About Ethical Martini
This is a blog about media ethics and journalism / journalists. It is meant to be useful for students, but also for media consumers and journalists or other newsworkers.
I’m also combining my work passion with my pleasure, the not-so-humble martini.
This is my first blog. I’m a digital immigrant, so please be patient. I will be back regularly to update this with a weekly “ethical outrage” or even the odd boquet. Comments welcome.
I am also interested in developing a team to contribute. If you’re interested email me (address in top right corner of this page). I’m serious about this, but it seems that there’s a reticence to commit. I’m not sure why, blogging’s not that hard. A number of my students do it and I link to their blogs. Why not. In 5 years’ time they could be among the hotshot bloggers. You can find them in my links sidebar.
You can find me at various places on the web, including:
View my page on Wired Journalists
I’m still working on my links and pages layout. One day soon I’ll even have my own domain. The difficulty is finding the time among all the other stuff I have to do and want to do, like teaching, administrivia and thinking. Not to mention the odd martini.
I’ve been a bit lax on the martini front recently. My drinking tends to more domestic than public (apart from regular visits to the Brooklyn Bar). I keep intending to fix that, but like the Mad Hatter, my watch doesn’t want to keep up with my busy lifestyle.
December 5, 2007 at 12:03 am
I need your advise on reporting on trauma, grief. Please advise on the below matter.
Forty-year-old, Nickson, has jumps onto the path of a moving MRT train and you are at the scene. You see his wife, approach her, and she is openly sharing her grief with you. She tells you that her husband was depressed for the last 3 months. She can’t believe he has passed away. She then goes on to tell you that he is the chairman of a local family-run pastry franchise. She realised six months ago, that he had a gambling habit and was $1million dollar in debt and to evade the torments of loan sharks, he had dipped into the company’s coffers and it was heading for insolvency. What do you do? Shall i report? I am lost, please advise. Thank you.
April 3, 2008 at 10:28 am
Course you do love! Just make sure you tell her what media organisation you’re from before she goes too far.
Talk softly. Stay calm.
This is not about you, it’s about her. Listen. Carefully. Report. Truthfully. Luckily, you are just the messenger , )
May 25, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Sorry this is a bit late: You have the opportunity to tell her story. I suggest you adopt a collaborative approach with fully informed consent: “Let’s work on this together”. Check all facts even more thoroughly than you usually do. Avoid sensationalism or hijacking of her story to suit your or your editor’s agenda. Keep control of the story as it goes through the news process; it’s amazing how easily errors can creep in via headlines, teasers, block lines, and subbing.