Ethics for Journalists

Ethics for Journalists

By: Tafara Cameron

Richard Keeble’s text, Ethics for Journalists (2nd Edition) examines the issues that journalists encounter on a regular, day-to-day basis from the perspective of the media. Keeble also tackles the various ethical dilemmas with provided interviews and overviews that can ultimately develop strategies to assist in 1) the representation of gender, race, health, disability, sexual orientation 2) the impact of competition on media standards 3) ethics and its challenges on “professionalism” 4) approaches regarding cynicism 5) the handling of confidential dilemmas and sources of war and 6) the power of the press and controversy thereof.

Ethics is somewhat expected to be defined in a variety of broad senses; for example one definition can imply that ethics promotes the freedom to choose. In retrospect, this would conclude that our actions are drawn by our very own self-interest. Some explanations of how to carefully examine the truth about ethics would derive from the stressors on professionalism/ public interest; including the idea of free press, the press/ media as a Fourth Estate, accuracy and truthfulness and the codes of conduct. Keeble comments on The Watergate Investigation and the ethical/ non-ethical opinions The media, including the Washington Post took this scandal and ran with it on all levels.

Even further, during the 1995 O.J Simpson Trial, The Gulf Wars of 1990-1991, and the death of Princess Diana in 1997 all critically evaluated because of the media’s depoliticisation with sports, lifestyles, sex and health. Some say that critics have been reluctant to the idea of political apathy and are obsessed with media coverage which ends up losing the value and ethical credibility in due time.