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Old 03-11-2008, 07:59 AM   #1 (permalink)
robot_parade
Junkie
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
Journalistic integrity

I know this story is a little bit old, but I just can't get over it.

All professions have standards of integrity. Doctors have the hippocratic oath, lawyers and other 'white collar' professions generally have organizations, standards, and sometimes even laws regulating their behavior. Blue collar workers are generally expected to be honest, deal fairly, do the work they commit to doing, etc.

Journalists also have what is called 'journalistic integrity'.

Let's pretend you are a journalist covering a candidate for president. He invites you and the other journalists covering him to stay the weekend at a five-star resort, all expenses paid, and attend a free 'barbecue', all in a 'no-cameras/off-the-record' atmosphere. It's explicitly not a political or campaign event, there won't be any opportunity to interview the candidate 'on the record', or anything like that.

Do you think attending such an event would violate your journalistic integrity?

Obviously I'm referring to the McCain thing the other weekend:

http://margalis.blogspot.com/2008/03...ess-corps.html

Pretty well matches my views, and includes some excerpts from the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics:

Quote:
Journalists should:
—Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
— Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility.
— Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement, public office and service in community organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.
And I'm curious - does anyone here on TFP see any justification for this behavior? Anyone willing to defend it?
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