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Watson concludes that journalism practice is guided and defined by law and ethics. Journalists are most likely to follow an ethical principle when it is supported by the law and less likely if it is opposed or not supported by the law. The law at issue is virtually always the First Amendment. Because the Supreme Court has the final say on First Amendment issues, the Court has a powerful influence on the applied ethics of journalism. Watson analyzes Court rulings since 1947 that address journalism s primary ethical principles. He considers the implications of having jurists set the course of proper journalism practice, especially when unfettered journalism ethics require journalists to violate the law.
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Law and Society Recent Scholarship Edited by Melvin I. Urofsky A Series from LFB Scholarly This page intentionally left blank Journalism Ethics by Court Decree The Supreme Court on the Proper Practice of Journalism John C. Watson LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC New York 2008 Copyright © 2008 by LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC All rights reserved. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Watson, John C., 1954Journalism ethics by court decree : the Supreme Court on the proper practice of journalism / John C. Watson ; edited by Melvin I. Urofsky. p. cm. -- (Law and society, recent scholarship) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-59332-266-3 (alk. paper) 1. Journalists--Legal status, laws, etc. 2. Journalistic ethics--United States. 3. United States. Supreme Court. 4. Press law--United States. I. Urofsky, Melvin I. II. Title. KF2750.W38 2008 343.7309'98--dc22 2008004168 ISBN 978-1-59332-266-3 Printed on acid-free 250-year-life paper. Manufactured in the United States of America. Table of Contents Preface and Acknowledgements vii Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Review Of The Literature......................................................................... 3 Law and Morality 3 Imposing Ethics by Law 9 Law and Ethical Journalism 10 Five Fundamental Ethical Principles...................................................... 17 Chapter 2 Making Journalism Ethical: Codes, Commissions, and Councils 23 Early Codes of Ethics ............................................................................. 24 Modern Codes of Ethics ......................................................................... 29 Codes and Lawyers ................................................................................ 34 The Hutchins Commission ..................................................................... 41 The Warren and Kerner Commissions ................................................... 55 National News Council........................................................................... 57 Summary and Conclusion....................................................................... 61 Chapter 3 Truth and Truth Telling: First Principle and Prime Directive 65 Times v. Sullivan: Undervaluing Truth................................................... 68 Actual Malice and Pragmatic Instrumentalism....................................... 76 v vi Table of Contexts Sullivan’s Progeny.................................................................................. 80 Expanding Protection of Falsehood........................................................ 85 Limiting Protection of Falsehood ........................................................... 88 Masson v. The New Yorker.................................................................... 94 Treatments of Truth Beyond Libel ......................................................... 97 Summary and Conclusions ................................................................... 103 Chapter 4 Privacy: A Matter of Morality, Ethics and Law 109 Privacy