ethics GARY NEILL


are homeless, including former asylum seekers. Elsie Roderiques argues that the tendency of journalists to focus on extrinsic values means issues such as the environment and society struggle to make the news agenda. The project is considering questions such as: • Is the aim of journalism to move society forward or to mirror society as it is? • How can journalists incorporate intrinsic values into reports when deadlines demand instant news and perhaps clickbait?


• Does journalism funded through advertising and backed by media moguls and tech giants inevitably lead to stories based on extrinsic values?


A first step, she argues, is for the media to recognise how different values can feed into stories. Journalists might, for example, reflect intrinsic values when reporting on charitable activities. “A journalist writing about food banks might speak


to volunteers and ask them why they give their time,” she explains. Last year’s annual Reuters survey on media trends concluded


that publishers were focusing more on values, partly in response to the war in Ukraine and the climate emergency. A study by the International News Media Association found that 72 per cent of news brands were emphasising their journalistic credentials and guiding principles. Nonetheless, a study two years ago by media regulator


Impress found that much UK news was out of tune with people’s priorities. While members of the public generally want the media to inform, explain and hold those in power to account, most saw the news as revolving around political opinion, celebrity gossip and sensationalism. A follow-up study by Impress is now looking at the part that ethics training plays in the values adopted by journalists (see box). Chief executive Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana says its members, who tend to be smaller, independent publishers, want to be seen as responsible and accountable. “They perceive themselves to be ethical and operating in their communities,” she notes. Hardeep Matharu, editor of Byline Times and a member of the media values project advisory board, argues the impact of values is not as widely recognised or well understood as it might be. This has led to a cosy relationship between some


journalists and political parties, allowing parts of the media to wield huge power. “There’s been a merger between the press and politicians,”


she says. While the public is encouraged to believe the media is values


neutral, journalists can be reluctant to acknowledge how media values shape society, including UK culture. “There is no recognition that it can have that sort of impact,”


she says. Knowingly or otherwise, many journalists tend to adopt the


values of their employer. There are only so many times a less experienced reporter can argue that alternative stories or angles should receive greater prominence. “Most journalists are going to do what the newsroom expects of them,” says Chris Frost, a professor in journalism and chair of the NUJ’s ethics council. “However, you don’t need to take an instruction as the be-all and end-all. Talk to the


72%


of news brands are emphasising their journalistic credentials and guiding principles


news editor or whoever about ways to approach a story.” Other supporters of the Values in the Media project include the Poverty Alliance, the United Nations’ department of global communications and the Responsible Media Forum, which was set up 20 years ago to encourage the media in Europe and north America to consider the effect journalism has on social and environmental issues. Participants in the forum from the UK include the BBC, ITV, Sky and News UK. Coordinator Daniel Witte says it aims to bring together ‘sustainability professionals’ from media bodies and discuss ways in which messages over issues such as global warming can find their way into newsrooms. “The way the BBC talks about climate change is going to


have a greater impact than its own carbon emissions,” he explains. “The stories we watch or read change how we see the world. We have to manage that impact.” Ultimately, it may be down to audiences to ensure that


journalism adopts a wider range of values. Byline Times is encouraging readers to help fund its Byline Media Watch project, set up to monitor disinformation and bias. Along with some nationals and many magazines, Byline Times largely depends on subscriptions or membership fees. “People fund the work of our journalists because they


deliver on the values promised,” says Matharu. “We want to be an informed citizenry together.”


theJournalist | 13


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28