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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 481 269 CS 512 494 TITLE Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (86th, Kansas City, Missouri, July 30-August 2,2003) .Media Ethics Division. PUB DATE 2003-07-00 NOTE 315p.; For other sections of these proceedings, see CS 512 480-498. PUB TYPE Collected Works Proceedings (021) Reports Research (143) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PC13 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Codes of Ethics; Corporations; *Ethical Instruction; *Ethics; Higher Education; *Journalism Education; Journalism History; National Security; News Writing; Newspapers; Photojournalism; Student Diversity; Terrorism IDENTIFIERS Digital Photography; Scandals ABSTRACT The Media Ethics Division of the proceedings contains the following 10 papers: "Punctuation and Epistemic Honesty: Do Photos Need What Words Have?" (Scott Fosdick and Shahira Fahmy); "A Bellwether in Media Accountability: The Work of the New York 'World's' Bureau of Accuracy and Fair Play" (Neil Nemeth); "Eight Arguments for the Importance of Philosophical Thinking in Journalism Ethics" (Hendrik Overduin); "An Examination of Diversity Issues at Southeast Journalism Conference Newspapers" (Kathleen Woodruff Wickham, Amanda Elkin, Sarah S. Hollis, Scarlet Lawrence, Sandra Knispel, Jamee Smith, and Marty Russell); "Balancing News Reporting with National Security in an Age of Terrorism" (David Cuillier); "Bad Apples or Rotten Culture?: Media Discourse on the Corporate Scandals of 2001 and 2002" (David A. Craig and Kristina K. Turner); "Conflicted Interests, Contested Terrain: Journalism Ethics Codes Then and Now" (Lee Wilkins and Bonnie Brennen); "A Gang of Pecksniffs Grows Up: The Evolution of Journalism Ethics Discourse in 'The Journalist' and 'Editor and Publisher'" (Patrick Lee Plaisance); "Questions of Judgment.in the Newsroom: A Journalistic Instrumental-Value Theory for Media Ethics" (Patrick Lee Plaisance); and "Perry Meets Freire: Moral Development's 'Leap of Faith' in the Classroom" (Maggie Jones Patterson and Matthew Gropp) . (RS) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication 86th, Kansas City, MO July 30-August 2, 2003 Media Ethics Division Cg 00 Punctuation and Epistemic Honesty: Do Photos Need What Words Have?...Scott Fosdick, Shahira Fahmy A Bellwether in Media Accountability: The Work of the New York World's Bureau of Accuracy and Fair Play...Neil Nemeth Eight Arguments for the Importance of Philosophical Thinking in Journalism Ethics...Hendrik Overduim An Examination of Diversity Issues at Southeast Journalism Conference Newspapers...Kathleen Woodruff Wickham Balancing News Reporting with National Security in an Age of Terrorism...David Cuillier Bad Apples or Rotten Culture? Media Discourse on the Corporate Scandals of 2001 and 2002...David A. Craig, Kristina K. Turner Conflicted Interests, Contested Terrain: Journalism Ethics Codes Then and Now...Lee Wilkins, Bonnie Brennen A Gang of Pecksniffs Grows Up: The Evolution of Journalism Ethics Discourse in The Journalist and Editor and Publisher...Patrick Lee Plaisance Questions of Judgment in the Newsroom: A Journalistic Instrumental-Value Theory for Media Ethics...Patrick Lee Plaisance Perry Meets Freire: Moral Development's 'Leap of Faith' in the Classroom...Maggie Jones Patterson, Mathew Gropp EST COPY AVAILABLE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND Office of Educational Research and Improvement DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION BEEN GRANTED BY CENTER (ERIC) O This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Points of view or opinions stated in this INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) document do not necessarily represent 1 official OERI position or policy. 2 Punctuation and Epistemie Honesty: Do Photos Need What Words Have? by Scott Fosdick, Ph.D Assistant Professor School ofJournalism University of Missouri Columbia, MO 65211-1200 573/882-3496 [email protected] and Shahira Fahmy Doctoral Candidate School ofJournalism University of Missouri Columbia, MO 65211-1200 [email protected] Submitted for consideration by the Media Ethics Division of AEJMC for presentation at the 2003 convention in Kansas City. 3 Punctuation and Epistemic Honesty: Do Photos Need What Words Have? Abstract This research notes the similarities between the ethical debates surrounding the proper use of quotations and digital photography and seeks to incorporate them into a larger discussion of the ethics of sampling reality.Interviews with editors at US News and World Report, The Sunday New York Times Magazine, and Esquire reveal: internalized ethical positions that draw nothing from formal codes of ethics disagreement over the proper way to set-up a reconstructed quotation disagreement over whether readers understand when photographs have been enhanced no discussion of these issues between different types of editors and no support for the adoption of an icon or "photation marks" to serve as the visual equivalent of the quotation mark. The history of the quotation mark is seen as a guideline in the effort to clearly identify products of the still-young field of photography. The authors argue that news practitioners should consider replacing Truth with Honesty as their guiding light when presenting samples of reality. 