JOUR459E: Ethics in Journalism

Course Description: In our democracy, journalists have the freedom to write and report most anything. But with that freedom comes an enormous responsibility - not to mention an economic imperative - to act in a fair, responsible manner. And the idea of journalism ethics in the profession only has grown as the power and influence of the press has increased. This course does not attempt to provide definitive answers to each and every ethical quandary. In many cases, in fact, there may be many "right" answers, or perhaps none that seem satisfactory. Instead, what we will attempt is to provide a framework that will enable you as working journalists to a.) identify an ethical dilemma, and b.) have a framework to analyze the situation, develop options and select a solution.

Course Structure: We will focus on a single aspect of journalism ethics each week. On our Tuesday sessions, we will discuss various articles and case studies related to the week’s topic. On the Thursday sessions, we will hear from a guest speaker who is expert on that particular slice of journalism ethics. Classes will begin promptly at 11 a.m. each Tuesday and Thursday in JRN1104 and end at 12:15 p.m.

Instructors: Christopher Callahan, the college’s associate dean, will be the lead instructor for this course, but students will hear from many of the college’s faculty members and editors of the college’s magazine, the American Journalism Review, during the course of the semester. Mr. Callahan can be contacted in his office in room JRN2102, via e-mail at ccallahan@jmail.umd.edu, by office phone at (301) 405-2432 or at home at (703) 759-7515. Office hours will be immediately following class and by appointment.

Readings: Readings will be a critical component of this course. Weekly readings are listed on the day they will be covered in class. Be sure to read each article thoroughly and be prepared for a class discussion. The assigned readings are drawn from three main sources:

• Doing Ethics in Journalism, By Jay Black, Bob Steele and Ralph Barney (Third Edition).
• Selected articles from the American Journalism Review, the nation’s leading press review published by the College of Journalism.
• Selected articles from the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, the leader in the study of journalism ethics.

Students should purchase Doing Ethics at the University Bookstore. Readings from AJR and the Poynter Institute are available online. In addition, students should read the following in preparation for each seminar:

• A major newspaper each day such as The Washington Post or The New York Times (many of our discussions will come from the day’s headlines).
• A major newscast each day.
• The columns and stories of Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz.
• The most recent edition of the American Journalism Review.
• The Web sites of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Freedom Forum.

Grading & Assignments: Grading will fall into three categories: 25 percent for five ethics memos; 25 percent for class participation; and for 50 percent for a final paper.

Ethics Memos. Students must write five ethics memos over the course of the semester, choosing from the 12 general weekly topic areas. If you write a memo on a particular ethical area, that memo must be handed in promptly at 11 a.m. of the Tuesday following the week when the topic was covered. Students can choose either a scenario from the readings or another journalism ethics dilemma. These should be typed, single spaced, one-page memos. The student should write the memo as if she/he were an editor at the news organization involved and was giving advice to the top editor. It should begin with a memo format (to/from/re/date), followed by the following sections: Background, Alternatives (pros and cons), Recommended Action. These assignments will test not only your grasp of the material, but your ability to synthesize complex scenarios, provide alternatives and an analysis of each alternative and a recommendation in a single page. Late papers (those handed in anytime after 11 a.m. on Tuesday) will not be graded. Failure to complete any of the five assignments will result in an automatic F for each.

Class Participation. A grade in class participation will be based on a.) attending class on time each day, b.) demonstrating a command of the written materials, and c.) adding to the richness of the class discussions.

Final Paper. Each student will prepare a final research paper on a journalism ethics topic previously approved by the instructor. The paper should be 10-12 pages in length, plus footnotes (not endnotes) and a bibliography. The final paper is due Wednesday, May 19, promptly at 10:30 a.m. Late final papers will be reduced a full letter grade for each day late.

Course Outline

Week 1: Thinking Ethics: A Framework for Decision-Making

Feb. 9: Ethics in Journalism - Introduction to topic and course

Feb. 11: An Ethical Decision-Making Framework - The Poynter Model

Readings for Week 1:

• Doing Ethics, Chapters 1, 2 and 3.
• Robert Steele, "Guiding Principles for the Journalist," Poynter Online, December 1994.
• Robert Steele, "Doing Ethics: Ask Good Questions to Make Good Ethical Decisions," Poynter Online, February 1995.

Week 2: Ethics & Accuracy

Feb. 16: Accuracy and Ethics in Journalism

Feb. 18: Guest Speaker: Rem Rieder, editor, American Journalism Review.

Readings for Week 2:

• Doing Ethics, pp. 64-80.
• Susan Paterno, "An Ill Tailwind," and "Sorting it Out," AJR, September, 1998.
• Christopher Callahan, "Arnett’s Role," "An Embarrassing Time," "I Will Be Vindicated," AJR, September 1998.
• Sherry Ricchardi, "Standards are the First Casualty," AJR, March 1998.
• Alicia C. Shepard, "The Web That Gary Spun," AJR, January 1997.

Week 3: Ethics & Fairness

Feb. 23: Fairness and Ethics in Journalism

Feb. 25: Guest speaker: Tom Kunkel, editor of Project on the State of the American Newspaper.

Readings for Week 3:

• Doing Ethics, pp. 85-111
• Robert Steele, "Until We Know, Let Us Challenge," Poynter Online, May 1997
• Ralph Langer, "The Dallas Morning News & Timothy McVeigh," Poynter Online, May 1997.
• Judith Sheppard, "Double Punishment?" AJR, November 1997.
• Sharyn Wizda, "Too Much Information?" AJR, June 1998.
• Sharyn Wizda, "Parachute Journalism," AJR, July/August 1997.
• Alicia C. Shepard, "Going to Extremes," AJR, October 1996.
• Fawn Germer, "How Do You Feel?" AJR, June 1995.

