Research

Journalism

Exploring values and decisions in how news is reported and covered

Objectivity vs. Commentary in covering Internation...

November 26, 2024

In the early hours of Thursday, February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladmir Putin announced a “special military operation” to “denazify and demilitarize” Ukraine (Berger, 2022). This moment was the culmination…...
Objectivity vs. Commentary in covering International Conflict

QAnon and the Return of JFK Jr.

October 30, 2024

What are the ethics of covering conspiracy theories in the news?...
QAnon and the Return of JFK Jr.

Communicating the Origin of COVID-19

April 16, 2024

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, originated from Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Since then, SARS-CoV-2 has spread across the world and has claimed over 6 million lives as of…...
Communicating the Origin of COVID-19

Cold Cases or Hot Topics?

February 22, 2024

What are the ethical concerns of true crime podcasts?...
Cold Cases or Hot Topics?

Sprinting Towards Publication

February 27, 2023

Now that social media sites like Twitter allow news to spread like wildfire, journalists have been feeling more pressure than ever to get their stories published in accordance with stricter…...
Sprinting Towards Publication

Cancel Culture in Journalism?

February 20, 2023

2020 and 2021 were years marked by the concept of “cancelling.” To cancel someone or something means to stop supporting that person, business, or organization. It could also mean using…...
Cancel Culture in Journalism?

Can Journalists also be Activists?

October 31, 2022

What does objective reporting mean in covering the Black Lives Matter protests?...
Can Journalists also be Activists?

Surveillance, Journalism, and the Capitol Riot

September 20, 2022

How can journalists ethically use geotracking data? The case of reporting on January 6....
Surveillance, Journalism, and the Capitol Riot

A Straight Man in Damascus?

July 26, 2022

Can a blog author blur their identity to increase attention on an important issue?...
A Straight Man in Damascus?

Adam Schefter and “Mr. Editor”

June 7, 2022

How much control over stories should journalists give sources and subjects?...
Adam Schefter and “Mr. Editor”

All (Free) Press is Good Press

May 12, 2022

How should journalists cover inflammatory politicians?...
All (Free) Press is Good Press

Imprecise Reporting or Missing the Point?

April 19, 2022

Was NPR being imprecise or misleading in their coverage of masking on the Supreme Court?...
Imprecise Reporting or Missing the Point?

Defamation, Copyright, and Journalism in India

January 26, 2022

Should news organizations in India sue other sites who use their content to criticize it?...
Defamation, Copyright, and Journalism in India

Should Our Past Follow Us Forever Online?

December 13, 2021

What are the ethics of unpublishing or removing news items?...
Should Our Past Follow Us Forever Online?

Getting the News Out with Apple News+

December 7, 2021

What ethical concerns arise when Apple distributes the news?...
Getting the News Out with Apple News+

Reporting on the Night Stalker

July 14, 2021

How far should journalists go in covering a deadly serial killer?...
Reporting on the Night Stalker

Accurate and Effective Reporting in a Pandemic

April 5, 2021

What ethical choices await Indian news media covering the pandemic?...
Accurate and Effective Reporting in a Pandemic

The Ethics of News Paywalls

February 15, 2021

Are news paywalls good for journalism and democracy?...
The Ethics of News Paywalls

Newsroom Objectivity in the Age of Black Lives Mat...

January 20, 2021

What does objective reporting mean in covering the Black Lives Matter protests?...
Newsroom Objectivity in the Age of Black Lives Matter

The Ethics of Op-Eds

December 29, 2020

Should newspapers run controversial or offensive op-ed pieces?...
The Ethics of Op-Eds

The News We Desire

December 27, 2020

Are partisan news outlets good for our democracy?...
The News We Desire

Greed or Good Intentions in Investigative Journali...

December 21, 2020

Did Bob Woodward do something wrong in delaying the release of his investigative research on Trump and COVID-19?...
Greed or Good Intentions in Investigative Journalism?

