New threats to ethical journalism from changes in
the business of news
Talk by
DR. EDWARD WASSERMAN
To the ORGANIZATION OF NEWS OMBUDSMEN,
MAY 30 2008, STOCKHOLM
MY TOPIC THIS MORNING IS ETHICS AND THE NEWS BUSINESS.
I WANT TO LOOK AT THE NEW CHALLENGES TO ETHICAL JOURNALISM THAT ARE ARISING FROM CHANGES IN THE WAY THE NEWS BUSINESS IS CHANGING TO PRESERVE AND EXTEND ITS OPPORTUNITIES TO GAIN AND KEEP AUDIENCES AND TO MAKE MONEY.
SOME OF YOU ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PUBLIC BROADCASTING SYSTEMS. YOU’LL BE PROTECTED FROM THE DIRECT EFFECTS OF MUCH OF WHAT I’M GOING TO DISCUSS.
IN FACT, YOUR OPERATIONS MAY BENEFIT FROM SOME OF THE CONDITIONS AFFECTING YOUR MARKET-BASED COMPETITORS. AS THEY SEEK TO NARROW THEIR APPEAL TO TARGET MICRO-SLIVERS OF AUDIENCE, THAT WILL ENHANCE THE UNIQUENESS AND VALUE OF YOUR BROAD COVERAGE.
BUT I THINK WE’D DO WELL TO ASSUME THAT THE PRESSURES I’LL DESCRIBE AFFECT THE ENTIRETY OF THE WAY JOURNALISM DEFINES ITS PURPOSE AND PRACTICES.
AFTER ALL, YOU WILL BE COMPETING FOR THE ATTENTION OF YOUR AUDIENCE WITH PRIVATE MEDIA WHOSE CHANGING REALITIES I’M GOING TO TRY TO DESCRIBE TODAY.
A RACE TO THE BOTTOM, FOR INSTANCE, BUILT AROUND TITILATING NON-FICTION ENTERTAINMENT FORMS LABELED AS “NEWS” OR “CURRENT AFFAIRS,” INEVITABLY COLORS THE ATMOSPHERICS, CONDITIONS AUDIENCE EXPECTATIONS, ENCOURAGES FORMS OF JOURNALISM THAT WILL HAVE POWERFUL EFFECTS ON YOUR OPERATIONS TOO.
SO I’M HOPEFUL YOU’LL FIND THIS OF INTEREST.
MY TALK RESTS ON A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE BUSINESS OF NEWS AND THE PROFESSION OF JOURNALISM.
SO I THINK IT’S APPROPRIATE TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE UNDERLYING ABSURDITIES OF THIS HISTORICAL ALLIANCE BETWEEN A BUSINESS AND A ”PROFESSION” — A COMMERCIAL TRADE AND A MORAL VOCATION CONSTITUTED AROUND PUBLIC SERVICE.
THE REALITY AND THE IRONY IS THAT THE NEWS BUSINESS IS THE JOURNALISM PROFESSION’S GREATEST ALLY AND ITS MOST POTENT THREAT.
THE TRADITIONAL SOURCE OF COMMERCIAL CORRUPTION IN NEWS DERIVES FROM THE FACT, AS THE BRITISH WRITER GK CHESTERTON PUT IT A CENTURY AGO, THAT THE JOURNALIST IS SOMEONE WHO WRITES ON THE BACK OF ADVERTISEMENTS.
THE BUSINESS MODEL OF AD-SUPPORTED JOURNALISM IS THAT THE NEWS DRAWS THE CROWD SO THE MARKETER CAN MAKE HIS PITCH.
AND THE MARKETER HAS ALWAYS INSISTED ON TRYING TO INFLUENCE THE PITCH, EITHER TO CREATE A MORE FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR NEWS OR TO TRANSFORM THE CONTENT OF THE NEWS ITSELF INTO A VEHICLE FOR SALES PROMOTION OR IMAGE ENHANCEMENT.
IN THE BAD OLD DAYS, BUSINESS-REALTED CORRUPTION TOOK PREDICTABLE FORMS.
