Toward a humanistic turn for a more ethical journalism

Abstract

This article argues that the social scientific epistemology that has dominated journalism for the past half-century has devalued the moral implications of public affairs and deprived citizens of the ethical tools necessary to make humane political decisions. Reviewing the contingent history of the integration of journalistic and social scientific methods leading to journalism’s computational turn, the essay calls for a humanistic reconceptualization away from journalists’ role as political interpreters toward a comparable role as moral interpreters.

Jornalistas em Tempo de Pandemia: Novas Rotinas Profissionais, Novos Desafios Éticos

“…All the indicators show how, during these months, the search for certified information (mostly on TV and online supports for traditional media) has increased to almost forgotten levels. It means that this might also be a chance to improve the media situation and their relationship with the public (Parks, 2019). And, as we are about to show you next, learning what Portuguese journalists thought and endured in these hard times, will certainly help us through this common effort.…”

Ética periodística y Covid-19: análisis de contenido de los códigos deontológicos

“…Del mismo modo, el concepto de rendición de cuentas, aunque gana cada vez más presencia 27 todavía no tiene ese reflejo en los códigos. Y algo parecido sucede con la recomendación de mostrar humanidad, que conecta con corrientes actuales que subrayan la relevancia del tono humano en las informaciones periodísticas 31,32 , pero que, en cierto modo, puede chocar con un postulado clásico, el de evitar tomar partido 19 .…”

Researching With Our Hair on Fire: Three Frameworks for Rethinking News in a Postnormative World

“…The authors present cognitive and social research (e.g., Barry, 2005; Jebril et al, 2013; Marcus et al, 2000) indicating that rational choice and emotional feeling cannot be disentangled, and that sound and images elicit precognitive affective reactions that must be taken into account in considering attitudes and behaviors. Feelings and cognitive processes interact in complex ways to motivate political behavior (Papacharissi, 2015), and journalists’ compulsion toward facticity at the expense of affect ignores a primary mover in public life (Parks, 2019). “We are trained to believe that good arguments matter[,] but social and political change seems more frequently based on emotional valence” (Wetherell, 2012, p. 141).…”

“…A common thread is their rejection of the pervasive 20th-century principle of detachment (see Carlson et al, 2018; Mindich, 1998)—a norm compelling both researchers and journalists to develop or feign disinterest in the outcomes of their work as they exercise the perceived mandate to report what is in front of them without passion or prejudice. As discussed above, the idea that one can or should separate rational evaluation from affective or values-based orientations is a demonstrable anachronism; its dominance in journalistic research and practice has fomented the fecklessness with which we have greeted, and perhaps helped precipitate, this moment of crisis (Parks, 2019). And our stance as amoral observers, unconcerned with the social and ethical implications of research and reporting so long as the findings are valid and accurate, offers little hope for getting out of it.…”