Survey to look at news media ethics

Press, 30 May 1989, Page 24

Survey to look at news media ethics

About 250 senior editorial executives in the news media have been asked to take part in the first comprehensive survey of media ethics in New Zealand. The researchers — the Canterbury University journalism head, Mr Jim Tully, and a tutor, Ms Rachel Scott — hope to identify the ethical values underpinning editorial de-cision-making in New Zealand. The executives asked to take part work on daily and community newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and television. They will answer 97 questions on topics such as objectivity, conflict of interest, privacy, freebies, relationships with sources, and sponsorship.

Mr Tully said the findings would be released at the national media ethics conference to be hosted by his department in September to make the twentieth year of the pqstgraduate Diploma in Journalism course. He said the conference and the survey were designed to foster discussion of media ethics by journalists at all levels. “Journalists don’t rate too well on opinion polls and are frequently berated. “Part of that is due to a ’blame the messenger’ attitude, but journalists could be doing a lot more to show the public they care about professional standards and ethical questions,” he said.