Survey Highlights Ethical Concerns in the Newsroom

A recent survey by the American Society of Business Publication Editors raised some serious questions about the ethical standards in the business-to-business publishing field. With 157 trade publication editors responding, a strong majority (90 percent) say their publications need editorial ethics guidelines.

Just 57 percent of editors said that their publication had an editorial code in place. Of those editors, however, 42 percent viewed their organization's codes as informal.

For business reporters and editors at daily newspapers, the survey brings the newspaper code of ethics under the magnifying glass and refreshes critical communication issues for senior management.

"In my opinion, it's the rare business owner or executive who doesn't realize that editorial coverage is independent of advertising decisions," says Mary Flannery, enterprise reporter with the Philadelphia Daily News. Flannery, a former business section editor, also just completed working as project manager in the Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. advertising department.

"Yes, some advertisers push the editorial side - usually indirectly, but sometimes directly. I have found that they expect to be rebuffed. They just have to ask but they would be shocked if the request got any traction."

In a separate survey recently conducted by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at the American Press Institute, several respondents indicated there was too much of a blur between editorial and advertising departments.

Among the observations and advice for upper management from the Reynolds Center at API survey:

• "Beyond the managing editor there is too much emphasis on advertising-approved stories and that's an area that is totally out of the newsroom's control."
• "Stop pushing stories that cross the line between business news and advertising."
• "Eliminate special sections that are mostly for satisfying advertising needs."
• "The business beat at small newspapers serves as an advertising vehicle. It does not get the respect that it deserves."

"Of course the larger the newspaper, the better it is able to absorb losses in advertising because of unfavorable editorial coverage," Flannery says. "So smaller papers may feel more pressure."

So, for some editors the warning signs are clearly posted. Whether they heed these directions or ignore them will likely determine the standards to which ethical codes are held in the newsroom.

"I would recommend that publishers should take time to acknowledge advertising's role in keeping the editorial product untainted," Flannery says. "And, of course, editors and reporters should shrug off that pressure."

Copyright © 2008 Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism