Assignment: The Warping Effect of Economic/Political Interests

Length: 5-6 pages (approximately 1500 words)

Format: Use a memo format with section headings, bulleted lists, and charts where appropriate, and brief endnotes.

Criteria: Please apply principles of clarity, style, accuracy, and academic honesty to the assignment. Refer to original document(s) when identifying news stories. Also consider secondary material such as course readings, news articles, and databases. Although this assignment is not an essay, please consult the guide to writing essays in this manual.

Topic: Many news organizations have articulated professional ethical standards. However, economic and political interests may lead journalists and their employers to choose to override ethical considerations, in order to promote personal or corporate interests. For example, external organizations may seek to finance or subsidize coverage, directly or indirectly, or news organizations may seek to obtain exclusive access to sources by offering them money.

Provide a media organization ethics committee with a thorough, clear, and relatively short examination of the ways that journalists can be manipulated by external forces. In the memo, distinguish between formalized censorship and the five ways that journalists can be manipulated. As well, analyze the nature of conflicts of interest (detailing one specific example of conflicted media coverage), consider whether the conflict of interest operates at an organizational and/or individual level, and suggest ways to avoid the warping effect of economic/political interests.

Consider:

Whether manipulation of journalism is easy or difficult in our society

What are the best ways to avoid being manipulated by powerful individuals and organizations

Whether the media sometimes pursue multiple (conflicted) agendas

How conflicts of interest make it easier for external groups to neutralize journalists

Whether limiting access is a common or uncommon strategy used by external groups to manipulate journalists

Whether intimidation and disinformation are common or uncommon strategies used by external groups to manipulate journalists

When grading assignments, your tutor will take into account grammar, spelling, clarity of ideas, and effective use of vocabulary. As well, correct and thorough citation of sources is expected.