...Confidentiality of Sources Professionals like attorneys, doctors, counselors, and church leaders have ethical duties and responsibilities to keep the confidentiality of information. Protecting communications is important for people seeking for legal and spiritual advice in situations that involve any type of illegal activities. If not offered, individuals might reject to cooperate in obtaining help, for instance. Journalism is not the exception; on the contrary, confidentiality is a sensitive and crucial part of the practice. That a journalist could offer confidentiality to a source puts him or her in a different level that allows accessing to information otherwise impossible to obtain. Some courts have decided that the First Amendment does not provide the writers, reporters, and journalists with the right to refuse to reveal their sources if required in a court. Journalists that had refused to go against to their profession’s trust have been jailed and fined. Shield laws are a mechanism to protect the journalist, in some way, against punishment for refusing to disclose confidentiality of sources. Even though shield laws have been enacted in 37 states, they vary from state to state. In this paper, some sensitive topics will be covered, taking the case of Branzburg v. Hayes as a base for the analysis. Branzburg v. Hayes Background This case considers that reporters are to be held to the same standards as other citizens, which would subject them to grand jury testimony...
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...Spain Guaranteed Constitutional Rights Honor Personal and Family Privacy One’s Own Image Legislation Right of Rectification & Reply—Free—Within six days Right to Information and Its Limits Limitations in Law—Honor, Privacy, Self-Image, Protection of Young People & Children, and Official Secrets (Obligated to Comply) Netherlands Substantial Freedom Little Regulation or Control of the Media via Constitutional or Legislative Mandates Religious and Political Organizations Have to some extent their own media outlets (newspapers, radio, etc.) and their own ethical standards Nigeria Nigerian Union of Journalists Trade Union and Professional Association Code of Ethics—Emphasis upon Truth Telling Loyalty to one’s ethnic group is strong Journalists may accept gifts as long as the gifts do not appear to compromise their reporting Press Council--Power to take newspapers and broadcasters who do not comply to the High Court for legal action Australia Education—Option to skip college and work in a four-year apprenticeship program for journalists or attend a university instead. Common Law—The Australian Press Council hears many cases and has developed a kind of common law for journalists with many ethical guidelines. Freedom—You do not have a constitutional guarantee of press freedom. Journalists are more careful than in the U....
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...Shield laws are “Statutes affording a privilege to journalists not to disclose in legal proceedings confidential information or sources of information obtained in their professional capacities.” While there is no federal shield law, 49 states and the District of Columbia have some form of protection for journalists. In all, 12 states have a shield law that gives absolute privilege to journalists, 25 states give journalists limited quantified privileges, and most of the remaining states have a court-recognized precedent that shields journalists. The purpose of this paper is to examine how states define exactly what a journalist is, and what definition would work best for a federal law. Rem Rieder, a media columnist at USA Today explains why shield laws are important, writing: “This is hardly an issue that matters only to journalists. Many watchdog stories important to the American people depend on confidential sources, people who would put themselves or their jobs in danger if they were identified.” When a source has a journalist’s promise their name will not be public, some groundbreaking stories can be written. With additional backing of a federal shield law, more people might be willing to come forward and be part of watchdog stories. However journalists historically do not have an...
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...Part A: Apply ethical theories from the course (Readings 3.1-3.10) to the case study of: The Imprisonment of Josh Woolf The ethical issues facing the media community today have been reverberating through the corridors of newsrooms and debating chambers since the communication of the news began. Either resonating from newspapers or radiating from radios and screens, the transmission vehicle of the news may have evolved but the ethical issues are still the same; the quest for truth and justice. The word ‘ethics’ involves right and wrong; a moral dilemma requires critically thinking through the issue, formulating an answer which results in making an ethical decision. The decision involving an intellectual process through moral reasoning ensures everyone, as moral agents, are able to be guarded from the views of others in respect to the dilemma at hand (Day, 2000, p.63) In confronting an ethical issue, a knowledge and understanding of ethical theories allows us to navigate through these complex situations and, in the end, creates the ideal environment for “the greatest happiness for all humankind, and equality for all” (Open Polytechnic, 2007, p.9). What would the iconic ethical theorists such as Aristotle, Immanuel Kant and Stuart Mill think of the world of communications today? Media conglomerates control media content and distribution which lock in the extent of diverse views and information. To obtain truth “is essential to the democratic process” but is reliant...
