The ethics project
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
MOST JOURNALISTS, including many of those at The Boston Globe, would insist that they possess a solid ethical foundation for the work they do every day.
Yet even the most experienced journalist would benefit from a regular reexamination of journalistic ethics -- the standards and practices we use to determine what we report and why, in our quest to uncover and explain the truth for the public.
Sixteen American journalists -- including this one -- gathered last week at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies to begin a yearlong journey of ethical reexamination of our news organizations, our industry, and ourselves. The Poynter Ethics Fellows -- the fifth class named by the institute -- have agreed to perform special projects designed to strengthen ethical practices in journalism.
''There have been a number of high-profile ethical failures in American journalism in recent years," said Bob Steele, senior faculty for ethics at the institute. ''These stumbles and worse have rocked the confidence in journalism for many citizens and caused considerable concern within the ranks of journalism. We've failed at times to measure up in our skills, failed at other times when it comes to accuracy and fairness."
It was clear from the Ethics Fellows that they regularly grappled with tough calls in their daily work, often learning lessons. Sometimes journalists find themselves testing their ethics in some unusual ways.
A newspaper editor from Maine talked about the uncomfortable decision to ask the subject of a sensitive story on teen suicide to read the story before it was printed -- an unacceptable practice in most newsrooms -- to make sure the article was fair and accurate. The teenager thought the story was fine.
An Ohio television reporter described his regret at not offering his viewers a better explanation of why a hidden camera was used for an investigative report on shoddy hiring practices by a school department.
An editor from Oregon described the lessons learned when a story about a cancer patient turned out wrong because the person lied about having cancer and the reporter hadn't thoroughly checked the claims.
Nearly all the participants expressed deep concerns that their organizations might be more prone to ethical lapses because of cost-cutting and that many news outlets still lack a clear ethics guide for much of the content they post to their websites.
''There also is great concern about the role and responsibility of journalists holding the powerful accountable," Steele added. ''Journalists must be vigorous in shining the light of scrutiny on government officials, fairly and accurately informing the public when our government leaders fail to measure up."
It's the ethical lapses that are more strongly remembered by the public and the journalistic community. And it's often the ethical triumphs -- from the thoughtful resolution of the smallest dilemma to the difficult and justifiable decision on the most complex and controversial ethical quandaries -- that go unnoticed by readers and viewers because the story appears complete.
At the end of the week, the Ethics Fellows talked about the ideas and plans that they would take back to their news organizations.
Manny Garcia, assistant managing editor/metro for the Miami Herald, said he would propose his newspaper offer readers an ''editor's note" whenever a special project is published, explaining why the topic was chosen and how it went about its investigation.
''I think it's important we let readers know why we expect them to invest the time and energy to read something we spent so much time reporting and editing," said Garcia.
Dean Miller, executive editor of the Post Register in Idaho Falls, is considering posting Web bios of his staff reporters as a way of offering greater transparency to readers.
Barbara White Stack, a reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, wants to organize discussions on ethics with the staff and coach others at the paper on ethical issues.
The Globe's ombudsman promises to use this space (and his weblog) on a regular basis to examine issues of ethics and how this newspaper measures up to readers' expectations.
There is a role for the citizen, too. Be on the lookout for a story that uses unfair labels to describe people or places. Look for adequate evidence in an article, or whether it relied on too many unnamed sources. Let the newspaper know when a lapse is suspected.
The Globe has a strong commitment to journalistic ethics. A vigilant, vocal public can help ensure those standards are maintained for the benefit of an informed community.
The ombudsman represents the readers. His opinions and conclusions are his own. Phone 617-929-3020 or, to leave a message, 929-3022. E-mail: ombud@globe.com.
