Comments on: The journalist’s responsibility as a citizen http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/27/the-journalists-responsibility-as-a-citizen/ by Jeff Jarvis Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:40:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Journalists' Responsibility Is To The Truth, Not The Cops http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/27/the-journalists-responsibility-as-a-citizen/#comment-461589 Journalists' Responsibility Is To The Truth, Not The Cops Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:21:11 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1961#comment-461589 [...] Take this post, for example, that calls on journalists to behave more like citizens and report criminal activities to the police, like NYT reporter Kurt Eichenwald turned in child porn web sites because it is the law. Jeff’s take: [...] [...] Take this post, for example, that calls on journalists to behave more like citizens and report criminal activities to the police, like NYT reporter Kurt Eichenwald turned in child porn web sites because it is the law. Jeff’s take: [...]

]]> By: Larry Matthews http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/27/the-journalists-responsibility-as-a-citizen/#comment-351658 Larry Matthews Mon, 18 Jun 2007 18:27:24 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1961#comment-351658 As a journalist who a) has investigated child porn on the Internet and b) went to prison for it, let me say that, in my opinion, investigative journalists are in the uncomfortable position of having to choose what to disclose to authorities and what to keep confidential, if only until the story is worked through. In my case, I encountered someone on the Internet (AOL chatroom) whom I believed was trafficking in children for sex. At the time I was investigating child porn. After personal reflection I chose to notify the FBI, believing that in this case the danger to children was greater than my journalistic need to hold on to the information until I could use it in a story. Nonetheless, some time later, I was indicted on child porn charges in a major First Amendment case that eventually became a landmark that severely limits journalists rights (as I see it) to investigate child porn and related issues on the Internet. The ruling, upheld by the Supreme Court, (which refused to review a 4th Circuit decision,) allows the government to determine what journalists may lawfully view online. This, in my opinion, is a bad law. Journalists have a responsibility to gather facts. As a general rule, we are not police officers. As a journalist who a) has investigated child porn on the Internet and b) went to prison for it, let me say that, in my opinion, investigative journalists are in the uncomfortable position of having to choose what to disclose to authorities and what to keep confidential, if only until the story is worked through. In my case, I encountered someone on the Internet (AOL chatroom) whom I believed was trafficking in children for sex. At the time I was investigating child porn. After personal reflection I chose to notify the FBI, believing that in this case the danger to children was greater than my journalistic need to hold on to the information until I could use it in a story. Nonetheless, some time later, I was indicted on child porn charges in a major First Amendment case that eventually became a landmark that severely limits journalists rights (as I see it) to investigate child porn and related issues on the Internet. The ruling, upheld by the Supreme Court, (which refused to review a 4th Circuit decision,) allows the government to determine what journalists may lawfully view online. This, in my opinion, is a bad law.
Journalists have a responsibility to gather facts. As a general rule, we are not police officers.

]]> By: Stephen Downes http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/27/the-journalists-responsibility-as-a-citizen/#comment-119923 Stephen Downes Thu, 31 Aug 2006 21:57:41 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1961#comment-119923 Actually, it would have been nice had the journalists started asking the ethical questions when they were fanning the flames of war before the ill-considered invasion of Iraq. A little more attention to doing their job properly could have saved the tens of thousands of people needlessly killed and maimed in the war, a war that made the world no more safe and made Iraq a lot more dangerous. Actually, it would have been nice had the journalists started asking the ethical questions when they were fanning the flames of war before the ill-considered invasion of Iraq. A little more attention to doing their job properly could have saved the tens of thousands of people needlessly killed and maimed in the war, a war that made the world no more safe and made Iraq a lot more dangerous.

]]> By: Charles http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/27/the-journalists-responsibility-as-a-citizen/#comment-118876 Charles Mon, 28 Aug 2006 20:43:55 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1961#comment-118876 It's important for journalists to protect sources. Remember Watergate? I suppose that Bernstein should have said "Oh, no, this guy is surely breaking some kind of law" and turned Deep Throat in. Mm, nice second term you have there Mr Nixon. Sometimes journalists have to do things that involve talking to people who break the law in order to show society what it's like. That doesn't mean standing idly by while someone breaks into a store. But if the only way you can get to talk to someone about something is by promising that you won't betray their trust, that can be the price of freeing up the information that person holds. And of course all the people who are being so determined that journalists must never condone any criminal activity and must always turn them in have never taken drugs, never driven too fast (nor been in a car being driven too fast - of course they turned the driver in to the police), never... oh, broken the law. Right. It’s important for journalists to protect sources. Remember Watergate? I suppose that Bernstein should have said “Oh, no, this guy is surely breaking some kind of law” and turned Deep Throat in. Mm, nice second term you have there Mr Nixon.

Sometimes journalists have to do things that involve talking to people who break the law in order to show society what it’s like. That doesn’t mean standing idly by while someone breaks into a store. But if the only way you can get to talk to someone about something is by promising that you won’t betray their trust, that can be the price of freeing up the information that person holds.

And of course all the people who are being so determined that journalists must never condone any criminal activity and must always turn them in have never taken drugs, never driven too fast (nor been in a car being driven too fast – of course they turned the driver in to the police), never… oh, broken the law. Right.

