Law & Ethics

ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING EXERCISE:

Scenario 1: I would never read or take the documents on her desk. Instead, when she returned, I would tell her that I couldn't help but notice the documents on her desk. Based on her comfort level, we could discuss it from that point on. Reading or taking documents that do not belong to me and are not public records is definitely unethical.

Scenario 2: Getting a job at the nursing home to reveal inside information does not sound ethical, especially if I applied and lied about not being a reporter. This goes back to the Food Lion article; if I lied on the application, I would be trespassing like the producers of ABC. I would not do it, for that reason.

Scenario 3: In any writing where you use quotes that are not yours, you should always cite the source. If it were from a person, I would cite that person. If it were from a website, I would cite the website. Otherwise, this would be an act of plagiarism.

LIBEL EXERCISE:

In the case of running the story about the student who accused the professor of sexual harassment, there are definitely a couple of things I would omit: the name of the professor and his threat against the newspaper. Because the student has not filed a police report or even talked to the university, it is unfair to print the professor's name. This would defame his character and accuse him of something we are not sure is true. I cannot rely solely on the student's word because she could be lying. I would run the story without his name. That way, the news is out there, but the conclusion is yet to be determined. Once further details surface, then a more specific story can be run. I would also refrain from printing the part about the professor threatening the newspaper for libel; that doesn't make the newspaper or him look any better. I would also make it clear in my article that the truth is yet to be determined.