This document discusses the decline of journalistic ethics over time. It notes that surveys from 1985 to 2011 found increasing percentages of Americans feeling that news stories are often inaccurate, journalists tend to favor one side, and are influenced by powerful groups. It argues that digitization on its own did not cause this decline, but rather four entertainment-driven commercial factors in major media: 1) entertainment corporation ownership of media, 2) increased competition, 3) speed of digital production/distribution and new metrics, and 4) non-editorial media like social platforms. It concludes by questioning what remains of journalism and ethics in the current media landscape.

1. Porter Anderson | Ethics in (then out of) Journalism
Journalistic Ethics
#notwhattheyusedtobe
Porter Anderson
@Porter_Anderson
Porter@PorterAndersonMedia.com
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2. Porter Anderson | Ethics in (then out of) Journalism
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3. Porter Anderson | Ethics in (then out of) Journalism
Americans’ view of journalists, 1985-2011
•In 1985, 34 percent of those surveyed said that
news stories are often inaccurate. This year, 66
percent of respondents agreed with that statement.
•In 1985, 53 percent of the survey sample said
journalists tend to favor one side of an issue or
story. This year, 77 percent said this.
•And in 1985, 53 percent of respondents said
journalists are "often influenced by powerful people
and organizations." This year, 80 percent of those
surveyed said journalists are influenced—and 72
percent said journalists try to cover up their
mistakes rather than admitting them.
Pew Research, reported by Poynter
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4. Porter Anderson | Ethics in (then out of) Journalism
Digitization did not change journalism alone.
If we go at this like it’s an Agatha Christie mystery about
who killed traditional journalistic ethics, digitization is the
weapon, not the culprit, nor even the motive.
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5. Porter Anderson | Ethics in (then out of) Journalism
So what did get to journalism, starting in the mid-
1980s?
A new recognition of its commercial potential,
which led to its absorption into the Borg of … (wait
for it)
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6. Porter Anderson | Ethics in (then out of) Journalism
ENTERTAINMENT
Here come
FOUR ENTERTAINMENT-
DRIVEN COMMERCIAL
FACTORS THAT CHANGED
MAJOR MEDIA.
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7. Porter Anderson | Ethics in (then out of) Journalism
FOUR FACTORS THAT CHANGED
MAJOR MEDIA
ONE
The rise of entertainment-corporation
ownership of major media outlets
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8. Porter Anderson | Ethics in (then out of) Journalism
FOUR FACTORS THAT
CHANGED MAJOR MEDIA
TWO
Dramatically increased
competition as new national
and international major media
outlets rose to challenge the
handful
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9. Porter Anderson | Ethics in (then out of) Journalism
FOUR FACTORS THAT
CHANGED MAJOR MEDIA
THREE
The speed of digital
production and distribution –
AND the new metric-
monitoring capabilities that
came with it.
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10. Porter Anderson | Ethics in (then out of) Journalism
FOUR FACTORS THAT CHANGED
MAJOR MEDIA
FOUR
As part of the digital wave, the
arrival of the non-editorial media
Flickr: By niznoz
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11. Porter Anderson | Ethics in (then out of) Journalism
Today? Wistful advice, like this in Megan Garber’s piece this
week about a retiring editor in North Carolina.
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12. Porter Anderson | Ethics in (then out of) Journalism
And? A culture-wide move away from journalism as a whole,
as the commercial imperatives dilute its integrity.
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13. Porter Anderson | Ethics in (then out of) Journalism
What
journalism?
What
ethics? WTF?
Porter Anderson
@Porter_Anderson
Porter@PorterAndersonMedia.com