CHIEF AMONG THEM:
1. JOURNALISTS COULD BE PAID TO WRITE THINGS FAVORABLE TO COMMERCIAL OR POLITICAL PATRONS.
2. NEWSPAPERS COULD BE ENCOURAGED WITH ADVERTISING CONTRACTS — OR THREATENED WITH THE LOSS OF ADVERTISING CONTRACTS — TO PUBLISH THINGS FAVORABLE TO COMMERCIAL OR POLITICAL PATRONS.
NATURALLY THERE WERE VARIATIONS. YOU MIGHT HAVE THE DEFERRED BRIBE: LUCRATIVE JOBS ARE AVAILABLE TO JOURNALISTS AFTER THEY LEAVE THE NEWSROOM AND ENTER THE WORLD OF PUBLIC RELATIONS OR CONSULTANCY, IF THEY’VE DEVELOPED THE PROPER REPUTATION AND NETWORK OF ADMIRERS, USUALLY AMONG THE INSTITUTIONS THEY ARE COVERING.
ANOTHER VARIATION IS WHEN THE PROMISE OF A WHOLE NEW CLASS OF ADVERTISING INDUCES THE NEWS ORGANIZATION TO CREATE SECTIONS PACKED WITH COVERAGE THAT THE ADVERTISERS BELIEVE CONSTITUTES THE PROPER ENVIRONMENT FOR THE ADS.
THIS IS A SUBTLE KIND OF CORRUPTION, SINCE THE STORIES THEMSELVES MAY WELL BE PERFECTLY HONEST PIECES OF JOURNALISM. BUT THE TOPICS THEY COVER ARE SELECTED SOLELY BECAUSE OF ADVERTISER INFLUENCE.
IT’S AN EXAMPLE OF THE ADVERTISER DICTATING NOT WHAT THE JOURNALIST WRITES, BUT WHAT THE JOURNALIST WRITES ABOUT.
BUT THAT WAS YESTERDAY’S CORRUPTION. TODAY THINGS ARE DIFFERENT.
THE CHALLENGE IS TO FASHION TERMS OF COEXISTENCE BETWEEN JOURNALISM AND THE NEWS BUSINESS, SO THAT JOURNALISM CAN SURVIVE WITHOUT SELLING ITS SOUL DURING A PERIOD WHEN MASS MEDIA INCREASINGLY LOSE THEIR MASS CHARACTER.
LET US NOW LOOK AT THE PARTICULAR CHALLENGES TO ETHICAL JOURNALISM THAT DERIVE FROM CHANGES IN THE WAY THE BUSINESS OF NEWS IS BEING CONDUCTED. I’VE SELECTED FIVE TOPICS:
1. VERTICALITY: NEW TECHNOLOGIES ENCOURAGE MARKETING-DRIVEN AUDIENCE MICRO-SEGMENTATION. THIS PULLS NEWS COVERAGE TOWARD CATERING TO A NARROW BASE OF LOYALTIES. THIS POSES A DANGER TO JOURNALISTIC INDEPENDENCE AND TRADITIONAL NOTIONS OF PUBLIC SERVICE.
2. INTERNET ADVERTISING: IT’S IRONIC THAT ADVERTISING, WHICH HAS BEEN DEMONIZED AS A SOURCE OF CORRUPTION FOR THE PAST CENTURY AND A HALF BECAUSE OF ITS OVERWHELMING IMPORTANCE, MAY BE NO LESS A SOURCE OF CORRUPTION AS IT GETS LESS ABUNDANT.
BUT MOST PROMISING OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERNET ADVERTISING RAISE A NUMBER OF ETHICAL ISSUES RELATED TO PRIVACY, INDEPENDENCE AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
3. CONVERGENCE: A DESCRIPTION FOR TRANSFORMATIONS OF NEWS OPERATIONS TO ENABLE THEM TO HANDLE MULTIPLE DISTRIBUTION PLATFORMS. THREATENS STANDARDS OF VERACITY AND CARE. ENCOURAGES TRIVIALIZATION AND A SEARCH FOR KINDS OF COVERAGE THAT IS EASY TO REPACKAGE ACROSS MULTIPLE PLATFORMS.
