Journalism pressure/advocacy groups
http://www.alliance.org.au . The website of the journalists' union in Australia, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, is worth checking regularly for the union's views on matters of interest to journalists, like changes to laws etc.
http://www.cpj.org . The Committee to Protect Journalists is an organisation devoted to protecting media freedom around the world. It keeps count of media casualties around the world and publishes downloadable reports on media freedom and other issues, like the media death-toll in the Iraq conflict.
http://www.freedomhouse.org . Freedom House is a nonprofit, non-partisan organisation, and voice for democracy and freedom around the world. It maintains an interest in issues associated with freedom of the media and journalists.
http://www.ifj.org . The International Federation of Journalists is the MEAA's international counterpart, representing more than half a million journalists in more than 100 countries. The IFJ promotes international action to defend press freedom and social justice through independent trade unions of journalists.
http://www.newssafety.com . The International News Safety Institute is a nongovernmental organisation dedicated to the safety of journalists and media staff, and committed to fighting the persecution of journalists. It is a coalition of media organisations, press freedom groups, unions, and humanitarian campaigners working to create a culture of safety in media around the world.
http://www.rsf.org . Reporters Without Borders is a pressure group supporting freedom of the media around the globe. It produces an annual worldwide index of press freedom. In the first index in 2002, Australia was ranked 12th (in a list of 167 countries), but has slipped in later years to be 35th in 2006 (because of the anti-terrorist laws that were seen as potentially dangerous to journalists). It keeps an updated record of media personnel killed each year, and those in prison. It is a useful resource for discussion of the state media freedom.
http://www.poynter.org . The website of American think-tank, the Poynter Institute, has a search function and is particularly useful for finding useful articles on most ethical issues. See many of their references below.
Relevant journals
Australian Journalism Review. Produced usually twice-yearly by the Journalism Education Association (JEA), the professional body of journalism educators in Australia, Asia and the Pacific, it contains content listings of previous editions, but at the time of writing was not up to date. Most Australian university libraries where journalism programs are based would contain copies of the journal.
Australian Studies in Journalism. Another journal produced by the JEA, it lists the various volumes, some with links to an index for that volume. Again, university libraries are the best place to view copies.
Columbia Journalism Review. The regular publication of America's top journalism school, Columbia in New York, its website has a search function for journal articles, and they can be downloaded. It's a very useful resource for an American perspective on ethical issues, as is the next site.
American Journalism Review. This magazine is published by the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. Search the website for further American perspectives on ethical issues.
Useful URLs
You'll notice that many of the URLs that follow are from the files of Poynter Online. This is deliberate because their staff and contributors write regularly on current ethical issues, their website is searchable and free, and many of their articles are based on a specific case, and provide useful links back to the original stories and other useful resources. Any topic you are studying is worth putting in the site search engines of Poynter Online, the Columbia and American Journalism Reviews, and the extensive media section of the Guardian newspaper in London (http://media.guardian.co.uk).
Guiding principles
Author's note: For all Poynter references , regardless of what URL you type in, it will automatically default to the Poynter front page. Then type the title in the website's search engine. The URL's are correct, but you need to find them through the search engine.
Ask These 10 Questions to Make Good Ethical Decisions: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=36&aid=4346
Guiding principles for the Journalist: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=36&aid=4349 .
Guidelines for Covering Hostage-Taking Crises, Prison Uprisings, Terrorist Actions: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=4640 .
Guidelines for Interviewing Confidential Sources: Who, When and Why?: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=4361 .
Guidelines for Interviewing Juveniles: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=4571 .
Respecting Privacy Guidelines: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=4643 .
‘Who Said That?' Guidelines for Evaluating Sources: http://poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=4634 .
Attribution
Free Press's Albom Probe Finds Problems With Attribution: Hutton Announces Changes: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=82424 .
Chequebook Journalism
McLeod, C. (2005). ‘Paying for the news'. Australian Press Council News, vol. 17, no. 1, February: 1-2.
Conflict of interest
Rules and Their Limits: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=36&aid=66131 .
Searching for the Threshold: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=53&aid=62768 .
Deception
Deception/Hidden Cameras Checklist: http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=866 .
Reporting on medical breakthroughs
The World Today: Call for restraint in reporting medical ‘breakthroughs': http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2003/s892284.htm .
Maclean, S. (2005, March 17), ‘Doctors check up on medical news reports', The Australian, 17 & 20.
Sources
The Confidentiality Crisis: http://www.ajr.org/article_printable.asp?id=4105 .
Naming names: http://www.ajr.org/article_printable.asp?id=4076 .
Quoting Your Friends: The Easy Way Out: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=67&aid=99035 .
Recasting the Anonymous Source as ‘Exceptional event': http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=67304 .
Anonymity: Father of Many a Sin: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=54&aid=35657 .
Question to Ask Before Going ‘Off the Record': http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=70904.
Hewson, J. (former federal Liberal Leader and Opposition Leader) (2005, September 16). A case for proper leaking. The Australian Financial Review, 74.
Off and on ‘the record' (2005, March 21), Media Watch, ABC-TV. http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s1327899.htm
Trademarks
Trademarks for dummies: http://www.mg.co.za/Content/13.asp?ao=34381&t=1 .
Trademark law for ... Dunderheads: http://poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=64412
