Ethical Lessons learned from Foster-Foreman Lectures by Xiaohua Li

Part 1. Situation Definition

In the United States, the term “trial by the press” is a popular phrase in recent centuries that embodies the contradiction of the First Amendment right to freedom of speech versus the Sixth Amendment right of criminal defendants to a fair trial taking place in the media world. In the context of pretrial publicity, many accuse the term “trial by the press” and the media of provoking an atmosphere of the public to the extent that nearly manipulates a trial’s outcome. Such an impact, first of all, makes a fair trial nearly impossible, and also makes the accused and the rest of their life spending in public scrutiny. 

However, “with great power comes great responsibility.” The responsibility of the press involves a multifaceted effort to both executive and moral that incorporated with high standards in “trial by the press” to hold someone accountable. Julie K. Brown, an award-winning reporter for the Miami Herald, played significant roles in high-profile investigative reporting. She spends years in her investigation of a sex ring run by wealthy and well-connected financier Jeffrey Epstein and interviewing women who were part of the sex ring. Recently, Brown spoke about her career and reporting efforts at the annual Foster-Foreman Conference of Distinguished Writers series on Oct. 23 at the campus. Brown is a perfect embodiment of “trial by the press” enforced with ethical considerations and benefited the community profoundly. 

Part 2. Analysis: 

For years, a group of teenage girls from troubled homes are falling into the zones of silence where reporting by journalists is elusive and prohibited(Pearson, 2015, p.11). Some of them are as young as 13, and yet truth and justice seem forever elude them from prevailing the evil. They were girls enticed by Jeffrey Epstein, a well-connected American multimillionaire, and convicted sex offender, who would abduct those girls to work for him and place them into a cult-like network to sexually service himself and his powerful friends. Epstein’s crimes could quickly have sent him to prison for life, but then the wealthy and well-connected Epstein managed to get away with it and made secret deal granted immunity to both himself and any of his possible co-conspirators. This secret plea deal seemed to protect Epstein and the other powerful men he partied with.

It wasn’t until in late 2018 that Julie K. Brown finally broke an explosive story to reveal the lenient plea deal scored by Jeffrey Epstein from the past decade that allowed him to avoid federal charged related to the sex ring that he operated. To shed light on the situation, Brown’s investigation explores the role perceptions and ethical stances of an elite reporter. She started reporting as early as before the #MeToo movement, and she kept moving forward regardless of any setbacks and obstacles. “‘At a time when Olympic gymnasts and Hollywood actresses have become a catalyst for a cultural reckoning about sexual abuse, Epstein’s victims have all but been forgotten,’ Brown wrote, ‘The women—now in their late 20s and early 30s—are still fighting for an elusive justice that even the passage of time has not made right'” (Allsop, 2019). Brown’s words indicate that investigative journalists stand out from others by endorsing the role of independent watchdogs and ethically by strong discrimination between right and wrong that motivate them to pursue justice, not for them, but the victim. 

Brown’s work not only led federal officials to take second look at what had happened in the case, but most importantly, she brought justice to the group of teenage girls who were victims of Epstein’s crime but had been long forgotten. Brown’s later works: “a three-part Herald investigation featuring Giuffre and fellow victims Courtney Wild, Michelle Licata and Jena-Lisa Jones led to the resignations of government officials and the arrest of Epstein, who killed himself in August while awaiting trial”(Aradillas, 2019). Brown recalled her reports on Jeffrey Epstein charges of sex trafficking underage girls after Jeffrey Epstein’s arrest during the speech, she felt that the people who were supposed to protect these girls didn’t. Brown and videographer Emily Michot spent for months to gain the victims’ trust and finally among 80 of Epstein’s victims that they identified, they ultimately convinced four women to tell their stories on the record. “The women are heroes for having the courage to speak out” (Brown). 

Journalists who are seeking to shed light on the investigation of sex violence and trafficking must consider a complex and competing set of moral principals and public interests. When interviewing the underage girls on the record, Brown and her reporting partner and videographer Michot were not just doing what other journalists had done before, but they were going to thoroughly examine the case history of how the decisions of prosecutors affected them and sabotaged their efforts to get justice. They were really standing in the victims’ position to address the issue. The impact of their approach benefited the community profoundly. The Epstein case and its reporting has shown how that attention encourages speaking up. And that is exactly the the #MeToo movement did. “What’s making a difference now is the brave survivors who have spoken out as part of the #MeToo movement and the advocates and journalists who have stood with them”(Reilly, 2019, p.10).

Part 3. Conclusion: 

Journalists are capable of consolidating around their key values in times of pursuing justice for the public. The formulation of professional role perceptions and ethics seems among the core subject for reporters like Julie K. Brown when doing investigative reporting. Her high standards of ethic conduct demonstrated the bright side of ”trial by the press” when it is enforced with ethical considerations and the impact of the reporting benefited the community profoundly. Michelle Licata, the viticm Brown interviewed, revealed to the the public, “Abuse happens every day. I hope I influence women to speak out.” Says Licata: “I want women to know it doesn’t matter if a perpetrator is a big, grand, important rich person or somebody that’s living with you. Stand up for yourself no matter how hard it is” (Aradillas, 2019).

Reference:

Hsu, T. (July 9, 2019) The Jeffrey Epstein Case Was Cold, Until a Miami Herald Reporter Got Accusers to Talk. The New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/ 2019/07/09/business/media/miami-herald-epstein.html

Cjr. (n.d.). Continuing to listen to Jeffrey Epstein’s victims. Retrieved from https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/jeffrey_epstein_victims.php.