Week 4: Conflicts of Interest - The Institution

Mar. 2: Conflicts of Interests - The Institution

Mar. 4: Guest speaker: Carl Sessions Stepp, associate professor and senior editor, AJR

Readings for Week 4:

• Doing Ethics, pp. 115-117, 145-160, and Case Studies 14, 15, 16, 17.
• Carol Guensburg, "When the Story is About the Owner," AJR, December 1998.
• Christopher Callahan, "When a Journalist is Kidnapped," AJR, September 1994.
• Alicia C. Shepard, "Blowing Up the Wall," AJR, December 1997.

Week 5: Conflicts of Interest - The Individual Journalist

March 9: Conflicts of Interest - The Individual Journalist

March 11: Guest speaker: Christine Harvey, managing editor, American Journalism Review

Readings for Week 5:

• Doing Ethics, Case Studies 12, 13, 18, 19.
• Alicia C. Shepard, "Take the Money and Talk," AJR, June 1995.
• Kara Newman, "Walking a Tightrope," AJR, October 1996.
• Kim I. Mills, "Taking it to the Streets," AJR, July 1993.
• Alicia C. Shepard, "The Revolving Door," AJR, July/August 1997.

Week 6: Ethics & Privacy

March 16: Ethics & Privacy

March 18: Review of final paper outlines

Readings for Week 6:

• Doing Ethics, Chapter 9
• Howard Kurtz, "License to Pry?" The Washington Post, Feb. 12, 1999.
• Jacqueline Sharkey, "The Diana Aftermath," AJR, November 1997.
• Sinead O’Brien, "Without Skipping a Beat," AJR, November 1997.

Spring Break

Week 7: The Reporter-Source Relationship

March 30: The Reporter-Source Relationship

April 1: Guest speaker: Professor Haynes Johnson, Knight Chair in Journalism

Readings for Week 7:

• Doing Ethics, Chapter 10.
• Sharon Waxman, "Spoon-Fed News," AJR, October 1998.
• Alicia C. Shepard, "Anonymous Sources," AJR, December 1994.

Week 8: Ethics & Diversity

April 6: Ethics & Diversity

April 8: Guest speaker: Dr. Lee Thornton, Richard Eaton Chair in Broadcast Journalism

Readings for Week 8:

• Doing Ethics, Chapter 7.
• Bill Boyd, "Diversity is a Bottom Line Issue," Poynter Online, October 1998.
• Aly Colón, "Race: Reality vs. Symbolism in San Diego," Poynter Institute, June 1998.
• Valerie Hyman, "Getting More Diversity in Content," Poynter Online, March 1996.

Week 9: Hidden TV Cameras and Other Deceptions

April 13: Hidden TV Cameras & Other Deceptions

April 15: Guest speaker: Associate Professor Steve Barkin

Readings for Week 9:

• Doing Ethics, Chapter 6
• Robert Steele, "Deception/Hidden Cameras Checklist," Poynter Online, February 1995.
• Robert Steele, "Hidden Cameras: High-Powered and High-Risk," Poynter Online, October 1998.
• Robert Steele, "ABC and Food Lion: The Ethics Questions," Poynter Online, April 1997.
• Susan Paterno, "The Lying Game," AJR, May 1997.
• Robert Lissit, "Gotcha!" AJR, March 1995.

Week 10: Photojournalism Ethics

April 20: Photojournalism Ethics

April 22: Guest speaker: TBA

Readings for Week 10:

• Doing Ethics, Chapter 8
• Kenneth F. Irby, "Picture Homicide," Poynter Online, July 1996.
• Kenneth F. Irby, "Doing Ethics for Photojournalists," Poynter Online, August 1997.
• Robert F. King, "The Amazing Growing Sweater," Poynter Online, August 1997.

Week 11: New Dilemmas on the New Frontier - Online

April 27: New Dilemmas on the New Frontier - Online

April 29: Guest speaker: TBA

Readings for Week 11:

• Jacqueline Starkey, "Starr Turn," AJR, November 1998.
• Fred Mann, "New Media Brings a New Set of Problems," Poynter Online, May 1998.

Week 12: The Ethics of Life & Death

May 4: Life & Death Ethics

May 6: Guest speaker: Professor Gene Roberts, former managing editor, The New York Times

Readings for Week 12:

• Carol Guensburg, "Telling Authorities Before Publishing," AJR, November 1998.
• Susan Paterno, "The Intervention Dilemma," AJR, March 1998.
• "The Unabomber Decision," AJR, November 1995.
• Robert Steele, "The Post, The Times and the Unabomber," Poynter Online, August 1995.
• Keith Woods, "Unabomber Case Holds Lessons for All Journalists," Poynter Online, August 1995.

Week 13: The Press & The Public Trust

May 11: The Press & The Public Trust

May 13: Guest speaker: Reese Cleghorn, dean of college and president of AJR

Readings for Week 13:

• Susan Paterno, "I Can Explain," AJR, July/August 1998.
• Frank Newport and Lydia Saad, "A Matter of Trust," AJR, July/August 1998.
• Alicia C. Shepard, "To Err is Human, To Correct Divine," AJR, June 1998.
• Alicia C. Shepard, "Going Public," AJR, April 1997.
• Sinead O’Brien, "Spelling Out What You Don’t Know," AJR, December 1996.
• Linda Fibich, "Under Siege," AJR, September 1995.
• Alicia C. Shepard, "Legislating Ethics," AJR, January 1994

Last updated: February 10, 1999