Study Questions

  • What are the differences between ethics and morals?
  • What is Aristotle’s golden mean, and how might that theory apply to journalists?
  • What is the veil of ignorance?
  • What is the role of an ombudsman? Why is this role important?
  • In considering the story of Jose Antonio Vargas, does his failure to disclose his citizenship status impact his credibility? Would an LGBT reporter’s lack of disclosure about their sexual identity have the same impact?
  • Identify at least two examples of the difficulties journalists and media writers have encountered in attempting to be truthful.
  • When, and for what, should a media outlet apologize?
  • Using concepts from this chapter, explain where you see the boundary between reporting on a graphic, violent event to record its history, and sensationalizing a story.
  • What are the factors journalists use to determine whether or not an international news story should be covered? Do American media outlets use these concepts correctly when reporting on global news?