In the age of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, the world is inundated with news faster and more frequent than ever before. It can difficult to sort through each and every piece of news and pick it apart. One of the big issues lie in whether or not the news is ethical. Does this story need to be covered? Does it represent someone in a bad light? Does it include bias? Looking deeper into these questions, among others can help someone to see if a story is ethical or not. The biggest problem that arises here is that everyone has a different idea of what ethical is and what seems just to one is unjust to another. Many people may agree on what is ethical in one situation but getting to how that situation is reported or understood can lead to a different issue. It is when people take the time to do an ethical deep dive that they discover things about a story they may have never thought of before.
When thinking about recent news, one of the biggest controversies has been the coronavirus. So much information has come out about it and much of it has been proven to be untrue. One article published by Microsoft news states “One theory is that it was created in US laboratories of the CDC (Center for Disease Control)” (Zeleb 8). Many of these articles have been debunked and this particular one even gives relevant and truthful information and warns people to do their research. This alone shows that people are writing whatever they feel about the situation even going as far as to call it Ebola or to tell people that if your neighbor coughs to move away. Many people are being quarantined and lots of important work in being done to find a cure or solution to the problem.
Anyone who knows the basics of U.S. politics understands that one of our first amendment rights is freedom of the press (U.S. constitution). According to Simon in his article, Journalists by Definition “journalists who report the news are exercising a fundamental human right” (1). The fact that journalists can write articles about controversial issues and can be critical of authorities and organizations is incredibly important. People who have access to the news get the opportunity to understand what is going on in the U.S. and ultimately become more informed citizens. The problem is that there is a fine line between what is legal and what is ethical. Freedom of the press is legal but the way that you present that information could paint the situation in a good or bad light. If a journalist wants to be reputable and trustworthy then they not only need to present the news, but they need to present in an ethical manner.
While on certain major issues, most people can agree on what the ethical thing to do is, many times it is not simple. Getting just a small group of people to completely agree on something is difficult, so imagine millions of people who are reading and viewing the news. Many times, journalists have to make the right decision when it comes to ethics and it could be wrong. In a particular article entitled How to Talk to Your Kids About the Coronavirus, Jaime Ducharme makes some great points but has some room to grow. In chapter 3 of Introducing Communications research, Treadwell brings up the point that “Research should maximize possible benefits and minimize possible risk” (47.) This article by Ducharme presents information by doctors and other professionals on how to bring this situation to your children. The article discusses issues that could arise such as making your child extremely anxious or causing unnecessary concern. While the content itself is not wrong it begs the question of what benefit it has to the audience or readers?
There have been 13 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in the U.S. so far (Medscape.com). Based on current research, all of these people have traveled to China or been exposed to someone who has. Yet, they decided to dedicate an entire article on how to explain the issue to a small child. In the article itself one of the suggestions it makes is “It’s okay to use words like death and dying,” Gardner says. “The more we beat around the bush with kids, the more they might get confused (Ducharme 2). With only 13 confirmed cases in the U.S. and the fact that most children under 13 are not planning a trip to China, it makes a person wonder if this story was important enough to put together. Also, this story was written and adapted for parents in the U.S. where the number of cases is extremely low. Is it truly crucial to notify kids of a disease that is going to have no effect on them whatsoever?
When looking into ethics, there are certain standards or codes that need to be followed. The SPJ has released a code of ethics which gives journalists a good guideline to follow when it comes to issues like this and how they should go about them. One of the notes in the section on minimizing harm is “Balance the public’s need for information against potential harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance or undue intrusiveness” (SPJ). Presenting such a sensitive topic to an audience of children that may not need to hear it borders on being unethical. Although the journalist had some good sources to give facts about the situation, the entire article is looking to solve a problem that is not really there for young children. Now if a young child has been to China, been exposed to the virus, or knows someone who has it, then it is a different situation. However, the chances of that are so low currently in the U.S. that there is no reason to stir up undue fear.
Freedom of the press is a fantastic right that is used every day in the United States. It is a right and freedom that should always be protected. However, when journalists are utilizing it, they need to be aware. It can be easy to slip into writing something that is completely legal but ethically unbalanced. A journalist needs to stay honest, focused and news driven to keep using their first amendment right in the best way.
Sources I did not hyperlink:
Simon, Joel Journalists By Definition. Print.
Treadwell, Donald Introducing Communication Research: Paths of Inquiry Ed. 3 Sage publishing 2017. Print.
Katie's communication blog 