Friday, September 5, 2008
Journalism ethics: Where do you stand?
The Society of Professional Journalists is holding its annual convention this week, and discussions of ethics in journalism are once again drawing interest. The SPJ issued a press release from its ethics committee which outlines some of the highs and lows in journalism ethics over the past year. Many of the ethical lows are related to media outlets trying to make more money by securing deals that ultimately end up placing their objectivity and credibility into question. In one example cited in the SPJ press release, a Fox TV affiliate in Las Vegas penned a sponsorship deal in which McDonald's drink cups will sit on the anchor desk during broadcasts with the cups' logos facing the camera. As media consumers, do deals like this bother you and make you call into question the credibility of the news outlets? Or do you think they are a necessary part of the competitive, bottom-line world of modern mass media?
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13 comments:
Interesting article...I noticed that plagiarism was once again an issue this year. According to the SPJ,
"Several violations of journalism's cardinal rule surfaced during the past year, but only one that we know of shut down a newspaper entirely. An alternative weekly paper in Texas stopped publishing because of allegations that one of its writers lifted stories from other publications."
On The Media filed a report about this incident and you can listen to it at this link.
Interesting article. We can't blame news media in their drive to make money. The deal probably landed the network millions of dollars. You could argue that the money they made could be put towards expansion. And when news companies expand generally the public benefits for it. More camera's, more anchors, etc.... all add up to more coverage. Meaning more news. Plus why should we doubt the news for trying to survive in this dog eat dog world. The man with the most money wins. It's how this company works. The free market is to remain free. It's not like they are making a deal on what news they will show or what they will say about a certain topic. It's a coffee cup making them a bit of change. In the end the news isn't garnished by the deal. So what's the problem?
Gentry Simons
MCCNM 101 11:30
I do not think that an issue over advertisment in news programming should even really be an issue. So the network landed a sponsorship deal with McDonalds why should that make viewers question the credibility of news outlets? It does not change the relevence of stories. I mean you really can't blame news networks for trying to make more money. In reality that is the ultimate goal of all entertainment outlets and news for some could be considered just that.
George Whyte MCCNM 101
I belive that we shouldn't hold it against the news media. Everyone tries to make more money. If their is a sponsorship it should be fair game. This makes the market more interesting. It allows competition to further extend itself.
What a great idea though really. Everyone is trying to make money, and the extra money brought in could create more jobs and opportunities for this particular station. Does it make me second guess their credibility? Not really, if it is news station their major priority is to report the news as accurate as they can and a sponsor with McDonalds to have a cup in front of them is not enough to discredit everything.
It won't bother me if a company gave a television station to sell their product. They are trying to sell their product and they will do it anyway they can. its who business works.
It won't bother me if a company gave a television station to sell their product. They are trying to sell their product and they will do it anyway they can. its who business works.
Nate Lawrence
Well this article is about what anyone would do for some extra cash, not just the news. Yes it is nationally televised, but the news on the new president elect, or a murder that happened earlier will not be effected by the new Mcdonalds cup on the news anchor's desk. Really this isn't much, just a few questions on the new look from your daily news cast.
Unless a network refuses to report on a sponsor in fear of losing funding from the sponsor, then there is no issue. However, even if this was the case the issue still wouldn't be a big one. Because of competition, one sponsor, such as McDonalds, would not fund every network. If McDonalds was accused of being part of some scandal and the network they fund refused to report on it, a rival network would. Sponsorships help produce higher quality news and are necessary to the survival of the media.
I think that product placement is becoming a more common way for companies to advertise their products and if various news outlets are willing to take advantage of that it is their right to. The news is still the same with or without product placement deals and it's just another way to make more money!
I do not see the harm in this deal. McDonald's increases sales in response to viewers seeing the logo, and the station makes money from McDonald's. If the viewers do not want McDonalds, there is nothing forcing them to go there. This is like complaining that billboards are crossing the line by posting ads along the highway you drive on. When it comes down to it, the consumer makes the final purchasing decision, so it is not improper for the advertisement to be put out in the open to attempt a profit.
The McDonald's part of this add is interesting. It shows how truly corrupt the world and even the people who are supposed to present our nation with absolute facts and truths have become. It makes me laugh thinking that the biggest news story that I see tonight, I could be seeing because the air-time for the program on the news was paid for, not because it is the most informative or relevant articles. This is a major thought for any future journalists or broadcasters to think about because your morals could be at risk in this field, so those of you who are afraid to make a decision and live with the consequences better back out now while you still can. This isn't to discourage anyone from becoming a mass comm major, but it's interesting that you have to lie and be immoral to fit in often times in this profession.
To watch a newscast that prominently features McDonalds cups seems to me to weaken whatever psychological idea of credibility this news channel may have. It would seem a little too corporate or possibly light-hearted to make the anchor's desk into a makeshift fast food station. Not to mention that most stories on the news are depressing in nature, which would make for a weird dynamic when you mix it with a subtle reminder to go to McDonalds.
Raziel Scher MCCNM 101 11:00
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