Chapter8: Conflict of interest File

Conflict of interest and the media

- A conflict of interest arises when a person or organization has multiple, competing loyalties. - There is no universal rule that says we can't have conflicts of interest. Our parents and guardians teach us not to lie, but don't always teach us about conflicts of interest.

Conflicts of interest in media fall into three categories:

1- Conflicting relationships 2- Conflicting public participation 3- Vested interests and hidden agendas

Journalists and conflicts of interest

1- Journalists should avoid conflicts of interest so they can remain objective, detached. 2- Even if journalists are able to remain objective (in theory), readers/viewers may have doubts if conflicts of interest persist.

the structural roots of conflicts of interest in the news

1- One HUGE conflict of interest in journalism is news organizations are dependent upon advertisers. 2- Another HUGE conflict of interest in journalism is news organizations must remain loyal to their owners (e.g. ABC is owned by Disney; NBC is owned by GE; CNN is owned by Turner Broadcasting System).

Category 3: vested interests and hidden agendas

1- Sometimes news organizations and journalists have behind-the-scenes interests and agendas that readers/viewers do not know about. - Should financial reporters not be able to invest in stocks at all? Most would say they definitely shouldn't write about specific stocks they invest in.

Category 2: conflicting public participation

1- The traditional view is that journalists can't become members of community organizations (must stay detached because these are the people journalists are supposed to cover). - Others, however, say civic participation is good because it helps journalists stay informed of what's going on in society and also to develop sources. 2- Many say journalists should also completely avoid political involvement and activism because such involvement means they are partisan. - Others think this is silly, though. They say that journalists with strong political beliefs would be biased regardless of whether they join political organizations. * The problem, though, is the perception of the readers/viewers. * Sometimes editors have admonished their reporters for participating in public demonstrations. 3- The rise of civic/public journalism - a new movement to encourage journalists to become active in their communities. - This is different from a traditional watchdog role. In public/civic journalism, journalists are supposed to be agents of change. Don't just focus on problems, focus on solutions. - This includes asking readers and viewers to decide what the media should cover, and even how they should cover it, and then becoming active participants with the community in confronting social problems.

Approaches to dealing with conflicts of interest

1- try to avoid personal conflicts as much as possible. 2- if a conflict can be anticipated try to prevent it. 3- if a conflict cannot be avoided, acknowledge it to the public.

Conflicting relationships arise under several circumstances:

A) Gifts and perks 1- Those who offer gifts are not motivated by generosity; they want good coverage 2- Even if journalists can remain objective, public will doubt 3- Journalists may be influenced, even if only subtly B) Checkbook journalism - paying for news 1- A columbine kid who knew the shooters was paid by ABC 2- Michael Jackson was paid $1,000,000 for an interview on CBS 3-Accident victims are sometimes offered money C) Personal Relationships - a journalist may have a friend, romantic interest, or family member who is also a source or potential source. Or, conversely, a journalist's potential source may be an avowed enemy. D) The Journalist as a citizen - journalists are professionals, supposed to be detached; but they're also supposed to be citizens, which obliges them to be patriots and to fulfill their duties as citizens. - There can sometimes be a contradiction between these two duties

Category 1: conflicting relationships

Conflicting relationships arise when media orgs represent competing clients (it's difficult to "serve two masters"). For example, an advertiser could not reasonably represent both coke and pepsi.