Amanda Hommer
Blog 3- Thoughts on Oweida Lecture
Part 1: Situation Definition:
Bill Marimow discussed two ethical issues and provided stories to go along with them that stood out to me. He discussed releasing the identity of minors and releasing the identity of people who wanted to remain anonymous.
Part 2: Analysis:
Marimow discussed a situation he encountered with releasing the name of a minor. He talked about a drug sting operation that occurred where a 10 year old boy was the lookout for the drug dealers. The boy was identified and the question was whether or not to use the boy’s real name or continue to refer to him as “Little Issac.” Marimow’s staff put together a story about the boy, interviewing him with the presence of his mother, even going as far as getting the mother’s written consent, including pictures and a detailed account from the boy. Yet, the ethical dilemma still occurred whether or not to release the full name and photo of the boy. The police had already released the name of the boy, because under the guidelines the boy’s name should be released because of the role he played in the type of crime he played it. Marimow still felt conflicted with the decision, so he got a group of people together and heard everyone’s opinions on the issue. Finally, he decided not to run the full name and to use a shadowy photo. Marimow got the impression that the boy’s mother might be on drugs as well. Marimow came to his decision based on three things: the fact that it was a 10 year old boy, the mother may have had an impaired judgment, and he acted in loco parentis by thinking about if it would have been his son.
According to, “The Ethical Journalist” by Gene Foreman, Al Tompkins said, “Understanding how young people see the world around them often demands that we hear what they have to say” (p. 218). He also went on to suggest “the journalist try to secure parental permission for a child to be interviewed” (p. 218). So, according to the ethical guidelines, the interview was ethical and a very important perspective for the world to hear. Furthermore, Foreman talks about the ethical principles involved when releasing the names of juveniles. He said it’s commonplace to not release names of juveniles involved in minor crimes. However, he goes on to say that it gets messy when juveniles are involved in more serious crimes. It has become commonplace to release names of minors when involved in high profile events. This is because, “the need of the public to be completely informed outweighs the desire not to interfere with the rehabilitation of the offenders” (p. 242).
Marimow also discussed a situation he encountered with releasing the name of a family that wanted to remain anonymous. He talked about a story that came out about airline pilots being laid off, so he wanted to do a story on a family who experienced this. He contacted a man, interviewed his family, spent hours interviewing and taking pictures, to result in the family not wanting to be named in the story. Marimow had a deadline and didn’t know what to do. So, he asked a senior editor what to do and he was told to use the name anyway. Marimow didn’t feel comfortable with this response, so he sought out another family to interview. In the end he found another family who consented to him using their name in the story.
Part 3: Conclusion:
Marimow really focused on the idea, “If it makes you hesitate or pause, or if you have to ask a question whether it’s ethical or unethical, or proper or unproper, consult a senior editor. And if that makes you hesitate, get a second opinion.” I really took away the second part of that statement. I learned to trust my own judgment at all times, not just rely on those with more status or experience than me if I feel like they’re making the wrong decision. Marimow also reinforced the idea to put myself in the other person’s shoes and to show empathy towards them. He reinforced the idea, “What if that was me.” He made a distinct separation between public officials or people, however. He said to be, “unrelenting, determined and resourceful” when dealing with public figures and public matters and to be, “sensitive, thoughtful, and think about the effect” when dealing with private people or issues.
Part 4: References:
Foreman, Gene., (2010). The Ethical Journalist. West Sussex, United Kingdom: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.