Media Ethics Final

Because guidelines can't cover everything, the APSE Ethics Guidelines advise sports journalists to use __________ and __________ in applying its guidelines.

common sense, good judgment

Which statement about truth is LEAST accurate? Accuracy and truth are the same. Reporters sometimes must settle for the best obtainable version of the truth. The truth is not absolute. Truth is relevant and must be placed in context.

Accuracy and truth are the same.

Which statement about the ethical concerns raised by NPR reporter Nina Totenberg's close friendship with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is LEAST accurate? By not discussing its views publicly, NPR left open the possibility of one set of standards for senior, elite journalists and another set of standards for the rest of the staff. Totenberg's relationship with Ginsburg went beyond a collegial professional relationship because Ginsburg officiated Totenberg's wedding in 2000 and Totenberg's husband served as the coordinating doctor during Ginsburg's lung cancer treatment. Because Totenberg in her reporting on Ginsburg frequently disclosed the closeness of their relationship, her journalistic independence was as solid as listeners had a right to expect. NPR leaders could have shared with listeners the conversations they were having and the precautions they were taking to preserve the newsroom's independent judgment, which would have sharpened NPR's acuity in managing other personal conflicts of interest among its journalists.

Because Totenberg in her reporting on Ginsburg frequently disclosed the closeness of their relationship, her journalistic independence was as solid as listeners had a right to expect.

What is "the front-page frisk"?

The front page frisk is are you willing to do this if the story reaches the front page of the newspaper. This translates to are you able to explain why you did certain things in the process of getting your story to anyone who asks you about it.

Reporters learned the names of the motorcyclists fatally shot in Waco. What would have been a middle ground for local media wanting to report the names prior to police releasing the names?

The middle ground was conferring with the police and making sure the families were informed prior to releasing.

Under CoSIDA's Code of Ethics, its members ultimately are MOST loyal to ... CoSIDA. Their schools. Their profession. The public.

Their schools.

Which statement about professional electronic journalists is MOST accurate? The realities of scarce resources, deadline pressure and relentless competition are acceptable reasons for cutting corners factually and oversimplifying complex issues. Their first obligation is to their employers. The need to "trend," "go viral," or "explode on social media" excuse making errors in reporting. Truth and accuracy should be considered above all else.

Truth and accuracy should be considered above all else.

A good guideline when providing live coverage is to________ in the newsroom and ________ on the air or online.

overreact, under react

Which element of the NPPA code did Calvert follow in trying to decide what to do?

truthfulness

Bob Steele described the principle of (journalistic) independence as the obligation of journalists is to have the _______ as their primary loyalty and to not let that loyalty be undermined by relationships with those _____________.

public, those that you are covering

Which was NOT advice given to reporters? Sift through facts, weigh them, make editorial judgments about their relative strength and importance and then present them in a way that illuminates the truth of a matter. Gather information without fear or favor, weigh and assess that information and then reach a conclusion based on the evidence. Abandon a commitment to impartiality and follow their whims and preoccupations, as well as hand out undigested facts by the truckload and leave the audience to try to make sense of it. Examine and challenge their assumptions and blind spots as well as everyone else's, and then try to set aside their own views and instead be led by the facts, by what they uncover as they turn over an issue and examine all sides, rather than picking the facts that support their opinions and ignoring the ones that don't.

Abandon a commitment to impartiality and follow their whims and preoccupations, as well as hand out undigested facts by the truckload and leave the audience to try to make sense of it.

The L.A. Times takes a categorical imperative approach AGAINST which action by its journalists? Donating money to a partisan campaign or candidate Accepting gifts Accepting free travel to cover a military or scientific expedition Critics accepting free admission to events they attend to write reviews

Accepting free travel to cover a military or scientific expedition

Scheduling only one guest on a news show because that guest will confirm and articulate what most viewers already believe would be an example of what Kovach and Rosenstiel call the journalism of ... Affirmation Denial Assertion Verification

Affirmation

Which statement about video news releases is LEAST accurate? Broadcast reporters should do their best to find out the purpose for which the VNR was shot and the standards used producing it. Airing entire VNRs helps a station competitively by having it stand out from other stations in the market. VNRs should be clearly labeled as such for viewers. Businesses, public relations firms and government agencies provide VNRs in hopes that overworked reporters will run the whole piece as a story.

