The Painful Balance: Understanding Fraud in Journalism

1. Chapter Five Media Ethics-The Painful Balance

2. Fraud and Why it Happens • Fraud-the use of deception for unlawful gain or unjust advantages • Found in many different forms like lies, plagiarism, exaggerations, accusations, etc

3. Former New York Times Writer Jason Blair Found a crease in the paper and an editorial over sight. As Jones said he had “hidden out in it like a lizard in a crack.”

4. The Story About Jessica Lynch • She had been captured in combat in Iraq and than released • Blair was assigned to write an article about the family and those involved • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERgaVF97mgs

5. Examples • Blair wrote that Lynche’s father “choked up as he stood on his porch overlooking the tobacco fields and cattle pastures.” • Also wrote that the Lynch family had a long history of military service • this article carried a dateline of Palestine, West Virginia, meaning that Blair had been there

6. Why it happened • “they assumed that was just how papers worked these days.”

7. Money and Ethics • 19th and 20th century journalist was a “dog eat dog” world • Money started to influence journalists in negative ways • Many different codes and elements were established to help journalist determine what was acceptable and what wasn’t

8. 3 of the 10 Principals • 1. journalist’s first obligation is to tell the truth • 2.Its first loyalty is to citizens • 3. Its essence is a discipline of verification

9. Sources, Trust, and Reputations You must always keep your source!!!!! When you give up a source, you lose their trust in you and in your paper. Thus, tarnishing the reputation your paper has worked so hard to build

10. Example • Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein kept the identity of Deep Throat for over 30 years • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2SLvOhLGZo&NR=1&feature=fvwp

11. Bias? Bush opens the wrong door after a press conference on a visit to China. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHjIb6trxBI&feature=PlayList&p=1D16FD602D2A5A30&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=19

12. Three Roles Of Journalism • Professional, citizen, and human being • Must be able to juggle all three • Sometimes they come in to conflict with each other

13. Examples of Conflict • A journalist comes across a rape article Do you publish the rap victims name? • A journalist is on a scene of a fire and he notices a man whose clothes are on fire. Should he observe and take notes on efforts to rescue the person?

14. Bottom line • Fraud is something that all journalist should avoid. Make sure your articles are 100% yours. • Journalism is not about the money. • Having good ethics is the core of good journalism • As a journalist, you must always keep the trust of a source. • Not everything is biased • The three roles of journalism helps keep the perfect balance of humanity when it comes to journalists.