Journalism Ethics: Some Remedies

The full title of the panel was “Journalism Ethics: Some Remedies, Modest and Otherwise.” Professor Small acted as moderator. The panel was a follow-up to other panels in the Washington Journalism Center ethics series. Nauman offered ombudsmandry as the remedy. He stated that “the very fact of hanging out the dirty laundry every week has its effect.” Raines suggested a narrowing of the definition of what a journalist is. Reichley recommended that journalists hold to an ethical standard that William Ruckelshaus suggested to EPA employees when he took over the agency in the wake of scandals: “If you are prepared to have it on a billboard on the road to work in the morning, then it’s probably OK.” Schmidt addressed legal aspects of ethics codes. close