4 Punctuation and Epistemic Honesty: Do Photos Need What Words Have? Introduction No allegation is more serious to a mainstream journalist than that he has lied, that he knew what the truth was and consciously altered or obscured or misrepresented it. The public forgives journalists who simply make mistakes. There is little forgiveness, however, for someone who has found a fact and willfully twisted it. Of all the reasons that people find to vilify journalists, none is more danming than the revelation that one has fabricated a quotation or a photographic image. The reasons are simple and fairly obvious. Although the public might understand that quotes are not always accurate and that computers are quite capable of merging and distorting images, the essential nature of quotations and photographs are the same: They imply a claim on reality. When a journalist quotes a source, he or she is promising that the words are not merely a paraphrase, but are the very words used. And unless there are clear indications otherwise, the default assumption is that a photograph also promises a slice of reality. To promise is not necessarily to be believed (ask any Lothario, any politician), but that does not alter the status of quotations and photographs as promises. In an age when lying is so easy, the promises we keep are that much more valuable. It is not surprising, therefore, that the use of quotations and the treatment of digital images figure prominently in discussions of journalism ethics, and in the codes that are the result of these discussions. What is surprising, however, is that they are invariably treated as utterly distinct issues. The word people debate the ethical use of words and the picture people debate proper and improper photo editing techniques. That is how the issues have evolved in the 5 Punctuation and Epistemic Honesty, page 2 academic setting. But how does this play out on the front lines of journalism?This study uses qualitative interviews of leading magazine editors to look for intersectingspheres of concern between the photo editor and the copy editor. In place of paralleldiscussions of the ethics of presenting quotations and photos as accurate samples of reality, might we make greater progress by considering the two together? Can one field learn from the other? Forexample, do photographers suffer because they do not have at their disposal the visualequivalent of the quotation mark? If we compare and combine the ethical convictions of theseeditors, might we arrive at larger ethical principles, principles that could prove useful for otherplatforms -- such as radio and television -- as well as for communication technologies not yet invented?Is there, perhaps, an epistemological imperative that might guide all journalists in theethical sampling of reality? By beginning this discussion among leading magazine editors, the authorshope to spark a larger consideration of the issues among visualand textual journalists and scholars. Theory In the world-wide context of the new information age, ethical dilemmasarise regarding information transfer (Buchanan, 2002). Since Plato and Aristotle, ethics has been asubject of attention from media scholars. Media scholars agree that if the mass media are tofunction properly in a society, then both freedom and social responsibility are important(Gordon et al., 1999). The social responsibility theory emerged to suggest an obligation "toprovide a truthful, balanced and comprehensive account of news" (Hutleng, 1985, p. 11). Merrill(1999) writes: "Ethical concern is important, for it forces the media person to make commitmentsand thoughtful decisions among alternatives" (Merrill, 1999, p. 3). He explains thatmedia ethics focuses on duty to self and duty to others regarding actions taken by mediapractitioners. Media 6 Punctuation and Epistemic Honesty, page 3 practitioners echo an ethical media perspective. They believe in ethical performanceand standards of responsible journalism (Hutleng, 1985). In seeking behavioral guidelines,