ENG 398—Ethics in Journalism

Is it ever OK to break the law to get a story? When is it the right decision to publish a rumor? How do you know whether a picture that likely will offend readers and viewers should be used? This course pushes students to examine how every action a journalist makes in gathering, organizing and presenting the news requires a value judgment. The course covers media credibility, steps in ethical decision-making, handling anonymous and unreliable sources, accuracy, conflict of interest and the difference between reporting and exploiting grief. The course uses the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics as a model and guideline. Students study a range of historical scenarios as well as hypothetical cases. They debate with the instructor and each other. Students read and discuss the decisions and mistakes of past journalists and analyze the dilemmas unfolding in newsrooms today.