Ethics In Journalism: Be Familiar With The Move: All The President's Men
Writer must be familiar with the move: "All The President's Men"
Woodward and Bernstein used a host of questionably ethical tactics to keep the Watergate story alive, many of which are addressed in the SPJ Code of Ethics. Pick five times they did something that is addressed in the code. For each one, cite the incident in the film that is on point with the Code of Ethics. Then briefly explain whether you agree with their decision and why.
Write this as 5 individual answers. It can look like this:
1) “Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two.” In the film, Woodward did …
I think he was right to do that because …
(I have purposely chosen something from the Code of Ethics that does not apply to the film)
Type and print your answers and bring the paper to class on Oct. 3.
Ethics in Journalism
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Ethics in Journalism
Professional journalists are expected to follow the Code of Ethics, according to the Society of Professional Journalism (SPJ). Even though it is a voluntary requirement, the Code of ethics is used to guide ethical behavior among journalists. Journalists are expected to minimize harm, be accountable, and act responsibly. The movie, All the Presidents' men, question some of the ethical tactics used by Woodward and Bernstein to highlight the Watergate scandal. The movie shows some elements of journalism according to the JSP code of ethics.
One of the scenes of the movie, there is confusion in the newsroom about sourcing policies. In the incident, Bradlee questions Woodward about the source of the story and Howard Hunts' political activities that he was carrying on behalf of the White House. In my view, Bradlee is right to do so because unnamed sources harms credibility and do not serve the public interest. Secrecy raises questions about the motives of the two reports and their sources. It harms the credibility and accountability of media houses. In addition, the Society of Professional Journalist code of ethics emphasizes on the identification of sources whenever possible.
In the film, the background briefings were the focus of the film. Bradlee argued against excluding the Post reporters from sessions where government officials spoke under anonymity. Bradlee believed in being accountable to the public as prescribed by journalism ethics. Bradlee believed that the anonymity did not ser...