Some Ethical Issues to Consider as we Begin

Creative Commons photo by Denise Krebs

Welcome to Waldsmith's Dispatch, a blog I will use throughout the semester to post additional thoughts, links to stories and video, etc. to stimulate additional discussion or to reinforce concepts we are reviewing in Journalism class.

Because we are so very fortunate to live in an open society we are able to enjoy the five freedoms that the First Amendment provides all American citizens.  Two of the five protections guaranteed by the First Amendment -- freedom of speech and freedom of the press -- help ensure that we provide citizens with a "marketplace of ideas" free from censorship. 

But these same freedoms also lead to ethical questions, particularly for journalists. Here is a link to ta story from The New York Times that covers the story we discussed in class this week.

This article from an editor explains why Al Jazeera, an arabic language news network, will only use the term "refugee" when referring to those fleeing Syria. Word choice, especially in times of crisis and conflict, is an important consideration for the ethical and responsible journalist.s This article looks at a global issue, but in reality, even student journalists encounter such ethical dilemmas. Read this article to learn how student editors at the Playwickian voted not to use the term "redskins".

Please share your thoughts on any of these three ethical issues.