By coincidence, this issue provides a sustained examination of journalism ethics using distinct prisms. Political journalists’ relationships with intelligence leakers and whistleblowers have always been fraught, resulting in individual journalists being hailed as heroes and branded as traitors. Brett Johnson, Liz Bent and Caroline Dade examine how the news industry covered this dynamic over the last 15 years, from the Valerie Plame controversy to the Edward Snowden story, and suggest that journalists struggle to craft a pro-social discourse of the value of leaks.
The following three articles all seek to examine journalism ethics questions through similar interview methodology. First, Kaitlin Miller and Nicole Dahmen document how an ethic of care appears to motivate prizewinning photojournalists when it comes to questions of graphic images. Next, for advocates of the (still very) aspirational notion of a global journalism ethic, Bahtiyar Kurambayev and Eric Freedman provide a sobering reminder of the disparities in journalism cultures across the globe. Through interviews, they document the culture of corruption that defines journalism in Central Asia. And finally, returning to American photojournalism, how do niche journalists who are often dependent upon industry access negotiate the demands for positive coverage and standards of integrity and independence? Howard Fisher and Sufyan Mohammed explore this question by interviewing video game journalists. Their study documents industry pressures through several theoretical lenses.
Also take note of the special call featured in this issue for manuscripts on topics of digital permanence and impermanence. Deadline for manuscripts is September 30, 2020.