Tag: journalism ethics

Throughout my career, objectivity was stressed as a hallmark of quality reporting. But here’s the rub: as human beings, being objective — completely neutral — is almost impossible. Did we strive for it? Of course. Were we always successful? For the most part.

American news media are in crisis, and the cities and towns news organizations have served are seeing those organizations shrink to mere shadows or cease to exist altogether.

Recently, the Moscow-Pullman Daily News and the Lewiston Tribune announced there would be a sharing system in place for certain stories – especially from the Idaho Legislature – with the Idaho Press at Nampa to get information to many people in a rapid and cost-effective way. While this may be news to some subscribers, those of us who follow the industry know this is an emerging trend that has some positive benefits.

whether Kohberger ate at the Mad Greek is not the issue. The issue — as far as I'm concerned — is that Kohberger has waived rights to due process for six months. A Moscow, Idaho, resident would hope that the media would lay off our fair city for six months.

A Washington State University Ph.D. student, Bryan Christopher Kohberger, 28, was arrested Dec. 30 at his parents’ home in the Pennsylvania Poconos. Aggressive reporting that cites sources close to the investigation tells us police focused on Kohberger before Christmas as they closed in on a Hyundai Elantra that had been photographed near the crime scene and simultaneously traced DNA evidence to Kohberger family members.

Reporters are supposed to find the news, tease out rumor and innuendo to report facts; but too many reporters covering the story are using rumor as the basics of their stories. Too many are using words like “terrible” and “horrifying” in their work. I’m sorry, but: Duh. Of course the story is, they do not need to state the obvious. Following the memorial service at UI, too many reporters leaped onto the innuendo for their stories. One Spokane TV reporter speculating the crowd was uneasy because, “They did not know if the murderer was right next to them.” Talk about irresponsible reporting, that is a prime example. OK, I get it – the information is slow to come out. The police are protecting what information and leads they have. They absolutely do not want to jeopardize this case when it goes to court.

I am a student at Washington State University, a university that is not even ten miles away from the recent homicides of four students from the University of Idaho. As a journalist, and managing editor of the school paper, I have covered this story ever since WSU sent an alert to its students: “Moscow Police Department investigating homicide near University of Idaho campus. Not aware of any threat to the WSU Pullman Community.” But as a student, I was terrified.