Airing entire VNRs helps a station competitively by having it stand out from other stations in the market.

Under Hodges' circles of intimacy, which is LEAST accurate? Invasion of privacy occurs when people or institutions take away your control over your circles of intimacy. As the circles expand, what you reveal about yourself becomes progressively less intimate. As the circles expand, you progressively gain more control over information about you. Privacy can be considered your control over who has access to your various circles of intimacy.

As the circles expand, you progressively gain more control over information about you.

The National Press Photographers Association says its code of ethics "is intended to promote the highest quality in all forms of visual journalism and to strengthen public confidence in the profession" and that ideally, visual journalists should "strive by example and influence to maintain the spirit and high standards expressed in this code." The code is BEST considered to be ... Consequential Aspirational Punitive Sequential

Aspirational

Writing a blog post that repeats another blogger's incorrect information without trying to verify it or put it into context would be an example of what Kovach and Rosenstiel call the journalism of ... Verification Assertion Denial Affirmation

Assertion

The author of Newsroom Ethics and Sports Journalism would LEAST agree with which statement about sports journalists? Sports journalists face a type of competition not faced by most of their newsroom counterparts, in the form of direct competition from the athletes, teams and leagues they cover through social media, websites and cable operations such as those operated by the NFL. Because media consumers often want "good news only" coverage about the home team, sports journalists should cultivate their department's toy-box image and focus on sports as simple fun and games. Because sports at almost every level in the U.S. have become big business with consequences beyond the playing fields, sports journalists should provide citizens and consumers with reporting on issues that affect their communities, pocketbooks, and the health and education of their children. The way they practice their craft reflects on the entire newsroom because the credibility of journalism is built or eroded by contributions of everyone within the profession, no matter what they cover.

Because media consumers often want "good news only" coverage about the home team, sports journalists should cultivate their department's toy-box image and focus on sports as simple fun and games.

Which was NOT advice for private college journalists faced with censorship by administrators? Because your loyalty is first and foremost to your school, avoid reporting news that college officials reasonably believe will damage its reputation. Explain the ethical imperatives and professional codes of ethics that support your story. Enlist the support of prominent alumni in journalism and consider telling other news outlets about the censorship. Explain to the college officials the importance of the story.

Because your loyalty is first and foremost to your school, avoid reporting news that college officials reasonably believe will damage its reputation.

Which statement about journalistic objectivity is LEAST accurate? Seeking multiple witnesses, disclosing as much as possible about sources, and asking various sides for comment are steps to objective verification. Being impartial or neutral is a core principle of journalism. Journalistic methods should be objective. Journalists must make decisions, so they are not objective.

Being impartial or neutral is a core principle of journalism.

Under Hodges' smallest circle of intimacy, which is LEAST accurate? The sharing of highly intimate details should be reciprocal. The person with whom you share the most intimate details might change during your lifetime. Sharing your most intimate details should be based on trust. Casual acquaintances are typically included in the smallest circle of intimacy.

Casual acquaintances are typically included in the smallest circle of intimacy.

Professional electronic journalists should know that ... Avoiding difficult stories is more ethical than taking on the challenge of reporting them. Journalism focused on reporting remarks, claims and comments is sufficient. The right to broadcast information means it is always right to do so. Children, victims, vulnerable adults and others inexperienced with American media should be given special consideration.

Children, victims, vulnerable adults and others inexperienced with American media should be given special consideration.

Which statement about the CoSIDA Code of Ethics is LEAST accurate? CoSIDA's Code of Ethics is based on the SPJ Code of Ethics. Above all, CoSIDA members should avoid criticism of fellow staff members, university officials, media and colleagues. The code is consequential. The CoSIDA board of directors retains the right to expel members for violating it.