4. SEARCH FOR NEW REVENUES TO REPLACE ADVERTISING. IN MY COUNTRY, GREAT INTEREST IN FINDING ALTERNATIVES TO ADVERTISING THAT, LIKE THE BEST ALTERNATIVES TO PETROLEUM, ARE CLEAN AND RENEWABLE. I’LL RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT THE RISE OF NONPROFIT FUNDING AND THE CURRENT ZEAL TO FIND PRIVATE DONORS TO UNDERWRITE EXPENSIVE AND IMPORTANT JOURNALISM PROJECTS.
5. FINALLY, CHANGING EMPLOYMENT MODELS. NEWS MEDIA, ESPECIALLY ON THE INTERNET, DEVELOPING GREATER RELIANCE ON PRODUCERS OR CONTENT WHO ARE NOT FULLTIME EMPLOYEES. THIS POSES A CHALLENGE TO TRADITIONAL WAYS TO ENSURE INDEPENDENCE AND GUARD AGAINST CONFLICTS OF INTEREST RULES.
LET ME ELABORATE ON THESE IN ORDER:
1. VERTICALITY AND AUDIENCE FRAGMENTATION: THE GENERAL INTEREST, MASS CIRCULATION NEWSPAPER NEEDED TO ATTRACT MASS AUDIENCES THAT HAD SOME MEASURE OF IDEOLOGICAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY. THE MATHEMATICS OF MARKET ECONOMICS SUGGESTED THERE USUALLY WAS MORE MONEY TO MAKE BY GRABBING A SMALL PIECE OF A VERY LARGE MARKET THAN BY HAVING A SMALL MARKET TO YOURSELF.
THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES — HERE I’M TALKING ABOUT CABLE- AND SATELLITE-BASED TV AND THE INTERNET — NO LONGER REWARD ECONOMIES OF SCALE SO DECISIVELY. MASS APPEAL IS NO LONGER EITHER COMMERCIALLY DESIRABLE NOR NECESSARY. INSTEAD, ADVERTISERS WANT TO IDENTIFY THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH PRECISION AND SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THEM, WITHOUT WASTING MONEY REACHING PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT LIKELY TO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS.
NEW COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES PERMIT MARKET-BASED SEGMENTATION.
THE BUZZWORD OF THE MOMENT IN THE U.S. NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY IS VERTICALITY: THE IDEA IS TO IDENTIFY MARKET SLIVERS, TINY SLICES, AND FIND CONTENT THAT APPEALS TO THEM. THIS COULD BE GEOGRAPHIC (NEIGHBORHOOD), AGE-BASED, THEY MAY BE CHILDREN’S SPORTS AFICIONADOS.
THE GANNETT CO. NEWSPAPER IN CINCINNATI HAS 129 MICRO WEBSITES. BELO’S PAPER IN DALLAS HAS NOT JUST 17 SUPERLOCAL PRINT EDITIONS, BUT 50 MICROSITES.
WHY IS THIS ETHICALLY SIGNIFICANT?
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF JOURNALISM IN AN ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT WHERE NEWS AND COMMENTARY ARE USED TO SORT OUT, SEGMENT, SEPARATE AND TARGET PEOPLE IN ALL THEIR PARTICULARITES?
A GREAT DANGER IS THAT OF PANDERING, OF TELLING PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT AND EXPECT TO HEAR, OF AVOIDING THE TOPICS THAT UPSET THEM, OF GIVING THEM THE VILLAINS THEY EXPECT AND EXTOLLING THE HEROES THEY ALREADY ADMIRE.
JOURNALISTS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE BUSINESS OF PROVIDING COVERAGE FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFINING AND FORTIFYING A MARKET SLIVER. SO THIS BUSINESS ORIENTATION ENCOURAGES NEWS COVERAGE CALIBRATED TO APPEAL TO A NARROW BASE OF LOYALTIES.
THAT IS A DANGER TO JOURNALISTIC INDEPENDENCE.
