Congrats, Dick. This is a great idea, unsurprisingly. In my 47 years as a reporter and columnist, and especially the latter, I was constantly amazed at the naivite of CEOs and even some PR people about how we operated as journalists and what they could expect. When I was reviewing technology products, the CEOs were often furious with their own PR people for not being able to control what I wrote. In especially egregious cases, I called the PR people, if they were savvy and helpful, and urged them to tell their bosses that rather than beat up on them, the bosses should call me directly to complain.
Thanks so much, Walt. I completely agree this is an important question, and closely related to the great work you and others have spurred in news literacy.
In 2018, I published a "How to complain" piece in SPJ's ebook "The Press: A user's guide to interacting with the press in the United States of America." Much of it will sound familiar.
As solid as your ebook is, I wished it had included a larger discussion of how journalists tend to have loyalties and values that are different from most other enterprises. A key purpose of SPJ's code of ethics, while voluntary, is to help the public understand those loyalties and values, and help readers better judge the actions of journalists.
Thanks so much for this, and will look forward to refreshing myself on the SPJ volume. I hope the values of journalism, abut which I heartily agree, come through throughout the new booklet, but would welcome specific suggestions of places where that may have been underplayed.
An important way to help health professionals deal with the press.
Excellent idea. Working in the arts now, I can say that this kind of guidance is urgently needed in this field, too.
Cathy, Thanks. Hope it could be widely relevant, including there, and would love your view of whether it is-- or could be made to be.
Congrats, Dick. This is a great idea, unsurprisingly. In my 47 years as a reporter and columnist, and especially the latter, I was constantly amazed at the naivite of CEOs and even some PR people about how we operated as journalists and what they could expect. When I was reviewing technology products, the CEOs were often furious with their own PR people for not being able to control what I wrote. In especially egregious cases, I called the PR people, if they were savvy and helpful, and urged them to tell their bosses that rather than beat up on them, the bosses should call me directly to complain.
Thanks so much, Walt. I completely agree this is an important question, and closely related to the great work you and others have spurred in news literacy.
Nicely done.
In 2018, I published a "How to complain" piece in SPJ's ebook "The Press: A user's guide to interacting with the press in the United States of America." Much of it will sound familiar.
https://www.spj.org/pdf/ethics/SPJ-Ethics-E-Book.pdf
As solid as your ebook is, I wished it had included a larger discussion of how journalists tend to have loyalties and values that are different from most other enterprises. A key purpose of SPJ's code of ethics, while voluntary, is to help the public understand those loyalties and values, and help readers better judge the actions of journalists.
Chris Roberts
Vice chairman
SPJ Professional Standards and Ethics Committee
Thanks so much for this, and will look forward to refreshing myself on the SPJ volume. I hope the values of journalism, abut which I heartily agree, come through throughout the new booklet, but would welcome specific suggestions of places where that may have been underplayed.