Journalism

Ethics and
Law – A
Critical
Analysis
By Tarun Paul
Singh
Sheridan College
COMM 1999
Journalism Ethics
Reason for selecting this topic

Ethical society demands better conduct

from Journalist.

Ethics speak in regard to the code of the

behavior, principle of conduct or moral
values expected from this profession.

By its nature ethics is a discipline that

attacks a labyrinth of the situation where
there is often more than one defensible
choice.

People should know the journalist code

and what there duties are.
 Focus and Background
information
 The presentation and most important research paper focus
on Journalist ethics prevailing in the society
 Critical analysis had been done in regarding to ethics
 The research had also been done what other profession ethics
are, to compare whether journalism ethics are latest or not.
 Being a journalist student while covering Oakville tree
festival in downtown I saw other journalist not following the
ethics which were making bad impression on people present
there. Moreover people also not taking journalist seriously.
 The presentation also point out how journalist have no other
option but to avoid ethics just to bring truth in the society.
 Research question
Law and ethics intersect

Journalisms associations guilds and societies

provide ethical guidelines .
 Canadian Broadcasting Corporations
Journalistic Standards and Practices.
Radio – Television News Directors
Association of Canada
Canada Press Stylebook
Toronto star news guidelines
CBC news reporting guidelines
(Basically every news channel had made its own
ethics to cover or presenting the news to the
audience)
 Accuracy Impartiality and
Objectivity in reporting

 Accuracy demands that reporters apply due to

diligence in researching stories and speak to as
many sources as possible to corroborate
information.

 Covering regarding legal point same standard of

care is required by journalist when reporting on
matters involving the justice system.

 Legal journalist reporting on the courts should

adhere to the presumption of innocence until the
court make the decision
 Ethical Critics faced by
Journalist
Ethics restricts journalist in a various ways
Misrepresentation

http://projects.thestar.com/temp-
employment-agencies/
 Ethical Challenges

 Hidden cameras/Microphones

- Used in investigating reporting.

- The problem raised here is that it

involves deception but journalism ethics

stands for truth and transparency.

 What RTDNA STATES
Radio – Television News
Directors Association of
Canada
RTDNA guidelines for use:

 No other way to get the info

 Story should be of significant public importance

 Technique should be explained to the audience

 AMBUSH INTERVIEWS

 A technique where person stakes out the person

home or workplace and then ambushes the person
as they arrive or leave.
 Reporters video tape as person try to escape.
Statement of Fact
vs.
Opinion
 Long standing rule of journalism that it should be
clear to the readers or audience when an opinion is
being expressed and the facts are being asserted.

 To be precise, opinion should be presented honestly

and fairly, without distorting the facts.
 Protection of Sources
 Ethical use and protection of the sources leads
to great debate in journalism and law .

 Some lawyers and judges are of opinion that

name of the sources could be the material
evidence at some point in the legal proceeding
whereas journalists are of opinion that
confidentiality should be kept at all cost.

 Sources were possible be attributed which is

agreed by both.

 Ethically, journalists should make it clear with

sources about off the record interview. The
source and reporter should decide in advance if
information may not be used at all
 The Right of Reply
 Code of ethics urge journalist to offer a criticised individual or

organization an opportunity to respond to other comments.

 If not responded in time or the opportunity is refused this should

be explained to the audience or readers in an objective as possible.

 In court cases these are taken into consideration where right of

reply is not offered and other defences are unsuccessful, a court

may view the media’s action as an aggravating factor in assessing

damages or malice.

Vogel v. Canadian Broadcasting Corp., 1982 Carswell BC 44,

[1982]
 Sensationalism
 Ethically, journalist should refrain from unduly
sensationalizing a story.

 Reporters must exhibit honesty, integrity,

thoroughness and fairness in reporting and editing
stories.

 Judge in his judgment in The Vogel case mentioned

that in the present democratic society the press
serve the public interest by exposing corruption
and other crimes. However it is sometime hard to
see any public interest being served other than
interest being entertained.
 Admitting Errors and
Issuing Retractions
 Ethically a journalist or media organization
often stands to benefit from a reasonably
rapid admission of harmful inaccuracies or
errors.

 It can avert lawsuits.

 If the condition set out in law for placement

and retraction are met the court award it to
special damages.
 Respect for Diversity
and Human Rights
 Many codes states that to avoid mentioning a
persons age, race, colour, nationality, religious
convictions, disability, marital status and other
unless it is relevant to the story.

 Avoid promotion of hatred, discrimination or

ridicule of individuals or groups on any similar
basis.

 Federal and provincial human right laws are

against discrimination and even Criminal code.
 Internet and online
consideration

 Online journalist may consider ethical

consequences of hypertext link that leads to
site beyond there control.
 Media website must ensure that quotation,
headlines, sub heading must ensure that it
does not misrepresent stories.
 Regarding the online report it should be careful
to show the correct report and proper
information need to be shown.
Some Basic Ethics Avoided by
Journalist
 Conflict of interest
 Separation of advertising and editorial
 Decency and good taste
 Privacy
 Gift Favours and Payment
 Demonstration and Violent Acts
Conclusion

 Verify as much as possible to before publishing a

story.

 Both ethics and law are dynamic in nature

adopting principle and values.

 Verifying, questioning ,debating and defending

which is right can serve journalist towards right

path

-
 SOURCE Information
 Micheal G.Crawford book The Journalist’s Legal Guide is one of the

best book to do research work on this particular topic . The book

comprised of minute details of journalism, what journalism is all about,

what ethics need to be followed. The best thing about book is that the

student who are not pursuing journalism would be able to understand,

such simple language has been used. No biasness has been done by the

author as he has criticised the ethics as well told the importance of it.
 References

 Jobb,Dean.(2011).Media Law For Canadian Journalist.Toronto,CA:Emond

Montgomery Publications.
 Crawford,G.M(2015).The Journalist Legal guide,Toronto,Ontario:Carswell,a division
of Thomas Reuters Canada limited.
 Martin,Robert.(2003).Essential of the Canadian especially the media law.Toronto
,Ontario:Irwin law Inc.
 Campo,J., & Boj,F.(2015).Journalism ethics in a digital environment: How
journalistic codes of ethics have been adopted to the Internet in countries around the
world. Unir institutional open repository journal,32(4),735-744. Retrieved from
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0736585315000258
doi:10.1016/j.tele.2015.03.004
 Mitrovica, Andrew. (2017). Hear no evil, Write no lies. The walrus,4(22).
Retrieved from https://thewalrus.ca/hear-no-evil-write-no-lies/