PressEthic

In an December 4, 2005, article in the San Diego Union Tribune, staff writer Nina Garin writes

"So when it's time to dress up for that festive end-of-the-year soiree, the best way to stand out in a crowd is to not wear color at all. This party season, the perfect black dress is more coveted than the latest Manolos, and much more versatile, too. Black dresses are classic and elegant. Adaptable and sexy. Sleek and sophisticated."

In an odd coincidence, Marilyn Johnson of the Atlanta Journal Constitution wrote this, on the very same day:

Singer Johnny Cash, the legendary "man in black," would have approved of this season's hottest fashion color.

The versatile inky shade will light up parties and brunches in the form of a holiday classic --- the little black dress. It goes from girlish to glam, sweet to sexy.

So what do we, as consumers of news, learn from this (other than the fact that fashion writers use alliteration like concealer)? What are the chances of two newspaper fashion writers 3,000 miles away declaring the joy of a clothing option on the same day and in similar language? It's almost like they read the same thing that said what a great thing a black dress is for the holidays. It's almost like they read the same … press release.

For journalists on the softer beats of fashion and lifestyle trends, press releases can be a chicken or the egg question: is the press release spotting the trend, or is the trend created by the press release?

Though they're not exposing corruption or rushing to the scene of an accident, fashion journalists are journalists, and have different sorts of ethical questions to consider. No fashion writer will be going to jail anytime to protect "former Hill staffers," but there are other pressing questions: if I write about this company, will its place in the marketplace change? Do I want to crown this little company a king? How much thought should I give to the ability of a fashion article to influence consumer consumption?

These are questions that are important consider, lest an article is written that exposes the crutch of fashion journalists and begins:

Three individual journalists pressed for time and imagination wrote on the same pitch this week, and in doing so influenced the American public to believe that the color orange is the new hit of the holiday season. "It goes with everything and rhymes with nothing," said a spokesman for the color.