In chapter 14 and 15 of Thom Lieb's text discuss the legal and ethical issues of being a journalist.
The material covered in the two chapters are vital for journalist to understand and follow, but there are three important topics that I believe should be followed.
The first important rule that journalist should not break is accuracy.
It is essential for journalist to make sure that the information they gather and report on is correct and factual.
This will build a journalist's credibility and reputation because readers can trust that they are being informed on the right data.
Stressful deadlines and pressures from the editor can cause smart journalists to make dumb decisions such as plagiarizing and fabricating stories.
This ethical issue has been violated by many journalists. For instance, former staff writer of the New York Times, Jayson Blair plagiarize a story and he was discharged by the prominent paper.
It is crucial for journalist not to use another person material without getting permission or to the cite sources if they borrow material. It is also important not to fabricate stories just to meet a deadlines because one could loose their creditability among readers.
Finally, it not ethical for journalist to use deception to gather information. Deceiving sources is not morally right.
It is the responsibility of the journalist to get the truth and to do it by just means.
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