Despite the fact that the public's trust in the news media is at historic lows, and despite the fact that hardly a month goes by without another report of unethical behavior by news professionals, journalism professionals and teachers remain dedicated to ethical issues--perhaps more so now than at any other time in history. News companies are developing rigorous codes of conduct; journalists and editors are vigorously reporting on ethical lapses by their peers, and many journalism schools are creating standalone courses in journalism ethics and hiring faculty members who are devoted to ethics research and instruction. This book, which is written primarily for the working (or soon-to-be-working) journalist, serves as an introduction to the underpinnings of journalism ethics, and as a guide for journalists and journalism teachers who are looking for ways to make ethical choices beyond "going with your gut." Moral Reasoning for Journalists serves the four primary constituencies of journalism ethics: working professionals, journalism students, teachers of journalism, and citizens who are concerned about the morality of the professional news media. Using more than two-dozen actual cases from around the world to examine and apply those principles of ethical journalism, Knowlton and Reader also suggest an easy-to-follow, commonsense approach to making ethical decisions in the newsroom as deadlines loom.

What basic ethical principles should guide American journalists to help them justify their invasion of an individual's privacy, to be objective in their reporting, to avoid being influenced by government or economic controls? A wire service and newsroom veteran and a sociologist and scholar in mass media/communications have designed a philosophical guide for students, scholars, and practitioners to use as a kind of moral compass. Key excerpts from some of the most important writings on the subject from Milton to Louis Brandeis, from Plato to Sissela Bok, and from Adam Smith to John Merrill deal with some of the most serious contemporary issues in journalism today. This short text also includes the "Society of Professional Journalists' Code of EthicS" and a full index.

Despite the fact that the public's trust in the news media is at historic lows, and despite the fact that hardly a month goes by without another report of unethical behavior by news professionals, journalism professionals and teachers remain dedicated to ethical issues--perhaps more so now than at any other time in history. News companies are developing rigorous codes of conduct; journalists and editors are vigorously reporting on ethical lapses by their peers, and many journalism schools are creating standalone courses in journalism ethics and hiring faculty members who are devoted to ethics research and instruction. This book, which is written primarily for the working (or soon-to-be-working) journalist, serves as an introduction to the underpinnings of journalism ethics, and as a guide for journalists and journalism teachers who are looking for ways to make ethical choices beyond "going with your gut." Moral Reasoning for Journalists serves the four primary constituencies of journalism ethics: working professionals, journalism students, teachers of journalism, and citizens who are concerned about the morality of the professional news media. Using more than two-dozen actual cases from around the world to examine and apply those principles of ethical journalism, Knowlton and Reader also suggest an easy-to-follow, commonsense approach to making ethical decisions in the newsroom as deadlines loom.

What basic ethical principles should guide American journalists to help them justify their invasion of an individual's privacy, to be objective in their reporting, to avoid being influenced by government or economic controls? A wire service and newsroom veteran and a sociologist and scholar in mass media/communications have designed a philosophical guide for students, scholars, and practitioners to use as a kind of moral compass. Key excerpts from some of the most important writings on the subject from Milton to Louis Brandeis, from Plato to Sissela Bok, and from Adam Smith to John Merrill deal with some of the most serious contemporary issues in journalism today. This short text also includes the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics and a full index.