Thursday, February 6, 2014

Do no harm?

This cautionary tale on ethics was clipped from the Future Journalism Project . I'm curious to hear what you think about it...

Thanks, Kristen!

futurejournalismproject
“The story, even if it is a good story, is not the most important thing.”
—Maria Headley in Sinatra’s Cold is Contagious.
Headley writes in reaction to Caleb Hannan’s Grantland story, Dr. V’s Magical Putter, which has become something of a case study in journalism ethics since it was published on January 15.
On the Media recaps here:
Last week, ESPN’s  Grantland ran a remarkable story titled “Dr. V’s Magical Putter,” a journalistic odyssey that began with curiosity about a supposedly revolutionary golf club, and ended by focusing on the chaotic life of its inventor, a woman named Essay Anne Vanderbilt. The reporter, Caleb Hannan, discovered that Vanderbilt was transgender, and he revealed his knowledge of this fact to Vanderbilt. Shortly after, Vanderbilt committed suicide.
The piece subsequently made its rounds on the web, sparking outrage and raising a discussion on transgender rights in media, and the ethics of outing.
Vice takes us through Hannan’s reporting process and what he ultimately decided to publish:
He tells us “everything he knows,” which is definitely not the same thing as “everything that’s relevant.” He refers to Dr V as “he” and publishes her old name. He discusses her life before she transitioned to female. He tells us she was married. And that she’d tried to kill herself once before, a few years previously. Never mind that she was clearly vulnerable, it was all just another fantastic twist in the plot for Caleb. “What began as a story about a brilliant woman with a new invention had turned into the tale of a troubled man who had invented a new life for himself.” And never mind that faking her scientific credentials had nothing to do with being transgender. Caleb, who has been found guilty of sloppy journalism before, was simply recycling a media narrative that casts trans people as liars and fakes. 
Grantland’s Editor-in-Chief Bill Simmons has since publicly apologized for the story, taking the blame for his writer’s mistakes and lamenting that he failed Hannan as an editor. Simmons admitted that the Grantland staff was not sensitive enough with the story and uninformed on transgender people’s rights, high suicide rates among trans* people, and even correct pronoun usage.
FJP: As Headley points out, there are a few things that should come before the all-important story for a journalist. Right after “Seek the truth and report it” on SPJ’s Code of Ethics comes “Minimize harm — Ethical journalists treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect.” 
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Monday, February 3, 2014

Social-ism

As much as I love living surrounded by the woods and wouldn't mind at all going back to having to enter my house to talk on the phone and having to walk to the mailbox to get my "mail," the future of communications is upon us. We are all instantly synced in all the time. We shout, and everyone hears. Some even "like" it on Facebook.

Journalists function within this vast, fast and fluid environment As communicators, we have to.

The tools are always changing, though, and the system is still evolving. It's not necessarily a straightforward thing to learn. As with many other things journalistically, it's about the right curiosity, self-drive and willingness to try and try again.

This UC Berkely tutorial presents an incredibly comprehensive view of the digital media landscape. I think going through it over time could prove very useful. Since we'll be talking about social media on Thursday with our guest Nicole Oullette, of Breaking Even Communications, I thought these sections on Twitter  and Facebook  would be worth a read.

I also like this blog post on why journalists must use social media.

In 2009, Harvard's Niemen Foundation put out a lengthy and deep study of journalism's place in social media. Some of it may be a little outdated, but it gives you a sense of just how deep you could go on the subject. Niemen is actually an incredible source for journalists.  Their Niemen Journalism Lab is a great place for reporting on on all things related to journalism and the new media.

There are many other sites exploring social media and the relationship of journalism with social media. Here are a few:



This has some very hands-on advice for those of us who aren't always so quick about this stuff (like me!): 



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