Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page offered "a brief tour of the ethical universe of journalism" in Filene Auditorium Wednesday, stressing the importance of the public in adjusting the "moral compass" of the media.
"Ethics matter, because our credibility matters. Ethics reflect our values and are not obsolete," Page said.
Page traced the changing role of journalism throughout history. What constitutes news today did not necessarily constitute news in the past, he said. Among the stories that did not get media coverage, Page cited Marilyn Monroe's private life and Roosevelt in a wheelchair.
"It was just not something that was covered," he said.
He added that in the beginning of the 20th century, the separation between the private and public spheres was so strong that what people did "in their private domain was their matter," and was not a focus of media attention.
Things have changed since then. The Kennedy assassination, Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil rights watch, the Vietnam War and the Beatles tours were "remarkable times to be a journalist," Page said.
In the 21st century, the internet has not only made communication faster and easier, but has allowed individuals to post information by creating their own websites as well.
"You are the media," Page said to the audience.
In addition to discussing the choice of news covered by the media, Page also discussed the quality of the coverage in the wake of the Stephen Glass and Jayson Blair scandals, both acclaimed journalists who fabricated stories.Page said that they have missed "what is the greatest fun about journalism -- to go out and meet new people in interesting places."
Page also discussed the morality of 'undercover' reporting and raised the question of whether reporters should be allowed to misrepresent themselves and even break the law in the pursuit of truth.
"Can a reporter rob a bank to prove that the bank security is weak?" Page asked.
The acclaimed columnist added that to "respect the law does not mean blind obedience or absolute compliance," especially when it comes to social injustice or a government policy that needs to be challenged. Other cases are not as clear-cut.
Revealing the identities of rape victims is one such example. Many have raised concerns about the stigma attached if such information is released to the public. Others have questioned the credibility of having "an accused without an accuser." Such attitude, some argue, might perpetuate gender stereotypes, Page explained.
During the question-and-answer session, Page answered questions about the "crime of omission" in the media's biased coverage of the Iraq war. In his answer, Page agreed that media coverage in the United States might be so different from that abroad that it seems as if "two different wars" are going on. He said that part of the reason for withholding information is to protect the public from the harsh reality of the war. He also agreed that such protection might be unwarranted.
In an answer to another question, Page said that the lines between news and entertainment are blurry nowadays.
Page's speech, "Journalism Ethics is not an Oxymoron," was part of the "Truth and Ethics in Journalism" series organized by the Montgomery Endowment.
