A special ethical standard
by digby
Here’s a nice quote from a very interesting article about “entrepreneurial journalism”
Journalists, writes James Breiner of the News Entrepreneurs blog, “tend to view ourselves as high priests of an exclusive profession and bearers of a special ethical standard that few others can live up to.”
He goes on:That [puritanical attitude] is at least part of the reason we have trouble in the new world of entrepreneurial journalism, where journalists start and run their own news operations. If we want to go out on our own, we have to recognize for the first time that journalism is a business […]
Profit is not a dirty word….
Of course it is. A “special ethical standard” is not something to be poo-poohed. It is actually the only thing that distinguishes journalism from advertising. Businesses thrive by becoming popular. Journalists piss people off every day in order to sleep well at night — they are (or should be) engaged in an unpopularity contest. Businesses win by exploiting conflicts of interest. Journalists win by exposing them. To pretend otherwise is just so much exculpation and self-delusion.
Hey, these youthful entrepreneurs aren’t kidding themselves about anything. Why would you have “special ethical considerations” if you see journalism as a killer app not a unique profession that is essential to democracy and even comes with protections in the US Constitution?It’s a way to get rich.
They aren’t the first, of course. I’m pretty sure Rupert Murdoch started that way too. If he’s your role model then this makes perfect sense. And needless to say, once you get rich, you may find it useful to use your “killer app” to make sure you and your friends stay that way.
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