]]> By: Lisa Guinn http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/27/the-journalists-responsibility-as-a-citizen/#comment-118862 Lisa Guinn Mon, 28 Aug 2006 19:41:16 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1961#comment-118862 anonymous says "it's one or the other." I wanted to agree with him/her, but I couldn't. I wish it was that simple. I think that journalists should not be able to hide behind their profession when it comes to criminal activity. They should have to report it. I would also like for journalists to be able to protect their sources, at least to some degree. I admit that I can't see how this can be done in some cases but not in others. So my conclusion is that both journalists AND citizens must really look at their choices. What do they report to the authorities, who do they help, what personal price are they willing to pay? There are no clear-cut answers, you can't help everyone, and you have to be responsible for your own ethical choices. Now the follow-on question: what about doctors, lawyers, priests, etc? How are their ethical and legal responsiblities different? anonymous says “it’s one or the other.” I wanted to agree with him/her, but I couldn’t. I wish it was that simple.

I think that journalists should not be able to hide behind their profession when it comes to criminal activity. They should have to report it.

I would also like for journalists to be able to protect their sources, at least to some degree. I admit that I can’t see how this can be done in some cases but not in others.

So my conclusion is that both journalists AND citizens must really look at their choices. What do they report to the authorities, who do they help, what personal price are they willing to pay? There are no clear-cut answers, you can’t help everyone, and you have to be responsible for your own ethical choices.

Now the follow-on question: what about doctors, lawyers, priests, etc? How are their ethical and legal responsiblities different?

]]> By: anonymous http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/27/the-journalists-responsibility-as-a-citizen/#comment-118817 anonymous Mon, 28 Aug 2006 17:39:32 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1961#comment-118817 It's one or the other. Either reporters should intervene and turn in ALL criminals and report ALL crimes. Or none. They can't pick and choose. It’s one or the other. Either reporters should intervene and turn in ALL criminals and report ALL crimes. Or none. They can’t pick and choose.

]]> By: sonitus.org » Blog Archive » The journalist’s responsibility as a citizen http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/27/the-journalists-responsibility-as-a-citizen/#comment-118631 sonitus.org » Blog Archive » The journalist’s responsibility as a citizen Mon, 28 Aug 2006 09:04:33 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1961#comment-118631 [...] Buzz Machine  [...] [...] Buzz Machine  [...]

]]> By: chAng http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/27/the-journalists-responsibility-as-a-citizen/#comment-118502 chAng Mon, 28 Aug 2006 03:37:52 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1961#comment-118502 ih` ...I think it should be handled on an individual basis if ever the extreme of a situation does make the case go to court.Maybe even an especially made court for that specific purpose of making the required distinctions between the the fine line of anonymity of sources,criminal activity,and civilian responsibility. eyb~ ih`

…I think it should be handled on an individual basis if ever the extreme of a situation does make the case go to court.Maybe even an especially made court for that specific purpose of making the required distinctions between the the fine line of anonymity of sources,criminal activity,and civilian responsibility.

eyb~

]]> By: Steve White http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/27/the-journalists-responsibility-as-a-citizen/#comment-118499 Steve White Mon, 28 Aug 2006 03:32:52 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1961#comment-118499 Mr. Jarvis, if you recall the story some years back about the WaPo reporter (Janet someone, sorry) who wrote a piece on an interview with a young boy who had been hooked on heroin. Very moving piece, won some awards, and turned out to be totally phony: no such boy, totally concocted. The reporter was fired, of course. Mike Royko, the great <i>Chicago Tribune / Sun-Times</i> reporter, wrote a piece on this that I remember years later. He noted that if he had been the WaPo editor, he would have looked the reporter straight in the eye and said (I'm paraphrasing from a column years ago): "tell me the name, address and location of this boy. Then you and I are going down to the police precinct house in that neighborhood, and we're going to call Child Protection Services. And we're going to get that boy off the street and get him the help he needs. And then I'll print your story." Mr. Royko knew the answer to the dilemna reporters face. Mr. Jarvis, if you recall the story some years back about the WaPo reporter (Janet someone, sorry) who wrote a piece on an interview with a young boy who had been hooked on heroin. Very moving piece, won some awards, and turned out to be totally phony: no such boy, totally concocted. The reporter was fired, of course.

Mike Royko, the great Chicago Tribune / Sun-Times reporter, wrote a piece on this that I remember years later. He noted that if he had been the WaPo editor, he would have looked the reporter straight in the eye and said (I’m paraphrasing from a column years ago): “tell me the name, address and location of this boy. Then you and I are going down to the police precinct house in that neighborhood, and we’re going to call Child Protection Services. And we’re going to get that boy off the street and get him the help he needs. And then I’ll print your story.”

Mr. Royko knew the answer to the dilemna reporters face.

]]> By: penny http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/08/27/the-journalists-responsibility-as-a-citizen/#comment-118468 penny Mon, 28 Aug 2006 02:24:45 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1961#comment-118468 Well, Jeff, if I remember correctly it was the MSM's distortions during Katrina coverage - remember all of those bogus murders in the Super Dome - that added more nails to their coffin. The MSM aren't our friends. They are a vacuous and arrogant entity that a heart could care less about the reponsibilities of being a good citizen. After all, citizen is far too plebian and not enough nuanced for them. Well, Jeff, if I remember correctly it was the MSM’s distortions during Katrina coverage – remember all of those bogus murders in the Super Dome – that added more nails to their coffin. The MSM aren’t our friends. They are a vacuous and arrogant entity that a heart could care less about the reponsibilities of being a good citizen. After all, citizen is far too plebian and not enough nuanced for them.

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