CoSIDA's Code of Ethics is based on the SPJ Code of Ethics.

Which is permitted under the New York Times and Los Angeles Timesguidelines for news photos? Posing people so the photograph is more aesthetically pleasing Cropping the photo to omit extraneous outer portions Rearranging, including flipping, subjects on the photo Removing people and objects that distract from the subject

Cropping the photo to omit extraneous outer portions

John Long argued that for photojournalists, ______ is an ethical issue, nota matter of taste. Deception and lying Aspects of life we do not want to see in our morning paper as we eat breakfast Sexuality and nudity Blood and violence

Deception and lying

Which statement about using deception to gather news is LEAST accurate? Deception is justified if it means getting the story by expending less time and fewer resources. Don't do anything to get a story that you wouldn't want printed alongside your story. Reporters should acknowledge the deception to the audience and explain the reasons. Journalists involved should fully examine their own motivations, the potential consequences of their actions and possible impact on the profession's credibility as well as their own and that of their news organization.

Deception is justified if it means getting the story by expending less time and fewer resources.

In Ethics in the Age of Digital Photography, John Long would be LEASTlikely to agree that ... Digital manipulation of news photos and videos can damage the credibility of not only that specific news outlet but also of all journalists. Ethical violations can cause a few subscription cancellations and letters to the editor, but they tend to evaporate in a few days. Photographers should think in advance about the point at which they should put down the camera and help people at the scene. If the public needs the information in the photo to make informed choices for society, then we must run the photo.

Ethical violations can cause a few subscription cancellations and letters to the editor, but they tend to evaporate in a few days.

In Ethics in the Age of Digital Photography, John Long would be LEASTlikely to agree that ... Photojournalists have only one thing to offer the public and that is credibility. Even in the context of news, photographers have the right to alter the content of the photo in any way. Words can tell us the facts, but photos hit us in the gut by giving us the real meaning, the deep and emotional impact of what happened much better than words can. The power of photographs comes from the fact they are real moments in time captured as they happened, unchanged.

Even in the context of news, photographers have the right to alter the content of the photo in any way.

Kovach and Rosenstiel believe that ... Journalism of affirmation best serves the needs of a democracy. Journalists should accumulate and pass along information to the audience without verification or context. Giving equal weight to two sides of a story that aren't actually equal creates a false balance that equates to a distortion. A factually correct story is by definition substantially true.

Giving equal weight to two sides of a story that aren't actually equal creates a false balance that equates to a distortion.

Which statement about fairness under the L.A. Times guidelines is LEAST accurate? Grabbing quick quotes from sources to create a semblance of balance in a story is an acceptable practice because the policy recognizes that reporters work on deadline. A goal of its news and feature reporting is to be nonideological so that a fair-minded reader could not discern the reporter's private opinions or infer that the newspaper is promoting an agenda. Whenever possible, the reporter should meet with the subject of allegations or criticism in a sincere effort to understand that person's best arguments. Reporters should examine the ideological environment in which they work because the biases of colleagues, sources and communities can distort their sense of objectivity.

Grabbing quick quotes from sources to create a semblance of balance in a story is an acceptable practice because the policy recognizes that reporters work on deadline.

Which one should NOT be a factor when journalists consider airing the worst possible outcome live? How do I know the worst possible outcome will not occur? Am I prepared to air the worst possible outcome, such as a person killing himself or killing someone else? What outcomes am I not willing to air? Is my competition airing this live and likely to show the worst possible outcome?

Is my competition airing this live and likely to show the worst possible outcome?

Which statement regarding journalistic truth is LEAST accurate? Journalists try to convey a fair and reliable account of what facts mean, subject to further investigation. Journalistic truth is a process that begins with the professional discipline of assembling and verifying facts. Journalism pursues truth in an absolute or philosophical sense. A larger truth emerges over time.

Journalism pursues truth in an absolute or philosophical sense.

