Chapter 2: Truthtelling
This chapter engages with one of the most important moral obligations of news media: report the truth. Telling the truth under all conditions is a core concept of the news media internationally, and the chapter presents several dimensions of truthtelling with five cases. The first case centers on the challenges posed on science journalism during the Covid-19 pandemic. The second case discusses an international news operation, Al Jazeera’s English channel, and whether it meets the truth standard. In the third case, truth as the centerpiece of media ethics is under attack in the post-truth era. How journalists should communicate truth to the public as a whole in a fragmented society is at the center of discussion. The fourth case looks at the worldwide controversy over the publication of the Muhammad cartoons and analyzes the complicated issue involving religion, politics, and press freedom. The fifth case concerns the international #MeToo movement and what news media should consider to report truthfully on this activism for social change.
Chapter 2 – Video Introduction
Case 6
Discussion Questions
- How did smaller news outlets and larger news outlets differ in covering the COVID-19 Pandemic?
- Why might this have been? Which coverage might provide more care?
- What is your view on the use of preprints in scientific coverages?
Weblinks
Science Journalism during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Case 7
Discussion Questions
- How might a platform such as Al Jazeera be different from a platform like PBS?
- How does funding play a role, and how might funding look different between Qatar and the United States?
- Could the claims of bias leveraged at Al Jazeera also be used against western news outlets?
Weblinks
Al Jazeera English
- Al Jazeera as a PR machine for the country of Qatar
- https://www.huffpost.com/entry/al-jazeera-ferguson-tear-gas-journalists_n_5678081
- Al Jazeera journalists were shot at with rubber bullets while covering the Ferguson protests in 2014
Case 8
Discussion Questions
- How might the ethical systems of Duty and Consequences cause Journalists to re-evaluate political coverage in a “post-truth” age?
- What’s the effective way of talking across differences? Especially in the age of fragmentation enabled by social media and internet?
Weblinks
The Post-Truth Presidency
- The Atlantic: “The Media Learned Nothing from 2016”
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/09/media-mistakes/616222
Case 9
Discussion Questions
- When is it permissible for a news outlet to publish material that will purposefully offend a group of people?
- Why might media organizations publish photos of protests surrounding the cartoons, but not publish the statistic that less than .001% of Muslims were involved in the protests?
- What ethical principles might this violate?
Weblinks
Muhammed Cartoon Controversy
- Al Jazeera: “US professor sues university over Prophet Muhammed row” (Jan. 18, 2023)
- A Hamline professor was fired after showing a picture of a depiction of Prophet Muhamad in an art history class. The Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) weighed in on the issue and supported the professor, stating that there was a difference between depictions for academic means or in a negligent context.
- Statement from CAIR:
Case 10
Discussion Questions
- How might the highlighting of prominent cases by the news media impact those who are less prominent? Are there both positive and negative impacts for survivors of sexual assault to see these cases highlighted?
- When movements begin to cross cultural lines and become international, what kind of considerations need to be made when reporting on a movement to ensure that all perspectives are considered?
Weblinks
International #MeToo Movement
- Me Too movement website
- Pew Research Center research “More Than Twice as Many Americans Support Than Oppose the #MeToo Movement” Sept. 29, 2022