Research-in-Progress:

The Ethics of Human Dignity in Al Jazeera

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BY CLIFFORD G. CHRISTIANS

An exploration of human dignity in reporting done by Al Jazeera.

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BY KENNETH HARWOOD

We can learn a lot from the disclaimers of ancient historian Herodotus.

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BY MANNY PARASCHOS

How the film spotlight offers an inspiring look at the good that journalists do in modern America.

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BY CHANCE DORLAND

An examination of the gradual deterioration of press freedoms in South Korea.

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BY RUSSELL FRANK

On the ethics of writing profiles on some more nefarious types of people.

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BY SPENCER KIMBALL

The ethics of how a statistical margin of error could have influenced the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Teaching Idea: Exploring Patriots Day

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BY AMY M. DAMICO

What we can all learn from reporting done about the Boston Marathon Bombings, as seen through the movie Patriots Day.

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BY JAY BLACK

Reflections on the influence that journalist Lou Hodges had on the media landscape.

ANNOUNCEMENTS/REPORTS Fall 2017

Upcoming and past meetings, events and seminars related to media ethics are shared here. The announcements that follow are based on information supplied by the organizations involved or other sponsors. If you wish to have announcements of future meetings published in Media Ethics, please send program and contact information to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as early as early as possible. A few earlier announcements are provided in a special section to remind readers that many of the meetings mentioned in announcements are annual. In the future, however, we hope to publish reports on all pertinent events rather than just a few.

Applications Open for Summer 2018 Ethics Fellowship in Journalism in Germany

Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE) is now accepting applications for its 2018 journalism program. The program uses the conduct of reporters and other media professionals during the Holocaust and in Nazi Germany as a launching point for an intensive course of study on contemporary journalism ethics.

FASPE is predicated upon the power of place. Fellows visit Auschwitz and other sites in Germany and Poland where they consider how to apply the lessons of history to the ethical challenges of journalism today.

• FASPE Journalism is open to graduate students going into journalism, as well as working journalists early in their careers.
• Ten to 15 Fellows will be chosen for the 2016 program, which will run from Friday, May 20 through Thursday, June 2.
• All program costs, including travel to Europe from New York and back, European travel, lodging, and food are covered.
• FASPE Journalism is part of a program offering fellowships in several professional fields. Journalism Fellows travel and share some seminars with Business and Law Fellows.
• Completed applications are due by Thursday, January 4, 2018.
• To apply or to learn more about FASPE, visit: www.FASPE.info.

Call for Programs - Excellence in Journalism Conference 2018

Since 2011, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Radio Television Digital News Association have partnered to host an annual conference that provides journalists with the industry’s best training and networking opportunities. The conference was named the Excellence in Journalism (EIJ) conference in order to provide an opportunity for other organizations to partner with SPJ and RTDNA on the event.

This year’s Excellence in Journalism 2018 will be held from September 27 to 29, 2018 in Baltimore, MD.

The Radio Television Digital News Association and Society of Professional Journalists are accepting program proposals for their Excellence in Journalism 2018 conference. If you have an idea for a conference session and are interested in taking part in the conference, you can submit a proposal.

• For more information, and to submit a program proposal, visit: http://excellenceinjournalism.org/call-programs/
• Deadline for program proposal submissions is January 16, 2018.
• Conference registration information is forthcoming.

Nominations for Ancil Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism

The University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication is now accepting nominations for the Annual Ancil Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism. The nomination deadline is February 15, 2018. Up to three $5,000 awards are given annually. More information is available at the link below including information about nomination requirements, last year's winners, and a link to nomination forms.

• Deadline for Nominations: February 15, 2018
• For more information: http://journalism.uoregon.edu/events/payne-awards/

Save the Date - 2018 AEJMC Annual Conference: August 6 - 9, 2018

The Media Ethics Division (MED) will soon be accepting paper proposals for the 2018 AEJMC Annual Conference in Minneapolis, MN on August 6 - 9, 2018.

Special interest will be given to panels that attract the co-sponsorship of another AEJMC Division or Interest Group. Details on the Divisions and Interest Groups within AEJMC are available at http://www.aejmc.com/?page_id=190.

• For more information about the AEJMC and the Annual Conference, go to http://www.aejmc.org/home/events/

8th Annual Social Media Technology Conference & Workshop

Co-Hosted by Bowie State University and Howard University, the 8th Annual Social Media Technology Conference & Workshop is a two-day intensive conference on October 4 - 5, 2018 designed to enlighten conference-goers about new scholarship, professional practices and pedagogical approaches to teaching Social Media Technologies.

Interested individuals can send in papers, workshop ideas and panel proposals that address a myriad of topics surrounding the theme—Social Media: Safe Spaces or Dangerous Terrain. This year’s theme focuses on dissecting how the beneficial social connections provided by social media are being jeopardized by dark forces that threaten our individual voices, our privacy and security and even our democracy.

The call for papers for the 8th annual Social Media Technology Conference and Workshop seeks to examine these challenges and new possibilities as social media mature into mainstream and create opportunities for scholars, practitioners and observers to make more informed assessments about the direction of social media and the internet and their impact on our virtual and actual lives. 

