Journalistic Values V

Do you think the code of ethics for public relations professionals should be different from the code of ethics for journalists? Why or why not?

Their code of ethics should be different. A journalist's job is to inform the public and bring truth to any story whereas a public relations professional's job is to protect their client and shade them from any slander.

Journalist Values IV

A photographer who works for you has been 'caught' using Photoshop to alter images. What would you tell him or her about this practice?

It would depend on what he was altering. If he was using Photoshop to cover zits or to delete something from the picture that detracts from the main focus I would not care. But if he is using Photoshop to make people look thinner or bigger or to add or delete something to fit a story that would otherwise be proving a story false, I would tell him he needs to stop. If he does not stop I will fire him.

Journalistic Values III

Car repair shops in a college town are suspected of telling students that their cars need unnecessary repairs that often cost hundreds of dollars. Your editor asks you to loosen a spark plug wire on your car and take it to five garages to find out what they would charge to fix the engine's problem. At the very first garage you visit, the mechanic asks, "You're not a report, are you?" What would you say?

First off, a reporter is under no obligation to tell some their job. Also, someone's job does not affect how a mechanic would fix their car. I would evade the question. If I am asked point blank, I would ask why they are asking; I just came in to get my car fixed, the knowledge of my occupation should not be required for him to do his job. Furthermore, if the mechanic is asking me if I am a reporter, it is probably because he has something to hide.

Journalistic Values II

An elderly woman calls the city desk and asks the newspaper not to publish her name or address in the story about a burglary at her home. She is afraid because she lives alone. Would you carry out your paper's policy of carrying her full name, age and address? Use only her name but no address address? Comply with her request?

For the most part, I would comply with her request. I would not print her name, but I will print her age, I will not print her address but I will print what area of the town she lives in and perhaps her street. The reason I would do that is because the burglar could be targeting elderly people who live alone, or be targeting her area. Not printing any information could be putting other people at risk to be burglerized.

Journalistic Values

A colleague on your news staff has written a blog that was published online. As you read it, you discover that a couple of sentences seem familiar. You do some investigating and find that your colleague has plagiarized from a newspaper column. What do you do?

First, I would approach my colleague and show him my finding, perhaps he did not realized he plagiarized. I would then have him retract the article and release a formal apology. If I discover he intentionally plagiarized, I would report him to whoever is in charge of the blog.

The Inverted Pyramid

Identify the answers to the six w's then indicate which two question the writer believes to be the most important.

1. NEW YORK–A scientist dismissed from an Environmental Protection Agency panel on secondhand cigarette smoke after vigorous lobbying by the tobacco industry says he will fight to be reinstated.

1. Who? A scientist
2. What? dismissed from a panel
3. Where? Environmental Protection Agency
4. When? Unknown
5. Why? vigorous lobbying
6. How? 

The two most important questions are Who and What.

2. Springfield police arrested a local woman Thursday for allegedly filing a false police report of a rape last month.

1. Who? local woman
2. What? filed a false rape report
3. Where? Springfield
4. When? Last month/Thursday
5. Why? unknown
6. How? 

The two most important question are Who and What.

3. The United Way Board of Directors will announce how it plans to allocate $425,000 when it meets at 2pm tomorrow at the board's offices.

1. Who? United Way Board of Directors
2. What? allocating funds
3. Where? board's offices
4. When? 2pm tomorrow
5. Why? allocating funds
6. How? they will meet and discuss

The two most important questions are Who and What.

4. After 400 students protested a proposed tuition increase at Springfield University on Friday, university President Michael R. Quinn agreed to reconsider his recommendation.

1. Who? President Michael R. Quinn
2. What? reconsider tuition increase
3. Where? Springfield University
4. When? Friday/unknown
5. Why? 400 students protested
6. How? due to a protest of students

The two most important questions are What and Why.

Press and Libel & Slander

Define "libel"

When a journalist publishes something based on assumptions and not fact-checking the information and the story becomes slander and damages someones job.

What four categories do courts use to determine if a person's reputation has been damaged?

1. Truth
2. Consent
3. Absolute Privileges 
4. Conditional Privileges

What are the three traditional defenses for the press in a libel action?

1. The plaintiff is unable to prove the falsity of the statement.
2. The plaintiff gave consent by being in the public eye.
3. The defendant has absolute privilege.