Professors discuss media ethics

Three professors give their take on journalists' role in society.

By Jedd Rosche

Published April 14, 2006

Professors of journalism and law joined together Wednesday at a forum regarding reporters' responsibilities — to both journalism and the law.

Chancellor Brady Deaton introduced journalism professor Stuart Loory, who delivered a lecture that detailed a brief history of the press and the law in the United States. In the lecture, he noted libel suits by celebrities in the 1940s and the months-long jailing of New York Times reporter Judith Miller for not following a court order to name an anonymous source.

Loory tied the decline of newspapers' share of the media market to an overall decline in the quality of journalism.

"There was a time when journalistic responsibility and economic profit went hand in hand," Loory said.

Loory said he was concerned with the effect of government pressure on journalists. He said 21 journalists have been jailed and charged with obstruction of justice since 1950 for refusing to reveal sources.

Two panelists, journalism professor Geneva Overholser and law professor Richard Reuben, joined Loory for the presentation.

Rueben followed Loory's lecture with his own take on journalistic and civic responsibilities, saying that a free press is necessary for a successful democracy.

"Effective democracies are marked by civil societies that encourage cooperation," Rueben said.

Reuben devoted the majority of his lecture to explaining the difference between journalists' obligation to the law and their ethics.

"The law sets minimum standards for behavior," Rueben said.

He said those standards are low, and journalists should seek to exceed them by actively questioning government policy and officials.

Overholser discussed how journalists are products of their community.

"We journalists are very much creatures of our environment," she said.

Overholser described how for some journalists, skepticism of the government is a form of civic participation and even patriotism.

Overholser echoed Loory's comments about the economics of journalism and how new trends in communications technology might change the future of journalism.

Overholser maintained, though, that print media was not in a downward spiral.

Deaton said he wants to plan more forums for next year. The forum, "A Journalist's First Responsibility: Professional Practice or Citizen's Duty?" was the last in a series of forums Deaton moderated this year.

"I really plan to continue this into the future because the chancellor really sets the tone for campus," Deaton said.