IT ALSO SUBSTITUTES A VERY DIFFERENT NOTION OF PUBLIC SERVICE. IT NOURISHES A KIND OF REFLEXIVE, REACTIONARY, MEDIA POPULISM AND ELIMINATES INCENTIVES FOR LANGUAGE THAT TRANSCENDS NARROW APPEAL AND PROVIDES THE BASIS FOR A COMMON POLITICAL DISCOURSE IN VALUES AND PUBLIC POLICY.
2. SURVEILLANCE-BASED ADVERTISING: INTERNET ADVERTISING CLAIMS TO BE SUPERIOR TO TRADITIONAL, OFFLINE ADVERTISING. THE CLAIM IS BASED ON A COMPLEX OF TECHNICAL FEATURES THAT ALLOW THE ONLINE ACTIVITY OF INDIVIDUALS TO BE TRACKED AND RECORDED AND USED. THE INTERESTS OF POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS CAN BE IDENTIFIED AND TARGETED WITH GREAT PRECISION.
WHAT ALL THAT MEANS IS THAT INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE DO ONLINE — THEIR BROWSING, THEIR READING HABITS, EVEN THEIR E-MAILS — IS BEING NOTED AND MONETIZED.
SO IF YOU READ AN ONLINE ARTICLE ABOUT SPRINGTIME IN STOCKHOLM, OR YOU MENTION TRAVEL TO EUROPE IN AN E-MAIL TO A FRIEND, YOU MAY WELL FIND YOURSELF HIT WITH ADVERTISEMENTS FOR CAR RENTALS AND HOTEL DEALS.
IS THAT AN ETHICAL PROBLEM FOR JOURNALISTS?
FIRST QUESTION IS WHETHER SECRET INFORMATION-GATHERING IS CONSISTENT WITH THE PUBLIC SERVICE CLAIMS OF JOURNALISTS.
JOURNALISTS CONFRONT PRIVACY ISSUES ALL THE TIME. INDIVIDUALS CONDEMN THE NEWS MEDIA FOR PUBLISHING INFORMATION THAT IS PERSONAL OR PROPRIETARY OR SECRET FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. JOURNALISTS RESPOND BY CLAIMING THEY ARE ACTING IN THE NAME OF AN OVERRIDING PUBLIC INTEREST.
BUT WITH INTERNET ADVERTISING, THERE IS NO PUBLIC SERVICE BEING SERVED. THE INTEREST BEING SERVED IS PRIVATE, THAT OF THE MEDIA-OWNING BUSINESS. AND THAT IS A WEAK JUSTIFICATION.
THIS RAISES TRANSPARENCY AND DISCLOSURE ISSUES. ALL INTERNET-BASED BUSINESSES, IT SEEMS TO ME, FACE THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THEY HAVE A BASIC OBLIGATION TO GIVE CUSTOMERS A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW PRIVATE INFORMATION IS BEING USED AND ALLOW THEM TO DECIDE WHETHER THAT’S OK.
BUT THAT OBLIGATION IS ESPECIALLY ACUTE WITH NEWS ORGANIZATIONS. JOURNALISTS ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE SPECIAL SENSITIVITY TO THE VALUE OF INFORMATION AND THE IMPORTANCE OF USING IT ETHICALLY.
SECOND QUESTION IS WHETHER SURVEILLANCE-BASED ADVERTISING LEADS TO NEW INCENTIVES TO PUT A MONETARY VALUE ON PARTICULAR NEWS CONTENT.
IT SEEMS INEVITABLE THAT SOME ARTICLES WILL HAVE A GREATER ABILITY THAN OTHERS TO ATTRACT READERS THAT SPECIFIC ADVERTISERS WANT TO REACH.
IN THAT SENSE, THEY WILL BE MORE VALUABLE. ONCE THE ABILITY TO MONETIZE CONTENT IS APPLIED TO NEWSROOM DECISIONS, WE ARE INTRODUCING A PRECISION OF COMMERCIAL CORRUPTION THAT IS A QUANTUM JUMP MORE SOPHISTICATED THAN THE THEME SECTIONS OF NEWSPAPERS I MENTIONED EARLIER.
