| << Front page | Commentary | November 16, 2007 |
The Ethical Obie
So I was reading the Review last week, and was disturbed by the article on the Conservatory student who was expelled. I especially felt that the person’s sexual activities were best left undisclosed. Was it right for these things to be printed?
–Concerned
This entire topic is sticky, and comfort levels can vary from student to student on campus. It seems that many people have a lot to say on the topic of Stanishich’s dismissal via Facebook and Oberlin Confessional. I want to state right here and now that I will avoid any conclusions or assumptions regarding anyone’s actions in the Stanishich case. I will focus on the writer’s question and not read any deeper into it than that which is stated.
In fact, it is easy to ignore this specific case altogether and focus on another similar case of rampant sexual journalistic publications. You can think of it as a grand-scale metaphor for the recent article published here in the Review. I am talking about, and most Obies will have guessed this already, the Lewinsky/Clinton scandal. Most readers will know the history of the scandal that rocked America, and how it was publicized. Few Americans remember Clinton for reducing the federal deficit, calming the financial market, or helping Bosnia or Ireland to peace. Americans remember Clinton for getting head in the White House. The New York Times will give you 2,641 hits if you search for articles under “Monica Lewinsky Clinton” in the years of 1997-2000. This was a highly publicized sex scandal.
Clearly what was published in the Review was not concerned only with sexual activities, but that was an aspect that probably more readers questioned. But if Clinton taught us anything, it is that anything goes — that is, if the reader wants it.
Individual journalists or journalistic publications have their own code of ethics. They follow the same principles: fairness, objectivity, truthfulness, accuracy, limiting harm, etc. These codes are reflections of other ethical codes. The Preamble to the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics States:
“...public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist’s credibility.”
Ultimately, the codes of different journalists vary depending on their reader. So long as the organization that prints the newspaper sets and adheres to standards that are reflective of readers’ interests and the law, then they can print whatever they want. This ensures that they reach their target audience, and keep it as well. It is up to the journalists to determine what their readers want to hear concerning taste and decency. No doubt that a Christian publication would leave out aspects of the Clinton Scandal that The New York Times includes. If the amount of information the Review was disturbing, I would not recommend searching for details in the Grape. It makes you wonder what the publishers of the Review think we want to read.
While some of us certainly do not want to read about other students’ sexual activities, and want our own to be published even less, if the journalist feels that facts need to be reported to create a fair and balanced article, then they are ethically obligated to do so.
–Jay Nolan
The Ethical Obie
Send your ethical dilemmas to theethicalobie@gmail.com
–Concerned
This entire topic is sticky, and comfort levels can vary from student to student on campus. It seems that many people have a lot to say on the topic of Stanishich’s dismissal via Facebook and Oberlin Confessional. I want to state right here and now that I will avoid any conclusions or assumptions regarding anyone’s actions in the Stanishich case. I will focus on the writer’s question and not read any deeper into it than that which is stated.
In fact, it is easy to ignore this specific case altogether and focus on another similar case of rampant sexual journalistic publications. You can think of it as a grand-scale metaphor for the recent article published here in the Review. I am talking about, and most Obies will have guessed this already, the Lewinsky/Clinton scandal. Most readers will know the history of the scandal that rocked America, and how it was publicized. Few Americans remember Clinton for reducing the federal deficit, calming the financial market, or helping Bosnia or Ireland to peace. Americans remember Clinton for getting head in the White House. The New York Times will give you 2,641 hits if you search for articles under “Monica Lewinsky Clinton” in the years of 1997-2000. This was a highly publicized sex scandal.
Clearly what was published in the Review was not concerned only with sexual activities, but that was an aspect that probably more readers questioned. But if Clinton taught us anything, it is that anything goes — that is, if the reader wants it.
Individual journalists or journalistic publications have their own code of ethics. They follow the same principles: fairness, objectivity, truthfulness, accuracy, limiting harm, etc. These codes are reflections of other ethical codes. The Preamble to the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics States:
“...public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist’s credibility.”
Ultimately, the codes of different journalists vary depending on their reader. So long as the organization that prints the newspaper sets and adheres to standards that are reflective of readers’ interests and the law, then they can print whatever they want. This ensures that they reach their target audience, and keep it as well. It is up to the journalists to determine what their readers want to hear concerning taste and decency. No doubt that a Christian publication would leave out aspects of the Clinton Scandal that The New York Times includes. If the amount of information the Review was disturbing, I would not recommend searching for details in the Grape. It makes you wonder what the publishers of the Review think we want to read.
While some of us certainly do not want to read about other students’ sexual activities, and want our own to be published even less, if the journalist feels that facts need to be reported to create a fair and balanced article, then they are ethically obligated to do so.
–Jay Nolan
The Ethical Obie
Send your ethical dilemmas to theethicalobie@gmail.com
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