One set of ethics may be fine for all mediums some might think
Ethics should be different for all mediums because it depends on human interaction
Consistency … and Change
o Main journalistic code of ethics: Truth, fairness & independence
o Above for PR, advertising & marketing
o Previously, only main function was to making information available to public
o Today, ethics distinguish trustworthy communicators from million other
publishers
o Many challenges faced by journalists in 21st century like deadlines, downsizing,
etc.
o Are the previous ethical codes for traditional media enough to support the digital
media?
o The biggest difference between traditional and digital media is that the latter
constitute a network
1. Honesty
Pride of place as an ethical principle
Basic to all forms of human communication
Without it, one cannot trust the information he receives
News is central to democracy
100% accuracy can’t be reached in news
A photograph can not reveal the whole truth
What we do see will be filtered through our own interpretive lens
Journalists are often misled by sources who claim to tell the truth
Reason why the notion of truth changes online
a. Marketplace of ideas suggests that truth is what prevails among various
competing ideas: It is the idea that withstands and ultimately triumphs
over all challenges. News is not a lecture but rather a conversation.
b. not necessarily because of the clash of ideas but on the contrary,
because of their synergy. e.g. crowdsourcing. News as a cooperative
effort.
The pursuit of truth becomes a partnership that does not need a middleman to
get the word out.
Middleman (journalist) will act as an information gatherer and the one who
makes sense
So, journalism in this participatory world is a process of synthesis and
verification – both checking the facts and helping us understand what those
facts add up to
2. Respect for others
Minimize harm by treating sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings
deserving of respect
Respect for others remains crucial to ethical behaviour regardless of the
medium, the message, or the messengers.
Invasion of personal privacy is a form of psychological harm in mass
communications
There are no safeguards around what is published and freely available on the
internet
What constitutes both respect and harm rest on cultural norms that are not
universal
The medium demands especially close attention to a broad range of cultural
sensitivities
3. Independence
Journalists have fought hard for it
The problem is that “independence” seems too often to go beyond the
intention to safeguard fairness and to translate to “a kind of self-imposed
solitary confinement from society at large. In a traditional media environment,
that stance can quickly turn to arrogance. In a network, it’s an even quicker
route to irrelevance.
Claim to independence on the obligation to inform the citizenry without
interference from, influence by, or obligations to the government or other
external forces – and what might constitute an external force has been broadly
defined.
A virtually unbounded number of participants simultaneously serve as sources,
audiences, and information providers for one another
The roles of message producers and consumers are interchangeable and
inextricably linked.
Previously, independence of journalists was threatened by the government but
now it is threatened by the citizens whom they serve.
Objectivity
An objective journalist observes but not observed & attends but not
participates
4. Accountability
Incorporates such notions as responsibility, responsiveness, and transparency
Aside from a few dictatorships, most nations around the world have a least one
code of press ethics that delineates the nature of accountability to peers,
sources, subjects, and audience members
In traditional media, journalists ask audiences to trust them but in online
environment journalists can foster trust via
a) Personal disclosure (tougher for journalists)
Blogs are being used by journalists for accountability
i. to explain the rationale behind the news
ii. to humanize the reporting process
Being accountable entails opening oneself up to criticism
b) Provision of supporting evidence for what they create (easier for
journalists) – can provide links to sources & users can verify
themselves & give additional input and feedback
So … Are Ethics Different in a Digital Environment?
Urged that those commitments be strengthened
The nature of the network forces such control to be relinquished and replaced
with the give-and-take of a far more collaborative arrangement
The ethical principles guiding this communications partnership put
significantly more emphasis on openness and cooperation