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A discussion board about the trending topics in media ethics and the First Amendment
In the media, they do not trust: Is this perception or reality?
The media is trained to trust nobody. Reporters are taught to verify facts – even if their mother is the source. So should it surprise anyone that readers and viewers don’t trust the media? A recent Pew Center Research report survey says the general public’s negative opinion of news organizations is at an all-time high. […]
Posted in: Fair & balanced reporting, Media ethics/Case Studies
Post about reported Palin affair with NBA star creates newsroom debate
September 25, 2011
by tomhanson64
A tidbit about an alleged Sarah Palin post-college, premarital hookup with an NBA star posted to the Miami Herald website last week stirred a debate at the newspaper. The Miami Herald posted a National Enquirer item about Palin having a one-time fling with Glen Rice in 1987, according to a soon-to-be-released book written by Joe […]
Posted in: Fair & balanced reporting, Media ethics/Case Studies
Mayweather-Merchant post fight melee good for TV, not journalism
September 18, 2011
by tomhanson64
It will be remember as the verbal prize fight after the real fight. HBO’s Larry Merchant stood toe-to-toe with Floyd “Money” Mayweather after Mayweather finished off Victor Ortiz in four rounds to remain undefeated. Merchant hammered Mayweather with tough questions about his controversial knockout of Ortiz. Then Mayweather pulled his second cheap shot of the […]
Posted in: Media ethics/Case Studies
There’s no Glee in fabricated concert review
September 13, 2011
by tomhanson64
When will journalists learn they can’t fabricate information? This summer, Chicago Sun-Times veteran Paige Wiser gave the industry another black-eye with her review of “Glee Live.” The problem: She didn’t stay for the entire show. No, Glee cheerleading coach/villain Sue Sylvester didn’t sabotage her coverage. Wiser’s kids were acting up so she took them home. […]
Posted in: Media ethics/Case Studies, Plagiarism
How much is too much when covering events such as 9/11 anniversary?
September 9, 2011
by tomhanson64
There’s always a fine line between not enough and too much. The media has the daunting task of finding the right balance on stories. It’s the media’s responsibility to give a story the appropriate coverage. The coverage of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 shouldn’t be an exception. This may sound unpatriotic but too many stories, […]
Posted in: Fair & balanced reporting, Media ethics/Case Studies
Did the media create the monster named Terry Jones?
April 12, 2011
by tomhanson64
You might think that it was the media that torched a Quran that set off an uprising in Afghanistan. Should the media have given so much coverage to a pastor in Gainesville who threatened to burn the Quran? This has been one of the hottest topic in the world in the past year and should […]
Posted in: Fair & balanced reporting, Media ethics/Case Studies
Can the public actually get records?
April 10, 2011
by tomhanson64
Here is a timely column from News-Press editor Terry Eberle on the power of public record and how the public is sometimes powerless in obtaining it. When working on your project did you think the cost was fair? Did you get your documents in a timely fashion? Do you think the average citizen has the […]
Posted in: Public record laws
AP writer says truth is defense in tweet libel suit
April 9, 2011
by tomhanson64
So you remember the case where the NBA referee is suing an AP writer for a tweet during a game. Well the reporter, Jon Krawczynski, and the Associated Press have said that the truth will be the best defense. Can this be a defense in a libel case? Here is the previous post on this […]
Will reporter have to testify if accused killer’s trial?
April 6, 2011
by tomhanson64
Mesac Damas is accused of killing his entire family. According to arrest reports, Damas slit the throats of his wife and kids and then fled to Haiti. He was later captured in Haiti. Naples Daily News reporter Steven Beardsley got an incredible confession from Damas as he was be transported from Haiti to the United […]
Posted in: First Amendment law, Reporters' rights
Is this news or titillation?
March 30, 2011
by tomhanson64
This just in from the Spinaker, the University of North Florida student newspaper: oral sex can cause cancer. This just in from the University of North Florida student government: the spread on the front cover of the student newspaper crossed the line. This just in from the Jacksonville TV story covering the controversy: Let’s see […]
Media Law & Ethics 411 
September 27, 2011
by tomhanson64
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