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Media Literacy: Ethical Coverage of Police Violence â Reporting on George Floyd and Beyond
When it comes to reporting on the police killings of and violence toward black and brown people, news coverage can provide important background and context to the national conversation, sparking a wide range of actions and reactions. But that news must adhere to certain standards in order to contribute meaningfully and minimize bias. In the Society of Professional Journalistsâ Code of Ethics, reporters and editors are urged to âboldly tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experienceâ while at the same time âavoid stereotypingâ and âexamine the ways their values and experiences may shape their reporting.â Likewise, photojournalists should, âBe complete and provide context when photographing…
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Principles of Ethical Government: Freedom of the Press
Mormon Women for Ethical Government’s Principles of Ethical Government (1)(d) states: A free press is essential to ensuring governmental transparency and accountability. Government officials have a special duty to respect the independence of journalistic organizations. (Luke 12:2-3) Heavenly Father has urged us to seek light and knowledge to help us do good in the world (Moroni 7:19, see also Moroni 7 generally). But to gain a broad knowledge of local, national, and world events, we have to rely on the press to witness, research, and sift through information on our behalf. This reporting is best accomplished when members of the press are free to gather and report news with limited…