Summary
The clash between the public right to know and public safety is just one of the fundamental conflicts raised by Hurst and White in this, the first definitive study of ethics in the Australian news media. Hurst and White explore the concept of ethical conduct, apply it to journalism, then draw on a wealth of local examples where the news media's conduct was challenged. They examine the attempts to codify the principles - from the policies of press councils to the journalists' own codes of ethics - and show where these are inadequate, muddled or honoured in the breach. They put forward some provocative ideas for reform.
Summary
A critical discussion of the ethical problems faced by the modern media, illustrated by Australian examples. Issues include infotainment, privacy, public safety, taste, bias, confidentiality, payments, deceits, conflicts of interest, and business pressures. With seven appendices of existing guidelines and codes of practice and ethics, endnotes and index. Also available in hardback. The authors are lecturers in journalism at Deakin University and RMIT. John Hurst has written on Bob Hawke and on comparative journalism; Sally White is the author of 'Reporting in Australia' and has participated in governmental consultations on these issues.
