Sunday, February 8, 2009

Chapter 2 Assignments - Part 2 (Due by Feb. 20)

Assignment 3: The ethics discussion on Chapter 2 is quite complete. Please review the following terms and in short, succinct statements, explain how they affect a sports journalists' ethics.

(1) Maintaining Independence
(2) Fair Play
(3) Pay Your Way
(4) Restrict Free-Lancing
(5) No Deals, No Discounts
(6) No Free Tickets for mom and dad and significant others
(7) All-Star voting
(8) Race and gender issues


Be prepared to discuss this in class. Also, please place your responses on the "comment" form of this post. Call if you have questions.

8 comments:

  1. This is a great chapter because basically it sums up that journalists, of all professions, should never benefits. These 8 paticular ideas relate back to conflict of interest protocal. You should go to a game professional and ready to be an outside looking in. You should never receive money or free stuff to sway your opinion towards a paticular team. Do not keep score AND be the journalist. That is just wrong. Unbiased behavior wins the best column and that is what the public deserves. Show respect, and do not pass judgment on gender or race. These are all conflicts of interest and makes an unworthy reporter.

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  2. 1. Maintaining Independence-It is stated in a variety of ways by The American Society of Newspaper Editors, The Society of Professional Journalists’, and The Washington Post. Overall the idea they share in common is a journalist must not place themselves in a position that is or appears to be a conflict of interest. They must be free obligation except to the public to reveal the truth.
    2. Fair Play- Journalists must at all time show respect for the dignity, privacy, rights, and well-being of people encountered in the course of gathering and presenting the truth. If an error is made it is their responsibility to make corrections. The media should not communicate unofficial charges affecting the reputation or moral character without giving the accused a chance to reply. Journalists should be accountable to the public for their efforts.
    3. Pay your way- The newspaper pays its staffer’s way for travel, accommodations, food, and drink. For instance: if a staffer travels on a chartered team plane, the newspaper should insist on being billed. If the team cannot issue a bill, the amount can be calculated by estimating the cost of a similar flight on a commercial airline. Second, when services are provided to a newspaper by a pro or college team, those teams should be reimbursed by the newspaper. This includes providing telephone, typewriter or fax service.
    4. Restrict free-lancing- Do not free-lance for the organization you cover. Editors and reporters should avoid taking part in outside activities, or employment that might create conflict of interest or even appearance of a conflict. For example, they should not serve as an official scorer at baseball games. Not write for team or league media guides.
    5. No deal, No discounts- Writers and writers’ groups should adhere to Associated Press Managing Editors and APSE standards: No deals, discounts or gifts except those of insignificant value or those available to the public. For example, do not accept free memberships or reduced fees for membership.
    6. No free tickets for mom and dad and significant others- Giving free tickets to newspapers beyond press box credentials. A newspaper should not accept free tickets, although press credentials needed for coverage and coordination are acceptable.
    7. All-start voting- By voting you are presuming that you are an expert but you may be biased the particular region you live and might know more about that region than the rest. Therefore, you are not well informed to make a valid vote.
    8. Race and Gender Issues- Assignments should be made on merit, without regard fro race or gender. APSE says teams must give male or females equal access.

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  3. Alisa and Tania....some very good points in your posts. Tania, you followed instructions very well. Please submit a hard copy for me. Alisa, please make sure you answer the questions in the format that Tania used. Both of you continue to impress me with your dedication. Thank you.

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  4. Oops, sorry I thought this was just thoughts and then we send you the actual assignment via email..

    Thanks,
    Alisa

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  5. Jacqueline Hutton
    1. Maintaing Independence is simply a sports journalist remaining neutral at a game or sporting event they are covering. They may not wear a teams colors or a players number and must act professional at all times.

    2.Fair Play is the job of the journalist to write the truth. If the journalist does make a mistake it is thier obligation to the reader to correct the mistake and appologize to both the reader and the team or player that the mistake was written about.

    3.Pay Your Way is when sports journalist pays for thier own accomidations to watch a game or sports event instead of accepting free food, tickets, gifts or hotel rooms. This is needed in order to help the sports writer to remain neutral in thier reporting.