Reporting on Caste and Sexual Assault

December 5, 2020

What are the challenges and choices journalists face in reporting caste-based violence in India?...
Reporting on Caste and Sexual Assault

Putting the President in Check

October 13, 2020

Is Twitter's decision to add a factcheck to Trump's voter fraud tweet a good thing?...
Putting the President in Check

Celebrity Death in the Media

October 5, 2020

What challenges arise when the media covers dead celebrities who were both loved and hated?...
Celebrity Death in the Media

Blurring the Line Between Reporting the Truth and ...

August 25, 2020

Should journalists show the faces of protesters in news coverage?...
Blurring the Line Between Reporting the Truth and Minimizing Harm

Picturing Justice for Kalief Browder

August 17, 2020

What ethical worries accompany Jay-Z's attempt to document injustices in the American prison system?...
Picturing Justice for Kalief Browder

Objectivity in Journalism

July 28, 2020

What are the challenges of objectivity in journalism?...
Objectivity in Journalism

Pandemic Prime Time for the Cuomo Brothers

May 26, 2020

What ethical concerns arise with the brotherly interactions between Governor Cuomo and journalist Cuomo?...
Pandemic Prime Time for the Cuomo Brothers

Can Artificial Intelligence Reprogram the Newsroom...

April 27, 2020

As artificial intelligence plays an increasing role in newsrooms, what ethical issues arise?...
Can Artificial Intelligence Reprogram the Newsroom?

Images of Death in the Media

April 2, 2020

What ethical challenges arise when the media uses images of the dead?...
Images of Death in the Media

Misinformation, Social Media, and the Price of Pol...

March 25, 2020

Is banning paid political advertising on social media good for democracy?...
Misinformation, Social Media, and the Price of Political Persuasion

Changing Comments or Changing Minds?

February 20, 2020

When a Pakistani newspaper uses an algorithm to change user comments to protest government censorship, what could go wrong?...
Changing Comments or Changing Minds?

Dramatization or Falsification?

February 17, 2020

How far can films about journalists push the truth for dramatic effects?...
Dramatization or Falsification?

Beer Cans and Cancel Culture

February 5, 2020

What are the ethical challenges when journalism and cancel culture merge?...
Beer Cans and Cancel Culture

How Vigilant Should Cable News Be About Political ...

February 3, 2020

What are the ethical implications of CNN refusing to air Trump's misleading advertisements?...
How Vigilant Should Cable News Be About Political Messages?

The Ethics of Anonymous Criticism in Political Jou...

January 22, 2020

What are the ethical implications of using anonymous political sources in journalism?...
The Ethics of Anonymous Criticism in Political Journalism

Censorship in Pakistan

November 12, 2019

What are the challenges to reporting the news in Pakistan?...
Censorship in Pakistan

Social Media Activism or Mere Slacktivism?

November 12, 2019

When online activists vow to make a villain famous, what could go wrong?...
Social Media Activism or Mere Slacktivism?

Matters of Facebook Live or Death

November 12, 2019

What are the ethical worries over Facebook Live and immediate internet broadcasting?...
Matters of Facebook Live or Death

No Comment

November 12, 2019

What are the ethical issues involved in closing news website comment sections in a democracy?...
No Comment

Virtual Reality, Immersive Media, and Journalism

November 12, 2019

What are the ethics of using virtual reality in real journalism?...
Virtual Reality, Immersive Media, and Journalism

Reporting on Sexual Assault in India

November 4, 2019

What are the challenges to privacy and community safety in reporting on sexual assault in India?...
Reporting on Sexual Assault in India

And Nothing But the Truth

March 1, 2019

How can reporters balance accuracy and good effects in their reporting on war-torn African communities?...
And Nothing But the Truth

Does the Photo Fit the News?

December 11, 2018

What happens when a powerful image becomes the face of the immigration debate?...
Does the Photo Fit the News?

Doxing and Digital Journalism

July 6, 2018

When can journalists reveal the identity of controversial social media users?...
Doxing and Digital Journalism

Collateral Damage to the Truth

April 27, 2018

What conflicts arise when journalists want transparency on drone deaths?...
Collateral Damage to the Truth

Swipe Right to Expose

April 24, 2018

What could go wrong with an investigative journalist covering the sordid side of the Rio Olympics?...
Swipe Right to Expose