Two main issues in which Bill Marimow spoke about at the Oweida Lecture that brought great messages in communication ethics were his ideas on protecting the well-being of children and staying objective while reporting on a case. Both issues I believe are critical to anyone, but especially journalists. People look to journalists for news and if those trusted individuals are not protecting the youth or are biased in their stories, problems can and most likely will arise.
The first issue I mentioned came about when Marimow was covering a case on a ten-year-old boy involved in a drug case. The decision Marimow faced was whether or not he should use the full name of the little boy when writing about him and using his quotes in the story. The second ethical issue that I thought was interesting and important was when Marimow was taken to a baseball game by someone related to another party that he was reporting on. He had to decide here if going to the game with the member of that party would cause him to be biased and “bought” when writing his stories or if it was just to colleagues going to a game and enjoying a night out.
Let’s start with the first issue. In this case Marimow and his other helpers on the case were able to get permission from the boy’s mother to use “Little” Isaac’s name in the story. Marimow said that although he didn’t know for sure or had any proof, he felt there may have been a chance she was on drugs or another substance at the time that could have had a negative impact on her decision. This is where he made the decision. He put himself into the mother’s position. He said if he was the parent would he want his kid’s name in the news. This line of thinking drove him to only refer to the boy as “Little” Isaac in the story because at 10 years old, the boy has his whole life ahead of him and with his name associated to this story it could cause many problems for him in the future.
Several questions are brought up in the scholarly article, “Naming Kid Criminals” including does the public’s right to know come before the child’s privacy or are juveniles committing such serious crimes they don’t deserve the protection anymore (Hancock). Hancock says that children should be given the best chance for a second chance and that once the children become adults they have the right to petition to get the judge to remove the crimes from their record. Howard Snyder of the National Center for Juvenile Justice in Pittsburgh says, “I know a lot of federal judges who are glad they had the option of getting their juvenile records expunged, but you can’t expunge a newspaper article (Hancock).” Another rule of thumb to use in an issue like this came from Marimow in his lecture. He said if it’s a public person and public case by all means the journalist should do their best to get the story out there. But if it’s a private person or a private matter they need to consider what informations is okay and what should stay personal to those involved in the case.
In the second case Marimow has to decide whether or not he should go to a baseball game with one of the members of the Philadelphia Mayor’s administration. The mayor was greatly covered by the paper, so Marimow wondered if this was something that might have a changing effect on the way he covers this administration or not. This is when he mentioned the one line that stuck with me the most in his lecture. Marimow mentioned that if you ever have to pause when thinking about doing something, consult a senior editor first. In doing this it shows you are trying to do the right thing for yourself and the paper. In this case Marimow asked his higher-up who told him it would be okay to go to the game with that person as long and Marimow bought beers, hot dogs, and anything else for them that surpassed the price of the ticket he was given by that individual. This way Marimow doesn’t “owe one” to the administration and does not have to worry about being biased in his reporting.
This is key because whether they are going to the game as friends or what, there could be an underlying reason even if it is minor or not even consciously aware of by the source who invited him. The editor at Crain’s New York Business Greg David says that all sources come to reporters with some kind of bias (Crain). If you think about it would Marimow and the administration member have met if he had not been covering the administration’s work during this time? Would they even have known or known about each other? Sure, maybe they hit it off when their together but there could always be the friend card on the back burner that might come out if the source really needs to their administration to look good or at the very least not be talked bad about.
These issues are important to discuss because although to many it may seem easy and unnecessary to even contemplate because as long as you listen to your conscience or do what is rich there is no problem, circumstances can cause people to make the wrong decision for many reasons. Maybe the wrong way is easier than the right way, or maybe it even has less consequences. Either way the goal of the journalist, or anyone for that matter is to choose the right, or ethical, choice in any decision. In the lecture Marimow mentioned that anytime you have to pause when making a decision it’s smart to consult a senior editor, or someone that’s higher up than you or that you trust. Get other views on the story to see the picture from different views. In the baseball case, there’s nothing wrong with going to a baseball game with someone, but there is something wrong with letting that favor cause you to be biased in your future reporting. In my mind it was a nice gesture to buy drinks and food, but even that was unnecessary. He was invited to the game, so yes he was being a polite guest and friend, but because he was invited he didn’t “owe” anyone anything in that mayoral administration. Decisions can be tough, especially in today’s world where journalists are rushed more than ever to get that story out. When rushed they may not see the situation perfectly clear or look at it from a calm, smart standpoint which could lead to them to getting into bad situations ethically. The best thing to do is like Marimow mentioned in his lecture, when confronted with a situation consult others.
Crain, R. (2006, August 7). Good reporters don’t buy into source bias-on or off the record. Advertising Age. p. 14.
Hancock, L. (1998). NAMING KID CRIMINALS. Columbia Journalism Review, 37(2), 18-18