Olbermann argued that ... Facts should be superior to the truth. Journalism should be driven by subjective choices, evaluations and commentary, not by neutrality and objectivity. TV journalists who did not look too deeply into the U.S. decision to invade Iraq were correct in their objectivity by not being evaluative or subjective Cronkite and Murrow were glorified stenographers, neutral men who were too afraid to evaluate, analyze, unscramble and assess information.

Journalism should be driven by subjective choices, evaluations and commentary, not by neutrality and objectivity.

Which statement about news and privacy is LEAST accurate? Journalists are required to get permission to identify sexual assault victims in news stories. The news media risk causing emotional trauma when family members learn from the news media that their loved one has been killed. SPJ's minimize harm means journalists should put themselves in stakeholders' shoes and treat them as the journalists would want to be treated. Reporting the names of deceased people arguably could be justified if other news media have disclosed those names, but that argument presumes that the family members saw the other broadcast.

Journalists are required to get permission to identify sexual assault victims in news stories.

Which statement about lies is LEAST accurate? Lies undermine trust. Liars typically underestimate the benefits of the questionable lie. All lies test values. Lying is a way to get and maintain power.

Liars typically underestimate the benefits of the questionable lie.

A survey of IRE journalists did NOT find that ... Journalists universally rejected fabricating facts or an entire story. More experienced journalists are more likely to accept any form of deception. Journalists universally rejected lying to the audience. Those in competitive markets were more accepting of deception than those in less competitive ones.

More experienced journalists are more likely to accept any form of deception.

Under the L.A. Times guidelines, reporters ... May make personal investment decisions by using nonpublic information obtained by the newspaper. Who cover the entertainment industry may propose a script or movie idea to Hollywood agents and studio executives. Must inform a supervisor whenever the activities, investments or affiliations of a family member, companion or close friend or other personal relationship could create a conflict of interest for the reporter. May enter into business and financial relationships with their sources.

Must inform a supervisor whenever the activities, investments or affiliations of a family member, companion or close friend or other personal relationship could create a conflict of interest for the reporter.

Which statement about the relationship between the newsroom and advertising staffs is LEAST accurate? News staffers should sell advertising. The advertising salespeople must be clear with clients that advertising doesn't buy news coverage. Despite SPJ's and RTDNA's admonitions to the contrary, some newspaper editors and station managers bow to advertiser pressures regarding coverage. A focus on short-term profit could undermine the newsroom's integrity.

News staffers should sell advertising.

Which statement is NOT a criticism of objective reporting? Objective reporting tests the original story idea against the evidence and expects reporters to sift through competing claims, identify and explain the underlying assumptions of those claims, and make judgments about what the audience should know. Objective reporting a disservice to the public because it fails to attempt to find the truth. Objectivity excuses lazy reporting. Objectivity heavily favors the viewpoint of government and powerful corporations.

Objective reporting tests the original story idea against the evidence and expects reporters to sift through competing claims, identify and explain the underlying assumptions of those claims, and make judgments about what the audience should know.

Which was NOT something sports columnist Arash Markazi did that ran afoul of the L.A. Times ethics guidelines? On social media, promoting companies he patronized. Interviewed the USC athletic director while Markazi was an adjunct professor at USC. Using his position to get a free yearlong membership to the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Owned a public relations agency whose clientele includes the Los Angeles mayor.

Owned a public relations agency whose clientele includes the Los Angeles mayor.

To which news photograph would John Long MOST likely object? A photo in which telephone wires were digitally removed from behind the heads of several women on a parade float. Photo of dead American helicopter pilot being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. Photo of two migrants lying face down on a river bank - a father and his 2-year-old daughter who drowned while trying to cross the Rio Grande River to enter the United States. Photo of South Vietnamese general shooting Viet Cong suspect in the head on a Saigon street during the Tet Offensive.

Photo of two migrants lying face down on a river bank - a father and his 2-year-old daughter who drowned while trying to cross the Rio Grande River to enter the United States.

Which statement about the need to know is LEAST accurate? Demands that an ethical case be constructed for making known information that others wish to keep private. Provides a more ethically compelling argument than right to know. Provides little justification for airing or publishing a story. Demands that media present information in a manner that will make its importance evident to a sometimes-lazy citizenry.

