Public broadcasters are probably far from the worst violators of ethical codes in media, but they face stressful temptations. Questions arose in both gray and black-and-white situations reported in these Current articles.
Journalistic
ethics guide
Pubradio guide urges broad application
of news ethics, Jan. 19, 2004
Avoiding ethical
crises
Talk through
'gray areas,' giving staff a moral compass
Commentary by Patti Dodgen, Feb. 24, 2003
Foundations,
funding and independence
Commentary by Raul Ramirez on PoynterOnline
(Current published a version July 8, 2002)
Management
ethics
Hiring practices: Ex-programmer wins $800K suit against California’s KKJZ, Jan. 17, 2006
Management-staff relations: Wichita
staff uprising forces v.p.'s resignation,
Aug. 19, 1996; Lawsuits are
latest fallout from 1996 staff revolt in Wichita, May 24, 1999
Auction practices: Embattled
WLVT founder Shel Siegel to retire at 58, March 28, 1994; Auction
bids probed in Allentown, Oct. 4, 1993;
Management-staff relations: Palm Beach station staff
pushes out chairman, March 2, 1992
Plain
old malfeasance, actual or alleged
Underwriting scheme alleged: Three charged with embezzling in Ann Arbor, March 20, 2006
Nancy Kruse accused: Fundraiser’s
past a red flag no one saw, Aug. 8, 2005
Financial irregularities: Extreme
audit outcomes: guilty pleas in court, Jan. 13, 2003
New York: Thief
gets jail term; stations still vulnerable to inside jobs, Sept.
8, 2003
Chicago: WTTW
employee who fled theft allegations faces arraignment, Feb. 23,
2004
Jacksonville: Funding
scheme leads to exit, Oct. 8, 1990
Accountability
and transparency
Donors demand clearer view
of station reality
Commentary by Bob Ottenhoff, Sept. 8, 2003
Required filing: a chance to show
your stuff
Commentary by Cindy Browne, Jan. 19, 2004
Ombudsmanship
NPR's first ombudsman:
my year as a 'porous membrane'
Commentary by Jeffrey Dvorkin, June 11, 2001
Journalistic
conflicts of interest: corporate and foundation funders
KQED drops Mondavi
project in underwriting controversy Nov. 25, 1996
WBUR takes cautious
tack on topical underwriting
April 3, 2000
Connecticut flap points up partnership
pitfalls
Aug. 29, 2005
Paid advertorial programs: Cronkite
fights 'masquerade' that trades on his reputation (American Review series),
Feb. 23, 2004
Haig's chats with executives seen as
'30-minute commercial' (World Business Review series), Feb.
25, 2002
Nonprofits raise the money to
be profiled on Visionaries, Feb. 25, 2002
Spotlight On: fillers
for hire, Feb. 25, 2002
Journalistic
conflicts: political independence
List exchanges: Congress
reacts hotly to station donor-list swaps with Democrats July 19,
1999; CPB bans list
dealings with politicos, Aug. 2, 1999
WHYY: 'Disseminated
as news': WHYY took state funds to do positive stories, Nov. 18,
2002
Journalistic
conflicts: personal bias
When reporters sound off, eyebrows rise Sept.
8, 2003
'Terrorist': loaded word, handled
with caution July 14, 2003
NPR news chiefs deny they knew of Army
interns
April 17, 2000
NPR Mideast correspondent
broke ban on speaker fees
March 11, 2002
Journalistic
conflicts: disclosure
If Moyers had
it to do again, he'd disclose his foundation role, Nov. 1, 1999
Journalistic
conflicts: licensee's interests
UNC-TV: Clash
over bond referendum coverage
Aug. 12, 2000; Readers write
about bond referendum coverage in North Carolina Oct. 2, 2000.
Winston-Salem, N.C.: 'Hasty
mistake' at WFDD prompts talk of ideals Feb. 21, 2000; University
backs off from censoring N.C. station Oct. 4, 1999
Web page
posted Oct. 18, 2005
Copyright 2005-2006 by Current Publishing Committee,
Takoma Park, Md.