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...said about Israel has been altered by 'misread interpretation.' This to me is disturbing once realized we have some political interests of war with another nation. Americans are slowly realizing that our media's omission's, distortions, and inaccurate biases is creating problems with our ability to obtain objective viewpoints. This I believe dumb down our society and we don't know what to think or who to vote for. We are easily persuaded to believe in what we see visually on TV and not actually truly educated on real events around the world. Our journalists are not allowed to pursue open investigations and unbiased objective viewpoints. Many Americans I believe never actualize themselves constantly being told how to think and what to think. This I believe is heavily in the interest to the government controlling and influencing media to manipulate a free press and functioning democracy. If the media and our source of information is not free we are only concentrating view points and undermining genuine democracy. I believe our founding fathers worst concern is now reality in America. Today we...
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...deeply ingrained. The reality, however, is that the media in new and restored democracy do not always live up to the ideal. They are hobbled by stringent laws, monopolistic ownership, and sometimes, the threat of brute force. State controls are not the only constraints. Serious reporting is difficult to sustain in competitive media markets that put a premium on the shallow and sensational. Moreover, the media are sometimes used as proxies in the battle between rival political groups, in the process sowing divisiveness rather than consensus, hate speech instead of sober debate, and suspicion rather than social trust. In these cases, the media contribute to public cynicism and democratic decay. Still, in many fledgling democracies, the media have been able to assert their role in buttressing and deepening democracy. Investigative reporting, which in some cases has led to the ouster of presidents and the fall of corrupt governments, has made the media an effective and credible watchdog and boosted its credibility among the public. Investigative reporting has also helped accustom officials to an inquisitive press and helped build a culture of openness and disclosure that has made democratically elected governments more accountable. Training for journalists, manuals that arm reporters with research tools, and awards for investigative reporting have helped create a corps of independent investigative journalists in several new and restored...
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...that had extensive interests in the field of Journalism. Later this group became The Society of Professional Journalists (SBJ). Over time, especially with the growth of technology and expanding outlets of news, such as radio and television the SBJ felt that it was important to develop a code of ethics for journalists. Obviously this was enforceable by law, but it served as a guide of ethical behavior and almost all journalists and their organizations have adopted some or all of the guidelines. In addition to its preamble, the guidelines are made up of four distinct ethics responsibilities. The first ethical responsibility of journalism, according to the SPJ is to "search for the truth and report it." This speaks to the core of every journalist. This guideline goes on to specify methods and practical examples of how this is done. For example, while revealing the truth is the primary goal, that is not enough; the manner in which this information is obtained is just as important. It can't be obtained through illegal means, and if an "uncover method "is used, this can only be done if the this is the only way to reveal the truth. It also includes guides on how images are presented to the public. Like words, images should be used to present the truth, not distort it to manipulate the viewer or reader. Also, sources should be corroborated with two or more other sources to ensure accuracy (Christians et al, 2012). The second journalistic responsibility is to "minimize harm"....
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...the cartoon look lame since it doesn’t contribute to the story. I asked my big brother about the reason behind that and he said that some scenes may contain some violence, blood, or exposed body parts that the channel, like Spacetoon, wouldn’t want the children to see, so they censor it. Moreover, censorship is not only used in cartoon, it is used also in movies and series to delete sexual content or foul language. In addition, there are many types of censorship, and the types imposed are different from one country to another. Some countries may impose moral censorship; others impose military, political, or religious censorships. Many people would agree on some of the types of censorships enforced in the countries; however, people have the right of freedom of speech and the knowledge behind political issues, so these should not be censored by the country. Censorship is a problem that is known from before World War 1 and it is still a controversial issue with many people who are with the act and laws set regarding censorship and many who are against. Censorship is the restraint over any type of communication like speech regarding many different matters. For example, being against rules set or some political moves that a country performs, things that are considered to be harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient to the general body of people. These things that constraints are set upon are determined by the government, or media outlet. There are a lot of debates behind the topic “censorship...
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...AN ANALYSIS: THE NEW YORK TIMES VS. SULLIVAN Class, Section, Professor’s name, The New York Times vs. Sullivan The civil rights era was a time in American history when issues concerning race relations ranged from segregation to abuse. During this time, The New York Times vs. Sullivan case changed the face of the news and the country’s understanding of the first amendment forever and in turn represents what most people today recognize as freedom of speech (Harrison, Harrison, Gilbert, &Gilbert, 1991-2006). In the spring of 1960, racial tension high and Americans of all races fighting for change. The New York Times published a full-page advertisement describing the abuse and mistreatment at the hands of the people who carry the expectation to protect and serve. The civil right activism that many Americans know from history books and television was just beginning. The rise of students working together with King and other leaders to create the infamous sit-ins and in turn violent reaction of the police that is all too familiar in history books and documentaries. Martin Luther King participated in the first sit in at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College in Durham and upon returning to Atlanta was informed that he had a warrant in Alabama because of false information on tax records. Two groups, the Struggle for Freedom and the Committee to Defend Martin Luther King paid $4,800 dollars for the advertisement, which asked for donations...
