Journalistic Techniques: Some Guiding Principles

1
Journalistic Techniques Some Guiding Principles

• Critical Issues in Journalism and Global
  Communication
• March 2002, D. Weisenhaus

2
Sources Evaluate

• How does this source know what he/she knows? Can
  I prove the sources information through other
  records or sources?
• Are there underlying assumptions that my source
  depends on which I should question?
• What is past reliability, reputation, motive?
• Why am I using this source? Am I being
  manipulated?

3
Anonymous Sources

• First Get interview, information on record.
• If cant, 4 criteria
• Overwhelming public interest
• Must be NO other way to get information on the
  record
• Unnamed source must have verifiable knowledge of
  story.
• You should be willing to reveal to public why
  source cannot be named and what promises were
  made to source.

4
Anonymous sources

• 1 U.S. study showed that public strongly
  distrusts information from unnamed sources.
• 51 believe only half of what they hear
• One quarter only a little.
• 15 believe most

5
Hidden Cameras/Undercover/Deception Checklist

• Vital public interest
• Other alternatives exhausted
• When harm prevented by information revealed
  through deception outweighs harm by deception.
• When journalists apply excellence to pursue story
  fully.
• NOT to win prize, beat competition, because
  others have done it, or cheaper

6
Use of Stolen Information

• Questions to ask over material obtained
• Did you merely receive?
• Did you induce?
• Did you commit a crime?
• What is value of information? Is it of vital
  public importance?
• Do you need to know who sent it?
• Obligation to verify?

7
Paying for Stories

• I dont believe paying sources is unethical as
  long as its disclosedIt gives a fair share of
  profits to sources who spend time and take risks.
  It also elicits stories that otherwise would not
  be told, from people who see no good reason to
  talk to a reporter.
• -- John Tierney, columnist, New York Times

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Paying for Stories Other views

• (U.S.) Society of Professional Journalists Be
  wary of sources offering information for favors
  or money avoid bidding for news.
• HK Joint Code of Ethics Journalists should
  obtain information, photographs and illustrations
  through proper means.
• Philippines Journalists Code of Ethics I shall
  not accept or offer any present, gift or other
  consideration of a nature which may cast doubt on
  my professional integrity.

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Paying for sources The U.K. view

• U.K Code of Practice Payment..for stories or
  information must not be made directly or through
  agents to witnesses or potential witnesses in
  current criminal proceedings except where the
  material concerned ought to be published in the
  public interest and there is an overriding need
  to make or promise to make a payment for this to
  be done. Journalists must take every possible
  step to ensure that no financial dealings have
  influence on the evidence that those witnesses
  may give.

10
JMSC Survey 2002

• Anonymous sources most said yes
• Hidden cameras most said yes
• Deception split
• Stolen information split
• Pay a source most said no

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Plagiarism, Falsification, Freebies

• Dont do it!