THE TEMPTATION WILL BE HUGE TO FAVOR COVERAGE WITH A PROVEN ABILITY TO DRAW DESIRABLE AUDIENCES AND PLEASE WILLING ADVERTISERS.
3. CONVERGENCE: NEWS PROPRIETORS ARE DESPERATE TO EXTEND THEIR FRANCHISES ONTO THE INTERNET, TO STAKE THEIR FLAGS IN CYBERSPACE AND MAKE A COMPETITIVE CLAIM AMID THIS LARGER RUSH TO COLONIZE THE NEW WORLD.
THEY MUST AND THEY SHOULD.
TWO CONSEQUENCES: TRIVIALIZATION AND STANDARDIZATION.
TRIVIALIZATION: SO FAR AN IMPORTANT RESULT OF THIS STRATEGIC PUSH, AT LEAST IN MY COUNTRY, HAS BEEN A FEVERISH EMPHASIS ON BREAKING NEWS, UPDATED FRANTICALLY AND FREQUENTLY THROUGHOUT THE NEWS DAY. REPORTERS COME BACK FROM A NEWS EVENT, FILE IMMEDIATELY FOR THE WEBSITE, THEN PROVIDE NEW VERSIONS BEFORE FILING A VERSION FOR THE PRINT EDITIONS.
THIS DEGRADES THE JOURNALISTS’ WORKING ENVIRONMENT.
IT ALSO LEADS TO ASK WHAT STANDARDS GOVERN THIS WORK. WHEN IS A STORY COMPLETE ENOUGH, TRUE ENOUGH, TO PUBLISH? AND IF THE ANSWER IS THAT THE INTERNET ALLOWS WORK TO BE CORRECTED LATER, ARE WE NOW IN THE BUSINESS OF PUBLISHING BEFORE WE EDIT?
AND DOES THIS EMPHASIS ON SPEED ALSO MEAN THAT DECISION-MAKING IS PUSHED DOWNWARD IN THE ORGANIZATIONAL HIERARCHY — SOMETHING WE MIGHT APPLAUD AS A SIGN OF DEMOCRATIZATION, BUT IN THIS INSTANCE MEANS INDIVIDUAL REPORTERS WILL TAKE THE BLAME FOR BAD DECISIONS THEY NEVER WOULD HAVE MADE IF THEY HAD BEEN GIVEN ENOUGH TIME TO REFLECT AND TO REPORT ADEQUATELY.
CONVERGENCE OPENS UP BIG NEW INCENTIVES TO DISMANTLE TRADITIONAL STANDARDS OF VERIFICATION, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO CAUSE NEEDLESS HARM.
THE OVERALL PROBLEM IS THAT THE RUSH TO EMBRACE THESE NEW, INTERNET BASED MULTI-MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES IS COMING FROM BUSINESS PEOPLE WHO ARE EAGER TO EXTEND MARKET DOMINANCE TO THESE NEW MEDIA.
IT IS NOT, FOR THE MOST PART, COMING FROM JOURNALISTS BECAUSE THEY ARE EAGER TO FIND BETTER WAYS TO GATHER INFORMATION AND MORE COMPELLING WAYS TO TELL STORIES, AND CREATIVE WAYS TO ENLIST NON-JOURNALISTS AS COLLABORATORS IN A NEW JOURNALISM THAT IS MORE RICHLY INFORMED, MORE ENGAGED AND MORE COMPASSIONATE THAN WE NOW HAVE.
STANDARDIZATION: MAY BE THE WRONG WORD, BUT THERE’S WISH TO DEVELOP KINDS OF CONTENT THAT CAN BE USED ACROSSS MULTIPLE PLATFORMS OR EXHIBITION WINDOWS. THAT MEANS BRANDS, OR PERSONALITIES, IT ALSO MEANS FORMS OF CONTENT THAT CAN WORK ON MY I-PHONE & LAPTOP, ON THE SATELLITE TV FEED ON THE AIRPLANE I’M FLYING ON, ON A PODCAST AND CONVENTIONAL RADIO. THINK ABOUT HOLLYWOOD AS THE MODEL: THE MOVIE THAT CAN BECOME A FRANCHISE, WITH A STABLE COLLECTION OF STARS, SPINOFFS INTO TV, INTO A CARTOON SERIES FOR THE KIDS, ACTION FIGURES TO BE SOLD IN STORES – A DURABLE AND FLEXIBLE BRAND, ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MULTIPLE EXHIBITION WINDOWS.
