Question

Read the scenario.

A pilot is being investigated after an air-traffic accident led to many passengers being injured and hospitalized. Reports about a cover-up by the airline are surfacing, and people have accused the pilot of negligence.

The editor-in-chief of the local newspaper has just assigned the story to the most experienced investigative reporter in the newsroom. However, the reporter’s uncle is the pilot being investigated. No one in the newsroom knows about this connection.

What is the most ethical course of action the reporter could take?

investigate the claims without revealing that the pilot is her uncle; the fact that he is a relative will not affect her reporting
tell the editor-in-chief about her relationship to the pilot, and ask that the story be assigned to another reporter
convince the editor-in-chief not to run the story, because the reporter knows that her uncle is a skilled pilot and believes that the allegations are false
research and write the article, but have a colleague edit it before it is submitted to make sure there are no signs of bias

Answer 1

A code of Ethics is the framework of rules and regulations, almost the guideline, that an institution, or organization, may have, to help its members or workers choose the correct actions to take when facing a dilemma or a problem, in accordance with the principles and the mission and vision of the institution or organization. Although mostly seen in organization, there are also codes of ethics that are personal and these help an individual decide the right way to act in difficult situations. In the case of this scenario, there is a huge problem; the reporter is faced with her relationship to the person being investigated and about who she must report. Because of this familial relationship between reporter and investigated, the reporter should, C, tell the editor-in-chief about her relationship to the pilot, and ask that the story be assigned to another. This is the ethical thing to do because it allows the superior to know that there will be a conflict of interests and a possible bias, whether the reporter wants to or not. It also allows the chief to decide whether the connection between the two will affect the reporter´s abilities or not.

Answer 2

The most ethical course of action the reporter could take is to tell the editor-in-chief about her relationship to the pilot, and ask that the story be assigned to another reporter.

The correct option is B.

What is investigating journalism?

Investigative journalism is a type of reporting in which reporters look into a specific issue of interest, such as significant crimes, government corruption, or corporate fraud.

An investigative journalist could spend months or even years researching and writing a story.

In the given case, the reporters came not as the relative of the pilot, so the task should assign to another reporters because the first reporter will not investigate fairly.

Thus, the correct option would be B.

Learn more about journalism, here:

https://brainly.com/question/1285692