2. INTRO
• Journalists tread the line between the duty of
being a citizen and an independent journalist
• Abuse of power
• Loyalties
• Sensitivity in reporting
3. NEWS VALUE
• Seriousness
• Work under the assumption that the severity of the crime and its newsworthiness have a positive correlation.
• Unusual nature
• Breaking and entering in a school is more newsworthy than breaking and entering in a home.
• Size of community
• Car theft may be headline news for a small town but not in a large city.
• Identity of criminal/victim
• When the criminal or victim well known this elevates how newsworthy a story is.
Ingram, David. "Chapter 35: Crime Reporting Introduction." Chapter 35: Crime Reporting Introduction.The News Manual, 2008.Web. 28 Oct. 2015.
5. SEEKINGTHETRUTH
• Journalists should be honest, fair, courageous in
gathering, reporting, and interpreting information.
• Objectivity is key in crime coverage
• Distortion of photos, quotations, official documents etc..
6. MINIMIZE HARM
• Journalists must treat sources, subjects, and
colleagues as ethically and with respect.
• Sensitivity when using images or interviews
• Caution when naming suspects before formal charges have been filed
• Private persons expectations of privacy differ than public officials.
7. ACT INDEPENDENTLY
• Journalists should be free of any obligation
• The publics right to know is the only concern
• Avoid conflicts of interest
• Source schmoozing
8. BE ACCOUNTABLE
• Journalists are accountable to their readers,
listeners, viewers, and each other.
• Avoid drawing conclusions, report the truth and attribute the rest.
9. WRAPPING UP
• Know where you stand
• Do not sensationalize
• Be sensitive
10. • “You have a role to play, in providing information to counteract
rumour. People will hear about crimes through casual conversations or
rumour, or they may hear a siren as a police car dashes along the road;
they will be only half-informed. It is your job as a journalist to tell them
the truth about the rumoured crime or explain why the police car went
past. If you can establish a reputation for reliability in this field,
people will buy your paper or tune into your station as a way of
making sure they know what is happening.”
• Ingram, David. "Chapter 35: Crime Reporting Introduction." Chapter 35: Crime Reporting Introduction.The
News Manual, 2008.Web. 28 Oct. 2015.
