Some television news outlets have found themselves in a bit of hot water. Undercover TV Reports on School Security Raise Ethical Questions:
The three news reports followed the same format: Television reporters walked into schools with hidden cameras, under the premise of testing the security measures. Each time, the anchors provided a sobering assessment of the findings.
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Critics say these kinds of undercover efforts do not provide an accurate portrait of school safety, and question whether they serve any public good. Some journalists question whether the news organizations become too much a part of the story, and whether it is dangerous for reporters to wander into schools now that students and staff are often on heightened alert.
As an academic exercise the fun thing about ethics stories is that there are plenty of perspectives. This New York Times story does a nice job of sharing several perspectives. What is your stance?
And what would you do if you had a particular position on a topic like this and your boss gave you instructions that went against your personal ethic?
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