Provides little justification for airing or publishing a story.

Which statement about using video is LEAST accurate? Videographers should exercise the same level of ethical professionalism and accuracy in editing sounds and images as reporters are expected to exercise in their choice of words, soundbites and facts. Rearranging people for better shots and recreating moments that they missed are ethically OK for solo journalists. When using file footage, put file on the screen so viewers know what they're seeing. Using video that doesn't come from that day's journalistic newsgathering requires telling viewers truthfully about what they are watching.

Rearranging people for better shots and recreating moments that they missed are ethically OK for solo journalists.

Which statement BEST describes an alternative to objective reporting? Reporters should simply report "both sides" of an issue and let the audience decide which side is most credible. Reporters should be willing to adjudicate factual disputes if they have the expertise required to do so. The story steers a middle path between two poles of political rhetoric. All facts and people should be regarded as equal.

Reporters should be willing to adjudicate factual disputes if they have the expertise required to do so.

Which statement of ethics BEST represents a categorical imperative? A sustained, systematic deception, even a passive one - taking a job, for example, to observe a business from the inside - may be employed only after consultation between a department head and masthead editors. Undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information should be avoided except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public. Reporters, editors and other news professionals should in no way misrepresent their identity to gather information for a story. Use surreptitious news-gathering techniques, including hidden cameras or microphones, only if there is no other way to obtain stories of significant public importance and only if the technique is explained to the audience."

Reporters, editors and other news professionals should in no way misrepresent their identity to gather information for a story.

In which one of the following are ethical considerations based solely on what information open government laws make public? Need to Know Right to Know Want to Know Like to Know

Right to know

An exception to Fred Brown's questions would be based on what?

SPJ code of ethics

Under the SPJ Code of Ethics, journalists ... May accept gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment. Are not expected to distinguish news from advertising or to label sponsored content. Are not expected to identify content provided by outside sources. Should avoid perceived conflicts of interest and disclose unavoidable conflicts.

Should avoid perceived conflicts of interest and disclose unavoidable conflicts.

Under the NPPA Code of Ethics, photographers ... Should not intentionally sabotage the efforts of other photojournalists. May accept gifts, favors, or money from those seeking to influence coverage. Should never intrude on private moments of grief. May pay sources or subjects for information or participation.

Should not intentionally sabotage the efforts of other photojournalists.

Under the APSE Ethics Guidelines, a sportswriter ... May accept free memberships or reduced fees for memberships notavailable to the public. May accept gratis use of facilities, such as golf courses or tennis courts. Should not write for team or league media guides. May serve as an official scorer at a baseball game the reporter is covering.

Should not write for team or league media guides.

Under the RTDNA Guidelines for Avoiding Conflicts of Interest, journalists ... Should refuse to allow the interests of ownership or management to influence news judgment and content inappropriately. May pay news sources who have a vested interest in a story. May accept gifts, favors, or compensation from those who seek to influence coverage. Should accept that sponsorship of the news will determine, restrict or manipulate content.

Should refuse to allow the interests of ownership or management to influence news judgment and content inappropriately.

Which statement about editing video is LEAST accurate? Don't add sounds that did not exist unless it is clear to the viewers that they have been added in the edit room. Slow motion makes the story seem fair and more informative, with viewers less apt to place blame on those who are shown in slow motion. Slow dissolves, tight cropping and framing, dramatic lighting and unusual angles can send subtle or even overt messages to the viewer about a person's perceived guilt, power or authority. Adding music can send complex and profound editorial messages to the video.

Slow motion makes the story seem fair and more informative, with viewers less apt to place blame on those who are shown in slow motion.

What reasoning did the reading provide to explain that "it's just Sports" is not a sufficient response to ethical lapses by sports journalists?

Sports are the fabric of the community, and readers deserve our care, our trust and our integrity.

Under the APSE Ethics Guidelines, which is LEAST accurate? Sports writers must not vote for sports awards and all-star teams. The newspaper should pay its staffer's way for travel, accommodations, food and drink. Free tickets should not be accepted, but press credentials needed for coverage and coordination are acceptable. Assignments should be made on merit, without regard for race or gender.