• Located at Howard University, Washington, D.C. 
• For more information, and to submit paper, panel, or workshop submissions, visit http://socialmediatechnologyconference.com

Recent Events (Summer & Fall 2017)

The Walter Cronkite Conference on Media Ethics and Integrity

• Conference Date: October 26, 2017

Media educators, students and professionals were invited to submit completed research papers, abstracts and suggestions for hot topics panels for the third annual Walter Cronkite Conference on Media Ethics and Integrity, sponsored by Missouri Western State University and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Media Ethics division.

While the conference had been held the last three years at MWSU in Cronkite’s hometown of St. Joseph, this year it was co-located with the National Collegiate Media Convention in Dallas, TX in order to reach out to college journalists.

Completed papers and abstracts were original, unpublished work that dealt with media ethics issues in contemporary and historical settings. For more information about qualifications or the conference, visit the official website: www.missouriwestern.edu/cronkiteconference

6th International Conference on Communication, Media, Technology and Design

• Conference Dates: October 6 - 8, 2017

The International Conference on Communication, Media, Technology and Design was a three-day media conference held in Famagusta, Cyprus in 2017.

Main themes aimed for the exchange of information on research, development, and applications of Communication Technologies, Social Media, Visual Communication and Design, Integrated Marketing Communication, Communication Education, Communication Barriers, Health Communication, Media Management and Economics, Political Communication and Communication and Media Studies in General.

• For more information about the conference, visit: http://www.cmdconf.net/

Broadcast Education Association Super-Regional Conference

The Broadcast Education Association and the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina hosted the second annual Fall Super-Regional Conference from September 21 - 23, 2017 at Point Park University in Pittsburgh. This three-day conference featured academic training workshops, topical and timely panel discussions, and competitions for both scholarly research and creative works.

• More information can be found here: https://www.beaweb.org/OL/

Call for Manuscripts

Media Ethics welcomes any and all contributions. All submitted manuscripts are subject to editing at the discretion of the editor. Because of our editorial policies of independence and inclusion, neither the sponsors nor the editor shall be held responsible for any views expressed in Media Ethics by authors or others, or for their own follies. Photographs often are digitally altered. Unless otherwise specified, authors and photographers retain all rights to their work, subject only to print and electronic publication by Media Ethics itself. All manuscripts, editorial queries, and complaints and compliments should be addressed to the editor: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

A few months ago, one of our authors wrote the editor, saying: “I'm glad you like these little essays. I have fun writing them...it's a nice forum for sharing thoughts about things that I'm working on/thinking about, without the formality of a big research paper.” Right on!  

Media Ethics magazine has said many times that we will welcome the submission of any manuscript that deals with both the media and ethics. True enough! But sometimes this language makes people think that we are only interested in journalism, or in the traditional mass media of newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and the like. Not true. Instead, we are also interested in the movies, the theater, blogging, social media, and the teaching of ethics. We welcome opinion, commentary and rigorous research (and have published satire, poetry, and manuscripts that are hard to classify—but which deal with ethics and communication) that refer to “old media,” “new media” and matters that nobody has previously written about. Aesthetics? Philosophy? Technology? Sure! Labor, management, diversity? Naturally! Entertainment, journalism and other information, persuasion (such as advertising, public relations and psychological warfare)? Reporting, history, government policy and the Internet? Of course!

Media Ethics also publishes reviews, reports, digests, bibliographies, case studies and news of meetings, opportunities, and publications.

To sum up, we would like to receive from you, and from your fellow media professionals, scholars, or students any appropriate material that is well-written and well-reasoned.

The deadline for receiving manuscripts for the next issue Spring issue 2018 (vol. 29, no. 2) is February 20th, 2018.. If we get your manuscript about any topic related to media ethics by that date, we should be able to catch up with our production schedule. Although we often print much longer articles, many of our commentaries run 1,200 words or less. And, for the benefit of readers, we are happy when an article provides reference citations, even though many commentaries or "opinion pieces" do very well without them.) Naturally, all submissions are subject to editing—but we communicate about any problems or needed changes and are very flexible when it comes to ideas, viewpoints, format and style. We try to stay in touch with our authors.

To submit a manuscript, merely e-mail it to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or send it via the U. S. Postal Service to:

Media Ethics Magazine
Attn: John Michael Kittross, Editor
186 Tremont St.
Boston, MA 02111-1014

Media Ethics is grateful to its sponsors identified below, who are neither responsible for nor in control of our content.

The Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley The Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, has a longstanding commitment to nurturing principled newsgathering and storytelling, guided by a strong dedication to public illumination and civic betterment. Its two-year, immersive master of journalism curriculum includes instruction in professional ethics led by professor and former dean Tom Goldstein and current dean and journalism professor Edward Wasserman, formerly Knight chair in journalism ethics at Washington and Lee University.

