Journalism Ethics and Law

1. Ethical Journalism after News of the World What this book does (and does not do) Ethical discussions in Australia after News of the World What is journalism? Journalism as a distinct entity2. An Ethical Ideal Worth Aiming for: Journalism and Best Practice What ethics means: Explanation and definitions Two approaches to best practice Conclusion 3. Pragmatic and Bold: The Journalist and the Media Ethical disasters or bold engagement? Why perspective and positioning affect journalists Case studies in disaster Conclusion: Towards journalistic engagement4. Ethical Stories: Disasters, and DJs What questions of ethics mean for the media How Australian journalists code their ethics How to relate specific points in Australia’s ethical codes to actual stories: Some examples ACMA and the shock jock Conclusion: Towards your ethical engagement5. Freedom as Idea and Practice: Ethics, ‘Hacktivism’ and Human Rights Henk Huijser and Janine Little How the idea of ‘freedom’ relates to journalism ethics and law Freedom and journalism ethics The public right to know and its relationship to civil liberties for individuals Why ‘hacktivism’ and the command of information is now being called ‘terrorism’ Conclusion6. Trial by Media I: Women in the Private-Public Divide Azaria Chamberlain and Dianne Brimble—ethics and spectacle Credibility and sources: Women as suspects Protecting the course of justice: Trial by media and the Dianne Brimble case The St Kilda schoolgirl Facebook photo scandal Privacy and breach of confidence: Australian legal provisions Conclusion: Privacy and human rights7. Trial by Media II: Contempt of Court and the Right to a Fair Trial Why the issue of trial by media tests journalists’ understanding of public interest On the trail of Dennis Ferguson ‘Across the night sky’: The Farquharson trial and the tragedy of a triple child murder The faces of Arthur Freeman Conclusion: By doing the job fairly, the journalist acts well8. Hurt Reputations: Introduction to Defamation Law and Cases What is defamation? How Australian defamation law developed How Australian defamation law became (almost) uniform Why you need to learn about defamation: The short version How to measure the risk of defamation The three-point test A selective case law history: From shower scenes to war crimes Conclusion: Defamation and responsibility—back to journalism9 . Defamation Defences How defending defamation relates to public memory The defamation defences What has it got to do with journalists? Conclusion: How free are we to speak?10. Animal Rights and Public Interest: How Journalists Advocating for Animals Helped Shape Australian Law Why animals matter to journalism How animal rights advocacy led to tests of the public interest in Australian law Why public interest is not always a reliable defence Secret video 11 years on Comparison story: Anna Krien’s Us and Them Conclusion: Why this matters for journalism as a social practice11. When Trolls Ruled the Twitterverse: Journalism and Social Media Why trolls signal an essential ethical issue for journalism—and why social media vigilantes are relatedHow cyber-bullying and other misuses of the internet relate to journalism: The case studies The difference between media sensationalism and journalistic enquiry Social media and fairness Conclusion: Why journalism ethics matters in such cases, and what you can do about it12. The Competition and Consumer Act for Journalists Misleading representation Relevant sections for journalists in the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 Misleading and deceptive conduct: A brief biography Conclusion13. Copyright for Journalists How Australian law protects copyright What copyright covers Copyright’s rationale The internet and copyright Conclusion14. Conclusion – Continuing Journalism