UW Center for Journalism Ethics
We encourage the highest standards in journalism by fostering vigorous debate, providing resources to journalists
and news consumers, and honoring the best in ethical journalistic practice.
Events
BOMBSHELL: THEY CREATED THE BOMB. THEN CREATED ITS STORY
Thursday, September 24, 6:30-9:15 pm; The Marquee Cinema at Union South
Eighty years after the devastating atomic bombings that ushered in the nuclear age, “Bombshell” explores how the U.S. government manipulated the narrative about the atomic bombings of the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Through propaganda, censorship and the co-opting of the press, the government presented a benevolent picture of atomic power, minimizing the horrific human toll of the bombings.
Join the UW Center for Journalism Ethics, the Stanley Center for Peace and Security’s Developing Story Project, the Outrider Foundation and PBS Wisconsin for this free screening of the American Experience Films documentary “Bombshell.” The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers Gaia De Simoni and Ben Loeterman.
News
The plastic surgery paradox: Balancing coverage by emphasizing health over beauty
For media ethicists, the intense scrutiny of individual celebrities’ faces and bodies can run afoul of the journalistic imperative to minimize harm. And yet, if coverage strips away the intense medical and financial realities of these surgeries and replaces them with aspiration for a celebrity-like perfection, the procedures can become glamorized.
The case for care-based journalism
Journalism as an institution has not paused to ponder whether a framework built to manage relationships with the powerful is appropriate for relationships with the powerless.
“Lead with listening”: The solidarity-approach to reporting on homelessness
With homelessness on the rise, more journalists will be tasked with finding ethical ways of covering this community and the host of issues they face.
‘Transparency is key’: Inside the investigation that revealed abuse and neglect in California mental health facilities
Cynthia Dizikes and Joaquin Palomino spoke with The Center about the ethical decisions behind their reporting, how they built trust with grieving families and what it means to investigate trauma responsibly.