Sports writers must not vote for sports awards and all-star teams.

Under the L.A. Times guidelines, which statement is LEAST accurate? Reporters may not accept awards from groups they cover. Reporters may not enter their work in contests that exist primarily to publicize or further the cause of an organization. Staff writers who vote for an award may not be part of the newspaper's coverage of that award. Sportswriters may vote for baseball's Hall of Fame, college football's Heisman Trophy and national rankings in college sports.

Sportswriters may vote for baseball's Hall of Fame, college football's Heisman Trophy and national rankings in college sports.

Under the NPPA Code of Ethics, which statement is LEAST accurate? Editing should maintain the integrity of the photographic images' content and context by not manipulating images or adding or altering sound in any way that can mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects. Special consideration should be given to vulnerable subjects and compassion to victims of crime or tragedy. Staged photo opportunities are acceptable. Photographers should not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events.

Staged photo opportunities are acceptable.

Which statement about photojournalism ethics is LEAST accurate? The primary role of photojournalists should be to visually report on significant events and varied viewpoints in our common world. The goal of photojournalists should be the faithful and comprehensive depiction of the subject at hand. The advent of computers and digital photography has created the need for a whole new set of ethical standards for photographers. Photojournalists have a responsibility to document society and to preserve its history though images.

The advent of computers and digital photography has created the need for a whole new set of ethical standards for photographers.

Which statement about conflicts of interests for journalists is LEASTaccurate? Longevity and deep knowledge on a beat are valued, but growing too close to sources or lacking fresh eyes on a controversy is always a risk. Newsrooms frequently navigate conflicts with creative solutions such as isolating reporters from specific sources, consulting editors in particular circumstances, or even splitting reporting chores among several journalists. The best approach to avoiding conflicts of interest is to insist that reporters' personal lives don't influence their journalism. Conflicts, real or perceived, must be managed by systems of checks and balances including through public scrutiny and through a process of pitching, reporting, producing, editing, refining and fact-checking stories that provides the safety net where overt or subtle bias can be called into question.

The best approach to avoiding conflicts of interest is to insist that reporters' personal lives don't influence their journalism.

Which statement about deception under the professional codes of ethics is LEAST accurate? The Los Angeles Times prohibits reporters from lying about who they are. The codes agree that using composite characters and fictional names for sources is acceptable to protect sources. The New York Times allows reporters to remain silent on their identity and allow assumptions to be made ¬so they can observe an institution's dealings with the public, for example, or the behavior of people at a rally or police officers in a bar near the station house. The Associated Press requires reporters to identify themselves as AP journalists when seeking an interview.

The codes agree that using composite characters and fictional names for sources is acceptable to protect sources.

Kant would most likely DISAGREE with which statement about deception? The possible harm that a lie can cause is what makes it immoral. Liars throw away their own dignity by lying. Lying is an assault on the innate dignity that all people require as humans. Deception disrespects other people's free will to exercise rational capacity.

The possible harm that a lie can cause is what makes it immoral.

What are Fred Brown's questions to ask under SPJ's minimize harm?

The questions are: Who gets hurt if we tell this story? Does the benefit to the public of knowing that truth outweigh that harm? What does the public need to know?

Which would NOT have been advice from W.D. Ross? Prima facie duties to moral action include beneficence, gratitude and justice. The rightness of an action depends upon the consequences of that action. Prima facie duties to moral action include fidelity, reparation and self-improvement. Make decisions after thinking about a set of competing duties.

The rightness of an action depends upon the consequences of that action.

Which statement about want to know is LEAST accurate? The social responsibility theory supports this concept more than it does the right to know or the need to know. Means that while people might want the information, they don't have a legal right to it and don't need it. A less ethically compelling rationale for obtaining and disseminating information is provided than under the right to know and the need to know. Serves the same function as gossip.

The social responsibility theory supports this concept more than it does the right to know or the need to know.

