Category / Work / Ethics

The current changes in journalism have brought many new ethical challenges, but they’re also changing the idea of ethics itself, according to Stephen J. A. Ward. 

The conversation surrounding how we report on issues as sensitive as suicide continues. Melanie Coulson, a senior online editor at The Ottawa Citizen, a journalism instructor at Carleton University, and someone who has direct experience with it, looks at the shift in the reporting of suicide over the years.

Let’s face it: There is no easy way to report on a trial in which the details of the rape and murder of eight-year-old Tori Stafford are given. Belinda Alzner looks at the history of the case, the dichotomy between the public's reaction to the coverage and news organizations' understanding of their duty to report…

National Public Radio in the U.S. released its new ethics handbook late last week. The handbook is an updated version of NPR’s 2003 ethics code, and looked to address shortcomings in the code that had become apparent. 

Warning:  The following article contains disturbing details.  But should it? In the latest issue of the King's Journalism Review, Marie Hanifen explores the delicate balance required to report on sexual assault cases and the point at which including details becomes gratuitous. 

He understands why we do it, but Paul Benedetti is having second thoughts about the ethics of interviewing children and youths. Benedetti is an award-winning columnist for the Hamilton Spectator and program co-ordinator for the Graduate Program in Journalism at Western. He’s struggling to put his finger on exactly what’s making him uneasy – but…

Mommy blogs have become monetized and it's not hard to see why: Brands embrace bloggers who promote their products, and many bloggers are only too happy to accept compensation to promote brands they were going to be writing about anyway. Ira Basen looks into issues of transparency, ethics and reader expectation that come with accepting…

As press councils cease operations and news organizations back out, what role do they play in the future of journalism? Lisa Taylor — a Ryerson journalism instructor, Master of Laws graduate and CBC alumna — is examining the institutions with Ivor Shapiro for a study requested by Newspapers Canada. She explains to J-Source in more…

It's become a familiar, yet unresolved, question: what, if anything, distinguishes an act of journalism from other stuff? Ivor Shapiro has a thought on that, with a little help from the Bard of Avon.

Where will trust come from in the future of public media? News organizations are beginning to create new, integrated ethical guidelines as they move into the digital age. It is in this age that we need an understanding of public journalism that goes beyond traditional forms, such as radio and television. Stephen Ward takes a look at…