Ethics in Journalism

If journalism can't help save the world, then why in the world should the world care about saving journalism -- at least this kind of journalism? Prove that you are smart enough to be trusted with the shield of humanity that you say you deserve.

In 2011, the number of articles published by women in top thought-leader magazines was significantly less than the number of articles published by men.

January has not been a good month for media ombudsmen, as the in-house press analysts at our two leading newspapers have both come under attack for writing lazy, ill-considered commentaries that seemed to confirm the views of their most strident critics.

Politico's remarkably poor job of disclosing its own corporate conflicts has practical consequences. Most notably, it serves to send a message of intimidation to Hill staff.

Do you really welcome and enjoy the emotional, metaphorical or actual wounding and bleeding of a fellow human as tabloids claim you do?

Too many Western writers try to portray themselves as selfless, Mother Theresa-like figures who venture to an exotic and dangerous country to single-handedly save the natives.

Today's "journalists," like Matt Bai of the New York Times, see no difference between themselves and those they serve. Indeed, when they hear the term "political elites" -- they now see themselves in the mirror.

Imagine you are Walter Isaacson. You are the president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, "a nonpartisan educational and policy studies institute based...

Bill Sammon, Fox News' Washington managing editor, sent a memo "at the height of the health care reform debate" to his network's so-called journalists, directing them not to use the phrase "public option."

It is good that the New York Times has a "Public Editor" to keep an eye on the paper's ethics. But sometimes, it seems like valuable column space is wasted chastising Times staffers for minor missteps.

There's a very old fable of unknown origin that goes something like this... A scorpion comes upon a river and asks a friendly frog for a ride to the ...

There is no democracy, unless there is dissent and that dissent can be overtly expressed. It obfuscates one's mind to see how heads of states, democra...

ProPublica does true public service media, funded philanthropically and according to a strict code of ethics. The code is a really big deal; to me, it's a commitment to traditional journalism values.

The mainstream media, including the New York Times, played a pivotal role in ACORN's demise through shoddy, opportunistic journalism. But all have refused to acknowledge their role.

Towards the end of The Other, Ryszard Kapuściński credits Bronislaw Malinowski, a Polish social anthropologist, with the contestable maxim: "To judg...

While I greatly mourn E&P's passing, I want to call attention to the splendor of its final years, when it died like a supernova, with a great burst of energy.

Attorney General Jerry Brown's spokesman was unceremoniously "disappeared" from Brown's incipient campaign this week because of a lapse in judgment that, quite frankly, has been grossly overblown.

Lou Dobbs went way out of his way to make sure that he presented both sides of the story. He didn't have to (or want to), but his professional code insisted he should.

Financial pressures are slowly squeezing the life out of news organizations. Hundreds of quality journalists are losing their jobs and news coverage is being reduced. Now even ethical boundaries are being challenged.

Citizen journalism is rapidly emerging as an invaluable part of delivering the news. That's why I was delighted to accept YouTube's invitation to do a video offering my take on citizen journalism for the site's new Reporters' Center. READ MORE London Diary: Gordon Brown's Obsessions, The Loyal Opposition's Cuddly Karl Rove, Bad Germs, and the Most Unusual Royal Honeymoon Ever I just ended three days in London that were like a cram session in British politics -- ranging from a conversation with Gordon Brown to dinner with Frances and George Osborne, the Tories' shadow chancellor. READ MORE Watch: Arianna on BBC's "Newsnight" Discussing How the Iran Uprising Is Impacting Journalism Watch: Arianna on MSNBC's "Morning Meeting" Discussing The Financial Crisis and the Sentencing of Bernie Madoff

It's so true that freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose -- and so our brush here with terminal illness is occasionally truly liberating for America's newsrooms.