With any other controversial story involving $2 billion in taxpayers’ money, journalists would fall over themselves to cultivate a critical approach, writes Stephen J.A. Ward. Why is it different with the Olympics?
Past In the News postings
Journalism Ethics In the News postings from prior to May 2010.
Dancing with the sheiks: Freedom in a global age
In the new “hybrid” globalized societies, such as Dubai, media freedom takes on hybrid forms. Stephen J.A. Ward speaks with James Piecowye, host of the emirate’s strictly monitored English-language radio talk show, about taboo topics and pushing the boundaries of a restricted press.
Rethinking the Campus Newspaper
Greg Steinberger of the Hillel Foundation argues that the decision by an independent student newspaper to accept an ad from a Holocaust denier shows the need for a thorough review of the role and responsibilities …
The First Amendment and Moral Responsibility
JOURNALISM AND HOLOCAUST DENIERS On February 22, 2010, the Badger Herald, an independent student newspaper at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, accepted a paid advertisement for its online site from well-known Holocaust denier Bradley Smith, after …
Teaching Journalism Ethics, One Village at a Time
For centuries, the town of Vishakhapatnam in Southern India, or Vizag as it was known until recently, was a quaint little place on the Bay of Bengal, with a beautiful ocean view and an active …
The Limits of Libertarianism
Media law expert Robert Drechsel reviews the controversial decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down a federal law that prohibited corporations from spending general treasury funds to advocate the election or defeat of …
God, Disasters, and the Media
The Haitian earthquake coverage raises many issues of media coverage – its quality, limitations, the graphic images, the attempt to report amid chaos. It also raises another issue: What is the place of God in …
PERSONAL ESSAY: Does the Press Still Care About Women’s Rights?
In a provocative essay, Sue Steinberg, an experienced network executive and producer who helped found MTV, questions whether the media today is still committed to advancing women’s rights and questioning stereotypes. She asks: Does the …
Memo to Media: Voters decide the end of the election story
As I write this, there’s about a week left in the federal election campaign and it looks like the biggest challenge facing news media outlets in the coming days will be remembering they can’t announce …