Coverage of Michael Jackson’s Death Leads to Ethics Musings by Media
Jun 29th, 2009 • Posted in: NewsWashington Post ponders whether you can honor a man’s music while having a disdain for a man’s morality; unconfirmed Twitter reports turned out to be right this time, but media critics note that reporting rumor can be risky; the site that appeared to have the scoop on the story is viewed as ethically questionable
VARIOUS DATELINES
The coverage of the sudden and mysterious death of Michael Jackson last week included a good deal of moral soul searching. Among the top items:
- The Washington Post’s Liz Kelly examines the dichotomy of admiring Jackson the entertainer while entertaining reservations about his morality. “[I]s it possible to honor one while continuing to back away from the other? To reconcile the very real disdain for the man while at the same time recognizing his music as every bit worthy of praise? And by admitting that we appreciate the art of someone we find morally objectionable, are we selling out our own ethics?” Kelly notes that this is hardly a new dilemma, ranging back to classical musicians who were openly anti-Semitic. Kelly concludes that Jackson’s music was not a reflection of his personal life, justifying her view with a quote from music critic Dimitri Drobatschewsky: “Unfortunately, there are so many ‘unsavory characters’ in the world of art, science, literature, and general culture that if you boycotted their given genius, there would be precious little art left to enjoy.”
- Jackson’s death became a test case for the ethics of new-media reporting in the new world of Twitter feeds and email alerts. The Knight Digital Media Center’s Online Journalism Review notes that an avalanche of Twitter feeds reported the death before it was confirmed, and in some cases Twitter feeds were used by major media themselves. The Review’s Robert Niles says that the “Twitterverse” has been wrong about celebrity deaths before, and he urges traditional news organizations to acknowledge Twitter reports but clearly note that they are unconfirmed and that verification is being pursued.
- Celebrity website TMZ appeared to the be the first site to break the story of Jackson’s death, adding to a list of scoops, including Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitic rant in 2006 and Alec Baldwin’s angry voicemail to his daughter in 2007. But the Jackson drama, according to the Los Angeles Times’s Scott Collins and Meg James, “puts the spotlight on TMZ at a delicate time. Its tactics have stoked growing outrage among publicists and government officials. Its tabloid sensibilities have made some other news organizations reluctant to cite its reporting…. Some advertisers remain hesitant to pitch their products on the site and the TV series. And TMZ has proven much better at generating controversy than cash for its corporate parent, Time Warner.” The report notes that “lurking behind much of the suspicion is a sense that TMZ is flouting not so much the law as journalistic ethics.”
Sources: Los Angeles Times, June 28 — Washington Post, June 27 — Knight Digital Media Center Online Journalism Review, June 25.
For more information, see: Related Newsline story, June 8 — Related Newsline story, July 7, 2008 — Related Newsline story, Mar. 3, 2008 — Related Newsline Commentary, June 20, 2005 — Related Newsline Commentary, Jan. 26, 2004.
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[...] more information, see: Related Newsline story, June 29 — Related Newsline story, June 22 — Related Newsline story, June 8 [...]
[...] ABC News was accused of checkbook journalism after it was disclosed that an exclusive interview with Joe Jackson, Michael Jackson’s father, was conducted after ABC News paid $200,000 for video owned by the Jacksons. According to the Los Angeles Times, ABC licensed 10 minutes of the footage, but insists that the exchange of money had nothing to do with landing the exclusive interview and that the news division does not pay for interviews. Critics say it is an example of a common practice of indirectly compensating interview subjects by paying licensing fees or providing other perks, such as first-class airline tickets. (Editor’s note: This week we revisit one of Rushworth Kidder’s columns that dealt with Michael Jackson. See link.) [...]