• Contact: Graduate School of Journalism 121 North Gate Hall #5860, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-5860. Main office: (510) 642-3383
• Website: The Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley

The Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law at the University of Minnesota The Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law is a research center located within the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota. Its primary mission is to conduct research on, and promote understanding of, legal and ethical issues affecting the mass media. The Silha Center also sponsors an annual lecture series; hosts forums, conferences and symposia; produces the Silha Bulletin, a quarterly newsletter, and other publications; and provides information about media law and ethics to the public. Support is provided for faculty research, and for Silha Fellows working on advanced degrees.

• Contact: The Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law, U. of Minnesota, 111 Murphy Hall, 206 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0418; Telephone: 612.625.3421.
• Website: The Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law 

The Institute of Communications Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The Institute offers a Ph.D. in communications within the traditions of social scientific research, historic-cultural interpretation, linguistics, and political economy. Its B.S. degree in Media Studies is rooted in the liberal arts. The Institute develops intellectually productive approaches to cultural, political, ethical and social challenges of the global communications economy. Public service and social responsibility are emphasized in the curriculum and research projects. Work in ethics is required of undergraduates and doctoral dissertations in communication ethics are an option.

• Contact: Clifford Christians, Director, Institute of Communications Research, College of Communications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 810 S. Wright St., Suite 228, Urbana, IL 61801; Telephone: 217.333.1549; E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
• Website: Institute of Communications Research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Facultad de Comunicación, Universidad de Navarra/The School of Public Communication, University of Navarra, offered the first Spanish academic degree in journalism starting in 1958. Since that time, it has offered both graduate and undergraduate degrees in three different sequences: Advertising, Radio, Film and Television, and Journalism. Each sequence includes specific courses involving media ethics.

• Contact: José J. Sánchez-Aranda, Facultad de Comunicación, Universidad de Navarra, Pamploma, España; E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
• Website: The School of Public Communication, University of Navarra

Emerson College Emerson College is the nation's only four-year college devoted exclusively to the study of communication and performing arts. Emerson's School of the Arts and School of Communication both sponsor Media Ethics magazine on behalf of Emerson College and emphasize ethics in special programs, in their curricula, and in faculty research and publications.

• Contact: Emerson College, 120 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116; Telephone: 617.824.8500. 
• Website: Emerson College

Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication The Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication is a research center at The Pennsylvania State University College of Communications dedicated to the study and advancement of ethics and responsibility in corporate communication. The Center has awarded over $320,000 to scholars and professionals to support research about ethics and responsibility in public communication.

Contact: Director, Denise Sevick Bortree, The Arthur W. Page Center, 201 Carnegie Building, University Park, PA 16802; E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Telephone: 814.863.6307.

• Website: The Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication

Kegley Institute of Ethics The Kegley Institute of Ethics is committed to stimulating ethical thought and reflection on the California State University, Bakersfield campus and in our greater community. We host major lectures, panels and workshops, and we sponsor scholarships and research for faculty and students.

• Contact: Michael D. Burroughs, Ph.D., Director, Kegley Institute of Ethics, 26 BDC, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA 93311; Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; Telephone: 661-654-3578
• Website: Kegley Institute of Ethics

Endicott College School of Communications Endicott College strives to instill in students an understanding of and an appreciation for professional and liberal studies through coursework andnapplied learning.  The College has a vision for the total development of the individual within a community that fosters an appreciation of diversity, international awareness, community service, and moral and ethical values. For further information see Web Site.

• Website: Endicott College School of Communications 

Department of Communication & Rhetorical Studies, Duquesne University Duquesne University's Department of Communication & Rhetorical Studies teaches and conducts research and development in the broad domain of communication studies, including integrated marketing communication, public relations and advertising, corporate communication, intercultural communication, communication ethics, rhetoric, and persuasion in the marketplace. Our departmental foundations are communication ethics, a humanities approach to the discipline, a research and development culture, and ongoing practical engagement with the marketplace.

• Contact: Janie Harden Fritz (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) or Alyssa Groom (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.); Telephone: 412.396.6446. Mailing address: Department of Communication & Rhetorical Studies, Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15282.
• Website: Department of Communication & Rhetorical Studies, Duquesne University  

SPECIAL THANKS

In addition to the intellectual contributions of our authors, and the financial contributions of our sponsors, Media Ethics would like to express its particular gratitude to:

Bob Gardner, film-maker, scholar, and benefactor, passed away in 2014.  But his support of Media Ethics continues, since his latest gift was dedicated to the five-year period 2012-2017, an act of generosity we truly appreciate.

These “special thanks” shouldn't be thought of as detracting from our appreciation for The Grand Masonic Lodge of Massachusetts, particularly Grand Secretary Arthur Johnson, Grand Master Roger Pageau, and Assistant Grand Treasurer Craig MacPherson for providing the space and other facilities that enable the Media Ethics office to function.

Our hosts at the Institute of Communications Research of the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, who not only are publishers of the magazine, handling the fiscal and contactual functions with aplomb, but also are contributing financially to Media Ethics as a sponsor.

We also want to give thanks and recognition for the significant support of the following individuals and groups: Randy Bytwerk, Mark Fackler, the Dept. of Communications at Calvin College, Jochen Zeitz, and anonymous individuals. The voluntary donations of each of these friends is extremely important to us.