People who think journalism ethics principles are timeless have short memories. Or no knowledge of journalism history.
When I failed last year to persuade the Society of Professional Journalists to address linking in the update of its Code of Ethics, some ethics committee members didn’t want the code to refer to specific technology (such as hyperlinks) because they wanted a code of “timeless” journalism principles.
Never mind that the code had been updated before as society and journalism changed. They thought ethics were based on timeless principles and ethics codes should stand as a rock during changing times, rather than being updated to reflect the times.
In a speech at an ethics symposium last year, I noted how values change in other areas of life, and said journalism values change, too.
If you think the ethical principle of journalism independence is timeless, read Sunday’s column by Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Hartman has been a journalist for 70 years, and he’s reminiscing as the Star Tribune prepares to move out of its longtime downtown headquarters. I’m not going to question his ethics. In fact, he notes in the column that some of the practices he recalls wouldn’t be acceptable today. But you can’t read his column and then defend the notion that journalism ethics are timeless.
Here’s an excerpt:
In those days most every member of the small 10-man staff — compared with about 40 now — was allowed to earn some extra cash by doing public relations for the different sports teams in town. That’s why I was allowed to be involved with the Lakers.
No metro newspaper would allow that sort of dual relationship today. But we’ve kind of come full circle, with leagues and teams hiring journalists to cover themselves on their own websites, and other companies, government agencies and non-profit organizations creating elaborate operations to produce journalism that is anything but independent.
When the Star Tribune’s former longtime owner and Minneapolis civic leader John Cowles was trying to bring more major league sports teams to the Twin Cities, it was perfectly fine for his sports editor and columnist to be part of the campaign, as Hartman recounts:
The Star and Tribune had its own airplane then, and Cowles allowed (Sports Editor Charles) Johnson and myself to travel any place that was needed to lure any of the major league teams here. …
When it came to the Vikings, Cowles sent then Chamber of Commerce President Gerald Moore and me to Chicago to try to lure the Chicago Cardinals, who were not doing well, to play in Bloomington. And when we made a deal with Cardinals President Walter Wolfner to pay him $125,000 per game to play two regular-season games here in 1959, Cowles guaranteed the check. The two games sold out and helped get the NFL here soon after.
That sort of collaboration with community movers and shakers would be unacceptable in journalism today.
Journalism changes. Organizations that lead us in ethical thought should strive to stay current, not pretend we can cling to timeless principles.
Watch “All the President’s Men” — yes, I know it’s just a movie — and you’ll realize quickly that ethics today and ethics then are not the same.
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Two points: first, the SPJ Code is mean to be a set of principles to aspire to. There is no question that ethical practices in the past were different, nor that ethical practice today always adhere’s to our code. Rather, the code represents what we, in the Society, are the principles that should underlie ethical practices. Second, as a drafter of the code’s revision, our opposition to “linking” was narrow. We wanted to get away from media-specific terms, or terms that may indeed fall out of usage over time. Steve’s push for linking was the direct inspiration for a new clause in the code: “Provide access to source material when it is relevant and appropriate.” That can be done by “linking,” or “sidebars” in print, or even a spoken reference in my medium, radio.
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Thanks for your reply, Irwin! We disagree about the need to be specific, but I appreciate your work, and the committee’s, on updating the code. At least one other committee member voiced the desire to have the code be a set of “timeless” or “immutable” principles.
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Steve, for an excellent example of how ethics have changed, check out Kimberly Wilmott Voss’ book “The Food Section,” on the history of food journalism. Newspaper food editors were accused of being on the take in the 1950s by a member of Congress. The Association of Food Journalists, of which I am a member, was founded to combat that misperception and to support the development of ethical standards in both product coverage and restaurant reviewing.
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In Ireland, Ethics and journalism cannot be used in the same sentence.
See my censored play, The Judas Goat, on my profile page on linkedin. This true story happened at the Belfast Docks over 40 years ago and is ignored by every paper and all media in Ireland.
The Union Chairman joined the – once great trade union, ITGWU founded by the great trade union leader, Big Jim Larkin – with the employers – for personal gain and advancment.
See pages 19 to 29 on http://www.siptupresidentjackoconnorexposed.com These show the illegal Union/Employers Court at work – and this fact is covered up to this day by Jack O’Connor, SIPTU and their cronies in the Arts.
The first 5 or 6 pages give an overview of the extent of the cover up in Ireland, and why all and sundry are keeping this a secret. There is a lot more to this, if you buck the trend and are interested.
Hugh Murphy
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Ethics may change, but principles remain. When the code attempts to keep up with the times by inserting specifics, it invites change. Times change, but principles do not. Example: the ten commandments. The code should be a statement of principles, not a detailed account of specifics that will change as society changes. The code is not a set of laws, which must be specific.
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Thanks for your comment, Paul, but we disagree. Clearly the principle of independence, one of the core values in the SPJ code, has changed over time. The ethics code is not a set of laws anyway, not binding on anyone. It’s guidance for journalists. And vague guidance isn’t very helpful.
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Linking is just instant citation, and that’s pretty darn timeless.
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I agree, Kari. The actual technology of hyperlinking may change, but I don’t think the ability to show our work will only improve as digital technology evolves.
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