3. 1. Don’t make things up
• The most basic rule in journalism
4. 1. Don’t make things up
• The most basic rule in journalism
• Mike Barnicle, Patricia Smith, Jayson Blair,
Jack Kelley, Stephen Glass, Janet Cooke,
Kevin Cullen and on and on and on
5. 1. Don’t make things up
• The most basic rule in journalism
• Mike Barnicle, Patricia Smith, Jayson Blair,
Jack Kelley, Stephen Glass, Janet Cooke,
Kevin Cullen and on and on and on
• Non-fiction is the heart and soul of what
we do
7. 1a. Don’t plagiarize
• Along with fabrication, one of the two
capital offenses in journalism
• Easier to get caught than ever before
because of Google and news databases
8. 1a. Don’t plagiarize
• Along with fabrication, one of the two
capital offenses in journalism
• Easier to get caught than ever before
because of Google and news databases
• Even obscure journalists at small outlets
now are called out nationally
9. 1a. Don’t plagiarize
• Along with fabrication, one of the two
capital offenses in journalism
• Easier to get caught than ever before
because of Google and news databases
• The “Romenesko effect”
• Background doesn’t have to be attributed
— but what is background?
10. 3. Exact quotes are exact quotes
• What’s inside quotation marks is exactly
what the person said
11. 3. Exact quotes are exact quotes
• What’s inside quotation marks is exactly
what the person said
• Don’t use quotation marks for indirect
quotes
12. 3. Exact quotes are exact quotes
• What’s inside quotation marks is exactly
what the person said
• Don’t use quotation marks for indirect
quotes
• Use fragmentary quotes when you only get
a few pithy comments
13. 4. Avoid conflicts of interest
• Don’t quote friends and family members
unless you’re writing a personal essay
14. 4. Avoid conflicts of interest
• Don’t quote friends and family members
unless you’re writing a personal essay
• Do not report on story in which you or
family members are directly involved
15. 4. Avoid conflicts of interest
• Don’t quote friends and family members
unless you’re writing a personal essay
• Do not report on story in which you or
family members are directly involved
• Do not accept gifts from sources
16. 5. Be fair and neutral
• Seek out the truth and report all sides
17. 5. Be fair and neutral
• Seek out the truth and report all sides
• Always contact someone who is being
criticized by others
18. 5. Be fair and neutral
• Seek out the truth and report all sides
• Always contact someone who is being
criticized by others
• Write in the “objective” voice — keep your
opinion to yourself
19. 6. Identify yourself
• Always tell a potential source that you’re a
reporter working on a story
20. 6. Identify yourself
• Always tell a potential source that you’re a
reporter working on a story
• Never turn a conversation into an interview
without permission
21. 6. Identify yourself
• Always tell a potential source that you’re a
reporter working on a story
• Never turn a conversation into an interview
without permission
• Undercover assignments must be approved
at the highest level
23. 7. Anonymous sources
• Urge them to go on the record; use them as
little as possible
• Your editor has a right to know your
source’s identity
24. 7. Anonymous sources
• Urge them to go on the record; use them as
little as possible
• Your editor has a right to know your
source’s identity
• You are bound by the promise you made
25. 7. Anonymous sources
• Urge them to go on the record; use them as
little as possible
• Your editor has a right to know your
source’s identity
• You are bound by the promise you made
• Ex post facto requests to go off the record
must be handled with care
27. 8. Recorder protocol
• Massachusetts is a two-party state
• First thing we should hear is, “I’ve just
turned on the recorder”
28. 8. Recorder protocol
• Massachusetts is a two-party state
• First thing we should hear is, “I’ve just
turned on the recorder”
• Your news organization may wish to
publish the audio of your interview