PressEthic

Everyone knows that journalists receive certain benefits while on the job. Some of these perks, such as traveling around the world or watching a sporting event from the media section, are part of the job. But when do these “perks” cross the line? When does a journalist need to refuse special treatment because it affects his or her integrity as a reporter?

I did some research on this issue and I didn’t come up with much. I found one article written by Carter Dougherty, a freelance writer from Washington, D.C., that addresses the issue of German journalists who accepted gifts while on the job. According to Dougherty, the gifts included everything from discounts on cell phones to huge discounts on cars. Of course Dougherty said he refused any gifts, but I wonder how many reporters would do the same.

Then I came across an article written by Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post. The article gives an account of the behind the scenes “pampering” that journalists received during the Republican convention last year. Journalists received massages, pedicures, and lots of other free services from local businesses in New York. According to Kurtz, local officials asked businesses to provide their services as a way to sell New York City to the media.

I think I found an ethical dilemma.

How can journalists do their jobs with integrity if they accept gifts such as these? Even if the “perks” don’t cause them to be biased, what about the public’s perception of a media that openly takes gifts? I bet that the public would use the word “bribes” instead of gifts. And, truth be told, the public would be right. It is irresponsible for journalists to accept such lavish gifts, or any gifts at all for that matter.