PressEthic

Last week, a number of my classmates and I were sent out on assignment to cover a trial. We were scattered around the Manhattan Superior Court, attending a variety of trials over the week.

Several students ran into our counterparts, out on similar marching orders, from that other grad school nearby. Let's just say it begins with a "C" and ends with "olumbia."

Chitchatting with a fellow journalism student, one of my classmates, having arrived later in the day, asked if she could have a little background information on what she missed, or perhaps get the full name of the defense attorney.

Any help? No. No, sorry, can't do that. So there's a lecture going on at Columbia, apparently, that's heavily anti-sharing. I guess grad school is the anti-kindergarten.

So what are the ethical complications of sharing information with your fellow journalists? I don't think a little sharing between colleagues is really the black hole of ethical complications.

If it's a public event where facts are out in the open, there's little harm. The main worry should be for accuracy, and what is a reliable source. We're not talking about borrowing facts, when it's along the lines of "did he say seven feet or seventeen feet?" You never know if someone else is as ethical as you are-- that's why you don't leave your wallet on a cafe table while you go to the restroom. Be cautious, but do your part to foster a sense of an honest community of journalists.

I really think this is an area where common sense must reign. Don't depend on other journalists to write your story, and always verify facts. This is something you're supposed to do anyway! Is it too much to ask that if someone has a question for you, you should answer politely and honestly? I don't think so.

Of course there are matters of competition involved, but we'll save that for the PressCompetition blog.