Are NPR's new ethics guidelines the way for journalism organizations to handle themselves? NYU journalism deep-thinker Jay Rosen thinks so.

shortformblog:

With these words, NPR commits itself as an organization to avoid the worst excesses of “he said, she said” journalism. It says to itself that a report characterized by false balance is a false report. It introduces a new and potentially powerful concept of fairness: being “fair to the truth,” which as we know is not always evenly distributed among the sides in a public dispute.

Maintaining the “appearance of balance” isn’t good enough, NPR says. “If the balance of evidence in a matter of controversy weighs heavily on one side…” we have to say so. When we are spun, we don’t just report it. “We tell our audience…” This is spin! 

shortformblog: Rosen took a particular liking to lines like these: “Our goal is not to please those whom we report on or to produce stories that create the appearance of balance, but to seek the truth.” Read NPR’s ethics guidelines and consider it for yourself.

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  1. mblueberry reblogged this from shortformblog
  2. cherylynntsushima reblogged this from futurejournalismproject and added:
    “…but to seek the truth.”
  3. strawhatlouis reblogged this from shortformblog
  4. problemsolver reblogged this from futurejournalismproject
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  8. burnagain reblogged this from shortformblog
  9. ohtheironyofit reblogged this from shortformblog
  10. awolau reblogged this from futurejournalismproject and added:
    This makes us like NPR even more… if that was even possible.
  11. rachelcstella reblogged this from shortformblog and added:
    This is a great reminder for all journalists. The truth comes first and foremost. It’s something we’d all agree with,...
  12. sonicbloom11 reblogged this from shortformblog
  13. punkassjim reblogged this from astudyinmovement
  14. liquidzoot reblogged this from seldo and added:
    It would be NPR with it’s well known liberal bias to propose that the truth is more important than letting everyone with...
  15. wordforwordforword reblogged this from futurejournalismproject
  16. priyankaboghani reblogged this from futurejournalismproject
  17. bilt2tumble reblogged this from shortformblog and added:
    Mor NPR, please
  18. roavl reblogged this from futurejournalismproject and added:
    Yet another reason to love NPR. False objectivity is a scourge.
  19. seldo reblogged this from shortformblog
  20. hairtrending reblogged this from shortformblog

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