How could the time of day play into the decision to cover a breaking event?

The time of day can play into the decision because if the event occurs during a time where a lot of children are watching TV, the coverage of the event could be offensive towards them.

The author of Newsroom Ethics and Sports Journalism would LEAST agree with which statement about students wanting to become sports journalists? They love sports but missed their chance to become the next great sports phenom so they've decided that sports journalism is the next best thing. They might live the aspirations of sports fans and use sports as a way to socialize with, and perhaps to wager on, their mental mastery of sports through fantasy leagues and betting pools. They want to practice journalism as a craft and vocation so they seek to adopt its values and to live its aspirations on whatever beat or story they cover. They generally don't make critical or even good reporters and editors because their allegiances aren't with news consumers but are, instead, with the athletes, teams and leagues they cover.

They want to practice journalism as a craft and vocation so they seek to adopt its values and to live its aspirations on whatever beat or story they cover.

Which MOST likely justifies using deception to gather news? Winning a prize Deadline pressure Beating the competition Traditional open methods won't yield information vital to the public.

Traditional open methods won't yield information vital to the public.

Journalists could minimize harm if the live situation turns graphic, violent or compromises the safety of others by using an electronic safety net such as a tape and signal delay that would give the station time to dump out of live coverage. True False

True

Which statement about deception by journalists is LEAST accurate? Undercover reporting will add news value to a story lacking it. The desire to entertain, make money or attract ratings doesn't justify lying. What a reporter did to get the information can distract the audience from the information itself. Deception should never be a last-minute way to get news-gathering finished.

Undercover reporting will add news value to a story lacking it.

Which statement about using deception to gather news is LEAST accurate? Using deception to gather news should be a normal practice. The information being sought should be of profound importance. The harm that could be prevented by public knowledge of the information gathered should outweigh any harm caused by the deception. All other ways of gathering the information should have been exhausted.

Using deception to gather news should be a normal practice.

Checking facts by interviewing more sources and seeking public records would be an example of what Kovach and Rosenstiel call the journalism of ... Affirmation Assertion Denial Verification

Verification

Which statement about privacy is LEAST accurate? Privacy must be weighed against other considerations. People need privacy to develop the emotional, cognitive, spiritual and moral powers of an autonomous agent. Privacy is a person's control over what personal information becomes public and to whom. What is considered private remains constant over time and regardless of the place and culture.

What is considered private remains constant over time and regardless of the place and culture.

Which statement about deceptive practices by journalists is LEAST accurate? When the subjects of the story are lying, the reporter is justified in using deception, misrepresentation and hidden cameras in news-gathering. Journalists worry that deceptive reporting methods will harm their credibility and their ability to cover subsequent stories. Alternatives to using deception usually exist, but journalists cannot perceive those alternatives because their perception is skewed. The target of the deception should be given an opportunity to tell his or her side.

When the subjects of the story are lying, the reporter is justified in using deception, misrepresentation and hidden cameras in news-gathering.

To protect their credibility, John Long in Ethics in the Age of Digital Photography recommend visual journalists to ask and answer three questions: 1) In what _______ is the photo being used? 2) Is the photograph a ______ and ______ representation of the information being presented? 3) Does this photograph _______ the reader?

context, fair & accurate, deceive

The process of making editorial judgments about facts is fundamental to what?

great journalism

Simply collecting facts and setting them down is not ______ ? That is _______?

journalism, stenography

Beyond competitive factors, journalists going live should first consider 1) What their _________ are for going live. 2) Why viewers __________ about the story before journalists have the opportunity to ________ the information off the air. 3) What ___________ is the journalist will to give up to ________ the information to the viewer.

motivations, need to know, filter, truth testing, speed

In considering whether to include information that would identify the 16-year-old rape victim, which ONE of Ross' seven prima facie duties did the newspaper decide was MOST important?

non maleficence

Reciting facts devoid of context or color and writing "he said/she said" stories that list the views of the usual suspects on a topic but leave the audience none the wiser about who's right and who's wrong is what?

objective reporting