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...press and ask them questions like “ how much of these peoples lives do you know about “and “ do you think there should be some limits on how much you can know about these people”. I’ll see if i can get some interviews of people who have already interviewed drama filled celebrities like Brittany Spears and "the always in the fighting mood" Chris Brown. I want to find out how far the paparazzi is limited, if any at all, and see why they should be limited. I’ll learn how to make a website and how interviews work and the skill behind them. What will mostly interest me will is when i can find out the future affects the paparazzi will have on the media. With the media being the most useful source of info for the people, the paparazzi could have more power, or they could lose that power and become more limited on the things they...
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...study in terms of major foundational ethical theories and major journalism ethical theories. Authoritarian theory of the press: The function of the press is to support the policies and actions of the state, and its authorities. The press should foster social solidarity and national unity. The state has the right to control the press for the overall public good. In many cases, controlling the press means preventing the press from embarrassing the existing government, to repress criticism and protest, and to severely restrict press freedom. The authoritarian view was prevalent in 17th century Europe where publishing came under the prerogative and censorship powers of the monarch and church. The authoritarian theory is embraced today by many leaders of non-democratic states. Libertarian (or liberal) theory of the press: The function of the press is to protect the people‟s liberties and rights, and to inform the public so they can participate as citizens in democratic self-government. The liberal theory prefers a privately owned news media that is maximally free to inform citizens and criticize public policy, as well as act as a watchdog on authorities. The right to publish and express oneself freely is not a...
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...analyse the role of Kenyan free press in promoting democracy and the initial challenges to an unrestrained freedom of the press on account of perceptions of irresponsibility in the exercise of free speech and the role of the media in development in Kenya. Media Laws Section 79 of the Constitution of Kenya declares that every Kenyan has the freedom to hold opinions without interference, to receive ideas and information without interference, freedom to communicate ideas and information and freedom from interference with his correspondence. According to Mwangi, 2007, freedom of the press is the right to seek, receive and to impart information. The freedom of expression in Kenya however is expressly limited in cases where any law in question makes reasonable provision in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health or to protect the rights and privacy of other persons, and to avoid the disclosure of confidential information. Mwangi, 2007 continues to say that while freedom of the press as a component of free speech has...
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...States public. The media and the First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof: or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. (www.constitution.net). The law prohibited the publication of false, scandalous, and malicious writing or writings against the government of the United States, or either house of the Congress of the United States, or the President of the United States, with intent to defame or to stir up sedition within the United States. What the media seems to overlook is that specific acts in a combat zone have a purpose that may or may not comply with the morals of our society. The media takes utilitarianism the ethical theory that determines the moral value of an act in terms of its results and if those results produce the greatest good for the greatest number and uses it to report sensitive information. They also use another theory to appeal to the good nature and moral upbringing of Americans and that is their virtue ethics they focus on the morality rather than the act. The media also feels it is their moral obligation and necessity, finding the source of ethical correctness in the rules according to which one acts. When the media reports it cleverly focuses on one of the theories or a combination of them, and renders a convincing opinion based on what they deem for...
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...been forces to resign. My conclusion was different after reading the Harvard Crimson article,"In the Defense of Richard Nixon." This letter was sent to the Chicago Tribune by the Special Assistant to the President after the paper called for President Nixon's resignation. This letter presents a more human side to the President. This letter supports the actions of President Nixon by giving him the benefit of the doubt. This article gives the Americans room to form their own opinion rather feeding them propaganda. Even though the Watergate scandal took place over 40 years ago, there are still some lingering effects. The events that took place in Watergate has forever changed the way that American view politics and has changed the way journalist cover...
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...Allison Ash Mrs. Morris CWI March 26th Freedom Of Press Freedom of press is the right to publish newspapers, magazines, and other printed matter without governmental restriction and subject only to the laws of libel, obscenity, sedition, etc. Freedom of press is what helps us know what’s going on around the world. Freedom of press tells us also what is going on outside of our country and what is going on to places we have never been to, or heard about. Bolivia does not allow freedom of press because people’s opinions and thoughts don’t seem to be as valued as they should. The reporter’s rights could cause them to be in prison for up to five years. Not only are their rights taken away but their records to find a job and all that they must need to live. All because of an opinion and them expressing it to others. This world report talks mainly about the issue of Freedom of expression and how in October 2010 that all media that includes “endorsement or publishing or discriminatory ideas” reporters can be fined and their licenses can be taken away and that means that they are out of a job. If journalists “spread ideas based on racial superiority or hatred” they could face prison for about five years. In one instance in the Página Siete and El Diario newspapers there was a criminal complaint from the government that stated there was an anti-racism law against the Fides News Agency that objected the coverage of a speech by Morales about food shortages. What was stated...
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