NEWS ORGANIZATIONS WILL HAVE HUGE INCENTIVES TO DEVOTE RESOURCES TO THAT KIND OF REPORTAGE, AND IT USUALLY GRAVITATES TO NON-CONTROVERSIAL FEATURE MATERIALS, ORIENTED TO LEISURE, LIFESTYLE, TRAVEL, PERSONALITY PROFILES, SOFT PERSONAL FINANCE FEATURES, ETC. USE OF CNN, TIME-LIFE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHICL.
THE POINT IS THAT THE EMERGING CONSTELLATION OF BUSINESS INCENTIVES INVITES CERTAIN KINDS OF COVERAGE — AND DISCOURAGES STORIES ABOUT MARGINALIZED ISSUES AND FORGOTTEN PEOPLE.
4. FUNDING ALTERNATIVES: IN MY COUNTRY THE NEARLY TWO CENTURY MARRIAGE OF JOURNALISM TO CONSUMER ADVERTISING IS ON THE ROCKS, AS THE MAINSTAYS OF ADVERTISING MOVE TO VERTICAL INTERNET SITES. SO WHAT’S GOING TO REPLACE CONSUMER ADVERTISING?
NO READY ALTERNATIVE AT PRESENT, BUT GREAT DEAL OF INTEREST IN SUCH THINGS AS FOUNDATION FUNDING. CONSEQUENTLY A SEARCH FOR FOR MONEY FROM NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOs), NONPROFIT INTEREST GROUPS, FOUNDATIONS, ETC.
MOST IMPRESSIVE RECENT EXAMPLE: PRO PUBLICA, SEEDED WITH $10M OVER TWO FINANCIAL ENTREPRENEURS FROM CALIFORNIA OVER 3 YEARS TO CREATE 20-REPORTER INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM OPERATION IN NY, HEADED BY FORMER WALL ST JRNL EDITOR.
OTHER FUNDING SOURCES GETTING INTERESTED. NATURALLY, THIS INCLUDES GROUPS WITH SPECIFIC CAUSES AND INTERESTS.
CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT HAS BEEN DOING THIS, MAINLY VIA THINK TANKS AND “STUDIES” THAT ARE CREATED IN HOPES OF BEING PICKED UP, AND COMMENTARY ON OP ED PAGES.
AS SOURCE OF SUBSIDY NONPROFIT FUNDING IS APPEALING, BUT POSES OBVIOUS THREATS TO INDEPENDENCE AND PERSISTENT DANGER OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
IT’S AN AREA WHERE POLICIES NEED TO BE ARTICULATED AND ENFORCED, AND WHERE POSSIBLE FUNDING NEEDS TO BE DECOUPLED FROM PARTICULAR TOPICS (AS WELL AS, NEEDLESS TO SAY, TREATMENT OF THOSE TOPICS.)
5. CHANGING EMPLOYMENT MODELS. MOONLIGHTING — THE PRACTICE OF JOURNALISTS’ TAKING SECOND JOBS — IS ALMOST UNIVERSALLY DISCOURAGED, IF NOT FORBIDDEN, BY PROFESSIONAL CODES. FOR GOOD REASON: THE TEMPTATION IS ALMOST IRRESISTIBLE TO ALLOW LOYALTIES AND OBLIGATIONS THE JOURNALIST INCURS BY ACCEPTING EMPLOYMENT AND MONEY ELSEWHERE TO INFLUENCE HIS OR HER WORK.
BUT WHAT IF THE ENTIRE BUSINESS IS CHANGING, BECAUSE NEWS ORGANIZATIONS FIND IT BENEFICIAL (AND LESS EXPENSIVE) TO GET MORE AND MORE OF THEIR CONTENT FROM PEOPLE WHO AREN’T ON THEIR STAFFS?
