This is the presentation for an April 22 webinar for the Minnesota Newspaper Foundation, part of API's series, Upholding and Updating Ethical Standards.

1. Upholding and Updating
Ethical Standards
Steve Buttry, API and Gazette Communications
Minnesota Newspaper Foundation webinar, April 15, 2009
Supported by a grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation
© 2008 The American Press Institute. All rights reserved.

2. What are your concerns?
What ethical concerns worry you most
as your organization involves journalists
in efforts to generate new revenue
streams?
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3. Remember time-tested ethical principles
Seek truth and report it
Minimize harm
Act independently
Be accountable
SPJ Code of Ethics
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4. Remember time-tested ethical principles
Seek truth and report it as fully as
possible
Act independently
Minimize harm
“Guiding Principles for the Journalist,” Bob Steele,
Poynter Institute
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5. Questions to guide ethical decisions
1. What do I know? What do I need to know?
2. What is my journalistic purpose?
3. What are my ethical concerns?
4. What policies and professional guidelines should I consider?
5. How can I include other people, with different perspectives and diverse
ideas, in the decision-making process?
6. Who are the stakeholders? What are their motivations? Which are
legitimate?
7. What if the roles were reversed? How would I feel if I were in the shoes
of one of the stakeholders?
8. What are the possible consequences of my actions?
9. What are my alternatives to maximize my truthtelling responsibility and
minimize harm?
10. Can I clearly and fully justify my thinking and my decision?
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6. Directory dilemma
You are the editor of your newspaper. Your niche products division
is starting an online business directory that will include free basic
listings for area businesses, with opportunities for businesses to buy
enhanced listings, including video, email and search-engine
optimization assistance. The directory will also provide direct sales
opportunities for businesses that advertise. The publisher wants to
integrate the business directory with the business section of your
news site.
What are appropriate ways for the business directory and the
business news to be integrated?
What are boundaries you should establish between news and
advertising content of the directory?
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7. Directory dilemma
The plot thickens:
Your niche products manager says that unpaid listings in the
directory will automatically show links to the three most recent
stories you have published about the business. The unpaid
listings will also have a search window, with the business name
already filled in, inviting users to search your archives for more
stories about the business. The niche product manager’s plan is
for businesses that advertise to be allowed to choose the stories
from your archives that will be listed or to remove the search
feature.
How, if at all, should you handle headlines or links to stories in
your archives about a listed business in the directory listings?
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8. Entrepreneurial journalists
Gazette Communications is planning to separate our
content and product operations. We are launching a
content operation in which multi-tasking journalists
will be responsible for operating a “superblog” on a
particular topic, such as high school sports or local
government. We will provide content to our core
products such as The Gazette, KCRG Channel 9 or
GazetteOnline. And we will give each of these
journalists performance goals and financial
incentives, tied to revenue generated from their
blogs, traffic to the blogs and other metrics.
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9. Entrepreneurial journalists
What, if any, measures would take to protect your
integrity as you tie pay to revenue from the blog?
What, if any, measures would you take to protect
integrity as you encourage a journalist to drive traffic
and tie pay to traffic?
If visual journalists earn a share of all prints and other
products ordered from their photos, do you need any
guidelines regarding use and promotion of visual
content?
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10. Upholding and Updating
Ethical Standards
Steve Buttry, API and Gazette Communications
Minnesota Newspaper Association webinar, April 1, 2009
Supported by a grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation
© 2008 The American Press Institute. All rights reserved.