    4.Restrict Free-Lancing discourages sports writers to write or participate in any orgainzation that might conflict or encourage favoritism in thier writing.

    5.No Deals, No Discounts means that as a sports journalist one is unable to use a deal, discount or gift that the average joe was not offered. If it is free shirt day at the stadium the journalist can accept the shirt. If the coach came up to the journalist and offered him/her a free sweatshirt the journalist would have to decline.

    6.No Free Tickets For Mom Dad And Significant Others is exactly what it states. A sports journalist can not accept tickets whether they are for the actual journalist or family and close friends of the journalist. Press box creditials are accepted as Tania pointed out above.

    7.All Star Voting is when sports writers are invited to vote on the best of the best. Some sports writers have a tendancy to vote for athletes in thier area. This tendancy is not encouraged All Star Voting is only meant to hightlight the All Stars!

    8.Race And Gender Issues- A sports writer must write fairly regardless of the gender or race of a player or team.

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  6. 1. Maintaining independence means “free of obligation”. It is imperative so that the public gets the total truth. You must stay detached and do not show any emotion.
    2. Fair play means showing respect, maintaining privacy when proper. As journalists, you must still show human rights and well being to teams and players.
    3. Paying your way should be the ONLY way. If someone buys your way to a game, then there is a total conflict of interest. Of course, your agency that you work for should pay for it, but if you are posting an article for a team, it is best just to pay your own way.
    4. Journalists should not participate in sports help. They should not referee, be the official scorekeeper, etc.
    5. No deals and discounts – nobody should ever give you money or gifts at a sporting events to sway your opinion of how a game is going. This is totally unethical.
    6. NO FREE TICKETS – this is another buy out. Journalism is a pay your own way profession. Even if you promise your family a ticket, it should be your responsibility, no one else’s. Sometimes games will offer special ticket deals to press – but pay your own way.
    7. All Star Voting – Make sure you have proof to back up any decision to vote an athlete on an all star team. This athlete just can’t be your favorite.
    8. Race/Gender Issues – Being politically correct is completely essential. We are post civil rights, so it is a law!

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  7. 1.Maintaining independence is a journalist being neutral at a game. It is important so that the public gets the total truth. You must stay neutral and show no emotion for any team.
    2.Fair play means showing respect, and writing the truth no matter the outcome. As journalists, you must still show human rights and well being to teams and players.
    3.Paying your way should be the ONLY way. If someone buys your way to a game, then there is a total conflict of interest. Of course, your agency that you work for should pay for it or you yourself, but if you are posting an article for a team, it is best just to pay your own way.
    4.Journalists should not participate in sports help. For example, they shouldn’t try to keep score, referee, or coach.
    5.No deals and discounts – nobody should ever give you money or gifts at sporting event. They are trying to buy your report so you will be in favor of them and their team. This is totally unethical.
    6.NO FREE TICKETS – this is another buy out. Journalism is a pay your own way profession. Even if you promise your family a ticket, it should be your responsibility, no one else’s. Sometimes games will offer special ticket deals to press – but pay your own way.
    7.All Star Voting – Make sure you have proof to back up any decision to vote an athlete on an all star team. This athlete just can’t be your favorite.
    8.Race/Gender Issues – A sports writer should write the facts regardless of gender or race.

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  8. Thank for your comments. Maintain Independence is the hardest chore to meet. This is especially true of hometown reporters at the college and high school level. It's extremely hard to write negatively about your home team. Still, if something bad has happened, you have to write the TRUTH. For example, I know of one sports writer who became friends with the high school football coach. When the coach did something ethically wrong, he just could not get to write the story. The coach was eventually found guilty, was fired and served time in jail. My reporter friend was "scooped" by TV and another paper and was fired. Coaches and players are sources and should not be befriended. In another instance, another sports reporter acquaintance of mine followed a high school football team all the way to the Class 4A championship game. When the lost 21-20 on the last play of the game, he could not write the story because he was sobbing uncontrollably. Wow. We all pitched in to write the story from his notes....it was embarrassing.

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