THE PROFESSIONAL JOURNALIST IS ALSO A TEACHER, A WRITER OF COPY FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRMS, A FICTION WRITER, A PROET, A PERSON, IN SHORT, WHO IS ENTANGLED IN ANY NUMBER OF KNOWLEDGE-RELATED PRACTICES.
HOW CAN YOU FORBID MOONLIGHTING IF THE PEOPLE YOU DEPEND ON HAVE CAREERS THAT CONSIST ENTIRELY OF MOONLIGHTING?
THE NOTION THAT JOURNALISTS HAVE SOME OBLIGATION TO BE “INDEPENDENT” AROSE IN A TIME WHEN THAT INDEPENDENCE WAS ASSURED, PARADOXICALLY, BY A DEPENDENCY THAT WAS CLEAR AND UNAMBIGUOUS. THE REPORTER COULD RELY ON HIS OR HER EMPLOYER FOR PRINCIPAL SUPPORT.
NOW?
REMEMBER, THE READER IS STILL ENTITLED TO HONEST, INDEPENDENT REPORTAGE FROM PEOPLE WHO AREN’T SECRETLY BEING PAID TO TILT THEIR WORK ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
PLAINLY THE RULES GOVERING CONFLICT OF INTEREST NEED TO BE EXAMINED.
THAT CAME TO SOME PROMINENCE IN MY COUNTRY RECENTLY WHEN THE NY TIMES REVEALED A SCANDALOUS PRACTICE UNDER WHICH NEWS ORGANIZATIONS, MAINLY TV, RELIED ON MILITARY “ANALYSTS” OR “CONSULTANTS” WHO, UNKNOWN TO THEM, HAD DIFFERENT RELATIONS OF DEPENDENCY ON THE PENTAGON.
I THINK THAT’S ALMOST AN EXAMPLAR OF THE PROBLEM WE’LL FACE IN THE FUTURE, WITH A GREAT MANY OF THE MOST TALENTED JOURNALISTS WRITING FOR YOU, WRITING FOR OTHERS, WORKING FOR STILL OTHERS – AND MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW WHICH MASTER THEY’RE SERVING WHEN THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING FOR YOUR PRINCIPAL CLIENTS, YOUR READERS OR VIEWERS.
IN CONCLUSION, LET ME SUM UP.
TENSION BETWEEN THE NEWS BUSINESS AND THE JOURNALISM PROFESSION HAS BEEN A HISTORICAL REALITY. IN MANY RESPECTS IT HAS BEEN A CREATIVE TENSION.
MY TALK THIS MORNING HAS TRIED TO IDENTIFY NEW FORMS THAT THIS CONFLICT IS TAKING, WHICH I THINK POSE UNIQUE AND POTENT THREATS TO THE FUTURE OF ETHICAL JOURNALISM.
A FRAGMENTED JOURNALISM THAT IS DELIBERATELY USED TO NURTURE AND HARVEST DEMOGRAPHICALLY DESIRABLE MARKETS ON BEHALF OF ADVERTISERS — THAT, TO ME, IS THE LATEST FRONTIER OF CORRUPTION, AND THE ONE THAT WE MUST BE MOST VIGILANT ABOUT FIGHTING.
IF THERE IS A BOTTOM LINE, AN IRREDUCIBLE BOTTOM, TO THIS SPECULATION, IT IS THAT YOU AND THE ORGANIZATIONS YOU SERVE, HAVE AN OVERRIDING, ALMOST SACRED, OBLIGATION TO DO RIGHT BY YOUR VIEWERS, YOUR READERS, THOSE YOU COMMUNICATE WITH AND WHO RELY ON YOU.
THEY TRUST YOU. THAT MEANS MORE THAN RELYING ON YOU FOR ACCURACY. IT MEANS THEY TRUST YOU TO TELL THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO KNOW, EVEN IF THEY’LL HATE YOU FOR IT, BECAUSE IT’S YOUR DUTY.