respect for them.

I am a newspaper careerperson (have worked in the business from pretty much from 1987 on) and I would agree that many of us, the everyday grinders who don't win major awards and just seek to inform people about what's going on with the world, have good ethics.

Unfortunately, you're getting a lot of people in the business who don't have any integrity, and IMO, that's a result of tabloidization of news. Tabloidization is a major reason why I don't watch a lot of broadcast media, for instance. I don't even watch FOX News.

Honeykiss1974 · #13 05-13-2003, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BabyBlue91
Of course, conservatives are now rallying for the end of affirmative action, claiming that this reporter received so many opportunites to improve because of race.

Long story short, all companies make hiring mistakes.

So how do these "conservatives" explain the financial mishaps for the Enron's of the world?

The persons responsible for thoses messes (excuse my country-ness) "shoul' ain't black"!

Oh, I guess the good ol' boy network (the origninal affirmative action) doesn't count.