[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: journalists' ethics
I've recently read through this thread and found it interesting. It
bothers me when we as a group judge the ethics of another group about whom
we know little.
That aside, I once volunteered to a newspaper editor that I'd be willing to
serve as sort of an unpaid consultant to his newspaper on
radiation-oriented issues. (they were in the process of running a series
of articles on Monitored Retrievable Storage). His response to me was that
if they had my point of view, they'd also need to have someone "from the
other side." I replied that I was objective, could give both "sides"
accurately and help the paper focus on the truth of the issue or story. He
replied that they "weren't interested in the truth, they were interested in
the news." The "truth" from his point of view was to accurately portray
what someone said, not whether that person was correct or not.
Is that unethical? I don't know. What I do believe is that many writers
for local, and even national, news outlets are ignorant. Maybe HPS should
contribute training courses such as continuing ed sessions to national
meetings such as the Society for Environmental Journalists or other
national news organizations. A trained or more knowledgeable writer would
have a better chance of sorting out and presenting the truth that is hidden
in the news.
Craig Little
At 07:29 AM 1/7/00 -0600, you wrote:
>I'm inclined to think that if 1990s morality were applied to past acts, just
>about anything would be OK, as long as the individual doing the act had
>politically correct intentions or credentials. It appears that paperwork
>for the plutonium experiments was not properly written, executed and
>retained in accordance with today's legal practices.
>
>Don Kosloff <dkosloff@ncweb.com>
>Perry OH
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Potter, Charles <capotte@sandia.gov>
>To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
>Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2000 9:38 AM
>Subject: RE: journalists' ethics
>
>
> > I was here (Albuquerque) during the initial publication of the articles.
>In
> > addition to Dr. Kathryn, others who are no longer among us to defend
> > themselves, Wright Langham for instance, were abused by this "journalist."
> > Around this time, Keith Schaiger gave a seminar at Sandia discussing how
> > informed consent has changed over time, and that the "victims" of the
> > "plutonium experiments" were treated properly for the time. It's amazing
> > how much support in the press you can get by judging past acts with 1990s
> > morality.
> >
> > Maybe I'll write something denouncing the Roman Empire for abusing people
> > :-)
> >
> > Gus
> >
> > You step in the stream,
> > but the water has moved on.
> > The page is not here.
> > -- A computer error message in Haiku form
> >
> > C. A. Gus Potter
> > Sandia National Laboratories
> > Albuquerque, New Mexico
> > (505) 844-2750
> > capotte@sandia.gov
>
>
>************************************************************************
>The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
>information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Craig A. Little, Ph.D. +
+ Grand Junction Office +
+ Assessment Technology Section +
+ Life Sciences Division +
+ Oak Ridge National Laboratory +
+ 2597 B&3/4 Rd. +
+ Grand Junction, CO 81503 +
+ +
+ 970/248-6201 (voice) 970/248-6207 (fax) +
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Learn more about ORNL: Vist our websit at http://www.ornl.gov/
You may also want to visit the DOE Pulse website at
http://www.ornl.gov/news/pulse/
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html