The notions of “honesty” and “privacy” exist as two controversial issues within the industry of ethical journalism. Journalists often find themselves at a crossroads when it comes to reporting the truth and respecting confidentiality. These moral principles are key components in journalism and it is imperative that reporters be conscious of these notions while writing. Recently, I read about a case study which exemplifies the apparent conflict between “honesty” and “privacy” in ethical journalism.
Gabriel Rotello was the former editor for OutWeek magazine in New York, NY. Rotello struck controversy throughout the journalistic world when he decided to “out” Malcolm Forbes, a deceased millionaire and public figure, on the cover page of his magazine. His article was titled, “The Secret Gay Life of Malcolm Forbes.” When asked about his article, Rotello claims he knew exactly what he was doing and was conscious to the fact that he was “violating a longstanding rule: The homosexuality of public figures is strictly a private matter” (Rotello, 1990). There are many takes on this particular case of ethics; conservatives argue that publicly “outing” another person is a vicious invasion of privacy, while others believe that public figures, such as Malcolm Forbes, have previously agreed to trade their privacy for fame, meaning any confidential information about them can be revealed by the press (Rotello 1990).
Often, we see articles and tabloids being published about addictions, medical records, sex, pregnancies, and other private matters concerning the lives of celebrities or public figures. However, for some reason it is more rare that people see headlines reporting on a famous person’s sexuality. Many gay reporters argue that by keeping homesexuality out of the press, journalists are promoting the idea that homosexuality is the worst thing possible. In Rotello’s defense, he was only reporting the truth and approached the situation in a very black and white manner; why can journalists report on every private matter, besides homosexuality?
The National Union of Journalism states that “a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity status should only be mentioned if relevant to the story” (Ethical 2017). Rotello’s motive was to fight the journalistic “taboo” that goes against “honesty.” I believe Rotello was justified in his actions, despite all the negative attention he generated. On the other side of the situation, reporters Fred Brown and Nerissa Young from the Society of Professional Journalists, wrote about a similar case regarding Fred Whelan, a gay journalist for the Morning Call newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Brown and Young wrote that it is never right for journalists to engage in something that “may compromise integrity or damage credibility” (Brown & Young 2017). Although he was reporting the honest truth, it is still reasonable to consider that Malcolm Forbes is dead and has no say in his “outing” to the public.
In the grand scheme of things, Malcolm Forbes was a famous in the eye of the pubic. Rotello reported the truth, with the intention to promote honesty within journalism. Today, homosexuality should no longer be hidden or considered a sin by anyone. I believe that Rotello was appropriate in his actions as a reporter and had was not invading anyone’s privacy. If I were put in a similar situation, I would have done the same for something I feel strongly about. It is important to still discuss the ethical issues of “honesty” and “privacy’ because the industry of journalism is one that is easily manipulated by false messages or ideas in order to entertain and satisfy the needs of the general public.
References
Brown , F., & Young, N. (2017). Ethics Case Studies – Society of Professional Journalists. Retrieved November 14, 2017, from https://www.spj.org/ecs16.asp
Rotello , G. (n.d.). The ethics of. Retrieved November 14, 2017, from http://mediaschool.indiana.edu/research-2/ethics-case-studies/the-ethics-of-outing/
The Ethical Journalism Initiative. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2017, from http://ethicaljournalisminitiative.org/