Political Ill-Health Coverage: Professional-Ethical Questions Regarding News Reporting of Leaders' Ailments

Abstract

While reporting on Presidential health has increased of late, there has been very little discussion of the professional-ethical issues involved from the perspective of the journalist, especially when such medical information is not disclosed voluntarily and/or the public official is someone other than the President. Within the general issue of press freedom vs. the right to privacy, and in light of relevant laws, judicial rulings, legal scholarship, and especially journalistic professional ethics, this essay raises and discusses several questions that reporters should take into account when considering whether to publish unauthorized medical information about public officials: 1) do officials have any right tomedical privacy? 2) if so, before, during, and/or after tenure? 3) what is the significance of false vs. non-disclosure by the official? 4) are there limits to informed speculation? 5) what types and degree of ill health justify reporting? 6) regarding what level of elected and/or appointed officials? Other ancillary questions are noted as well: means of newsgathering; obsolescence of news item; extenuating circumstances justifying not publishing such news; low IQ as a health problem; who is to be considered a journalist; appropriate sanctions for going over the line. The article's conclusion explains why the issue of ill health reporting of public officials will become even more problematic in the coming years.