UW Center for Journalism Ethics
We encourage the highest standards in journalism by fostering vigorous debate, providing resources to journalists
and news consumers, and honoring the best in ethical journalistic practice.
News
“The Recombobulation Area” and the ethics of independent journalism
Dan Shafer’s Substack, The Recombobulation Area, began more or less as a pet project. “This thing I was doing while my daughter was napping” in Shafer’s words. But in just five years, it amassed thousands of free and paid subscribers and over a dozen Milwaukee Press Club awards.
Redrawing the bottom line: How FCC deregulation reshapes broadcast newsrooms
Fresh off his appointment as chair of the United States Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr is making waves, launching reviews of NPR sponsorships and opening inquiries into major networks’ alleged anti-Trump bias. He’s also pledged to trim “overly cumbersome or outdated” regulations – a priority he outlined as a contributor to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 initiative.
‘Facts, not fear’: Journalists navigate coverage of immigration enforcement actions under second Trump administration
As immigration becomes a top policy issue under the second Trump administration, media experts and researchers are determining how to best navigate coverage in a way that balances the need to inform with the responsibility to not stoke fear.
Why journalists should stop beating themselves up over audience engagement: A Q&A with Prof. Jacob Nelson
Meaningful audience engagement is complicated in practice. Without clear insights into who their viewers really are, journalists often find themselves tailoring their work to an imagined audience, making guesses about what topics and coverage will best resonate with readers.