Society of Professional Journalists

Buzzfeed showed its lack of journalistic integrity last week by publishing an unverified dossier accusing President-elect Trump of communicating with Russian operatives. After BuzzFeed published the document on Jan. 10, even liberal news outlets including The Washington Post, the Atlantic and Vox criticized Buzzfeed’s choice. But ProPublica President Richard Tofel sided with Buzzfeed, giving it “…

In 1996, the  Society of Professional Journalists removed a stipulation in its ethics code holding that “News reports should be free of opinion or bias.” Earlier this year, theSPJ’s Ethics Committee released its draft of a revised ethics code which, alas, does not restore the bright-line rule against opinion and bias in news stories that was removed in 1996.  The rule, was on the books for…

Bill Moyers will present “The United States of ALEC” documentary in conjunction with Common Cause, which he also funds. The United States of ALEC will premiere on public television sometime in late September, 2012 (date and time still undetermined). Moyers, who Common Cause called a “veteran journalist,” has been instrumental in both funding and publicizing the attacks against the conservative…

Many people have noticed a distinct change in the way that the media cover terrorism. Right after 9/11, the Society of Professional Journalists issued “diversity guidelines,” which are now posted online. No longer confined to the quaint idea of impartially reporting the news, the media were advised to change opinions, engage in public relations and "demystify" Islam and even ask "targeted…