Case: How much Deception do you need to nail the story?

Marriam IftikharAyesha Rafiq

• In 1887 Nellie Bly, one of the first female newspaper writers, and a young reporter who spent 10 days in mad-house and report her finding .

• Her purpose was to discover what life was like for those who had been deemed insane. She was surprised to discover the depth of mistreatment of the patients.

• Partially as a result of her reporting, more money was allocated to the asylum and reforms were put into place.

Our case: An introduction• We are the editor at The Freedonia Times

newspaper, which has 15,000 subscribers and a website that encourages the reporters to record video and audio with their stories.

• Our star reporter, Ellie Blight, comes to us wanting to document what she says are abysmal conditions at the government-run mental hospital.

How we have gathered the News:

• Administrators of the hospital• From the patient families • Use the video shots by the

hospital workers to show the conditions of the hospital

• Blight went undercover without identifying herself as a reporter by taking the job at the institution, to access the ground realities and truth.

What are the Problems/ethical dilemmas we have face while

nailing the story?

1st ethical dilemma

• We were in a moral dilemma that whether we deceive the hospital authority or not by taking the undercover job in the hospital? As to know the real causes of the abysmal conditions and the problems, deception was required.

2nd ethical dilemma

• After obtaining the all the facts of miserable condition of the hospital, we were in a conflict that whether we publish the news story or not ??? as it was clearly pointing out the government poor performance in the health sector.

• As if we publish it on our website or in a newspaper, government could take vigorous action against our small newspaper.

Why not follow the rules?

In 1st ethical dilemma

• if we were not allowed our reporter to do undercover job by deceiving the people and gathered news merely on the basis of interviews than how we will be able to find out the facts and the real problems and reasons.

• Therefore it was important for us that our staff reporter do undercover job and gathered the news objectively, impartially through betrayal.

In 2nd ethical dilemma

• If we publish the drastic condition of the government hospital then our newspaper may be at stake because report clearly shows the government’s inefficiency to control and run the hospital.

• As we have a small newspaper only 15000 subscribers, harsh wording and filing the direct news items can tarnish the government reputation.

• Therefore government may be angry with us and may shutter down our newspaper.

Who wins, who loses?Our decision?

Where are our loyalties lies?Who benefit?Who get hurt?

In 1st ethical dilemma

• We have decided that our staff reporter Blight will deceive as it was not harming anybody.

• We just want to gather the news objectively by knowing all aspects.

• People must know the truth, this is our ultimate goal, and therefore we allowed the deception.

In 2nd ethical dilemma• Patients, and their families who are in vulnerable

condition and facing discrimination they were actually deserve our special loyalties.

• Meanwhile we also don’t want any conflict with the government so we have decided that we will publish the news items regarding in a complete report form like a case study of anything.

• We decided that we will not add our opinion and omit all the abrasive, harsh, strong stance of the audience and try to add the demands, opinions and advices of the patients, affected families, administrator, doctors etc. of the hospital.

What’s it worth?What are the values which help us to rationalize and defend our behavior

In 1st ethical dilemma

• Values that we take to rationalize and defend our behavior are from the life of Hazrat Umar R.A and Hodges guidelines.

• Hazrat Umar R.A used to walk through the streets himself almost every night to find out the needs, requirement and condition of the people.

• Ethicist Hodges said that deceit may be justifiable

• “If it is required to achieve important goals or to obey moral rules that are even more important than the rule against deception”

• His model said that deceit may be justifiable if the information to be obtained is overriding public importance, there’s no other way to get the information, the deception does not put people at risk.

In 2nd dilemma

• Values that we take to rationalize and defend our behavior are from the

• Aristotle’s Golden Mean theory• Hadith-The Prophet Muhammad

(peace be upon him) said: "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately. . .Always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course, whereby you will reach your target (of paradise)." - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 470

Conclusion

• Truth is always like oil in water no matter how much water you add to depress it; it always floats on the top.

• We as a journalist always try our best to speak the truth to the public even if our voice shakes.