Poynter Institute's Bob Steele '69 Discusses "High-Profile Ethical Failures" With American Journalists
March 14, 2006
March 14, 2006, Greencastle, Ind. - "There have been a number of high-profile ethical failures in American journalism in recent years," Bob Steele, senior faculty for ethics at the Poynter Institute and 1969 graduate of DePauw University, is quoted in the Boston Globe. "These stumbles and worse have rocked the confidence in journalism for many citizens and caused considerable concern within the ranks of journalism. We've failed at times to measure up in our skills, failed at other times when it comes to accuracy and fairness."
The column by Richard Chacón begins, "Most journalists, including many of those at the Boston Globe, would insist that they possess a solid ethical foundation for the work they do every day. Yet even the most experienced journalist would benefit from a regular reexamination of journalistic ethics -- the standards and practices we use to determine what we report and why, in our quest to uncover and explain the truth for the public. Sixteen American journalists -- including this one -- gathered last week at the Poynter Institute
for Media Studies to begin a yearlong journey of ethical reexamination of our news organizations, our industry, and ourselves. The Poynter Ethics Fellows -- the fifth class named by the institute -- have agreed to perform special projects designed to strengthen ethical practices in journalism."
The article continues, "Nearly all the participants expressed deep concerns that their organizations might be more prone to ethical lapses because of cost-cutting and that many news outlets still lack a clear ethics guide for much of the content they post to their Web sites. 'There also is great concern about the role and responsibility of journalists holding the powerful accountable,' Steele added. 'Journalists must be vigorous in shining the light of scrutiny on government officials, fairly and accurately informing the public when our government leaders fail to measure up.'"
Read the complete text at the newspaper's Web site.
Back