Can You Tweet Star Power?

Actress Katherine Heigl is suing drugstore chain Duane Reade because they tweeted a photograph of her exiting a store, bags of stuff in her hands. They used her handle and said she can't resist shopping there.Is the store allowed to send that image into the social media world? Is she fair game since she is in public? Can they make that statement as well?Is the store taking advantage of her star power to market their goods? Is there anything wrong...

Am I Bothering You? Am I Bothering You? Am I Bothering You? Am I Bothering You?

A Philadelphia sports reporter went to Dulles International Airport to find former Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who was arriving to meet with the Redskins about a possible job. See the story that aired here.The reporter repeatedly called the "interview" an exclusive, even though Jackson seems to be politely trying to tell the reporter to go away.Instead, however, the reporter continues to ask questions.Is this good journalism? First,...

Barbara Laker and Wendy Ruderman: "We Were More Scared of The Police Than The Drug Dealers."

A drug dealer who became a police informant walked into the Philadelphia Daily News office and asked for Wendy Ruderman. After he started explaining to her his plight - that drug dealers wanted him dead, and cops might also - Wendy grabbed fellow reporter Barbara Laker.They then listened to the dealer/informant explain the previous seven years of his life, which revealed a world of police corruption that took place largely in a destitute area of...

If You Disagree With Your Employer, Should You Quit So Publicly?

An American news anchor at RT (formerly known as Russia Today), announced that she was quitting her position as a protest against the Russian government, which subsidizes the network.First of all, should she have quit? Was that the best decision if she did not agree with the agenda of her company?Second, did she have to make her resignation during an actual broadcast? Was that grandstanding a little bit or was she just using her position to denounce the network and Russian government?FYI: here is RT's respon...

Can You Say That On Television? Should You?

After three teenagers were shot and killed in the Juniata section of the city in 2012, Mayor Michael Nutter was asked for a reaction. His comments are in the video above.Is it acceptable to air his comments without bleeping?Legally, it is fine for print. Ethically, would you print such a comment from a prominent figure? Or does his prominence make the quote all the more powerful?Would you post the video on the online site of a news outl...

What Should The Journalist Do After Realizing He Massively Messed Up?

Clearly, there is no journalism ethics question here. This entertainment reporter just plain messed up. Badly.Still, we can learn from a situation like this.What are the takeaways? How do we ensure that nothing like this ever happens again? How should the journalist have responded once Samuel L. Jackson began his takedo...

Should Journalists Predict the Future?

Though...

What Do You Do When You Spot a Bear?

A reporter in Rhode Island worked on a story about a bear sighting in their viewing area. Rather than simply provide the information about the bear, the reporter learned what you should do if you happen across a bear.Is the information she provides good and useful? Or is she making a mockery of the situati...

Can a Journalist Also Do Promotion?

A news anchor in Ohio posted a series of videos about what happens during commercial breaks in newscasts.They are meant to be amusing, I believe, and at times they are.Should a journalist be creating humorous videos about the news team? Is this good promotion for the station or is it stepping over the line from journalist to entertain...

Should Journalists Report On Suicides?

Last week, a 19-year-old University of Pennsylvania freshman on the track team commit suicide in Center City. Her death has become news around the world, as the understanding is that her actions were caused by the stress of the academic setting.The reality is that no one knows with any certainty why she jumped off a parking garage.A Philly Mag writer questioned why this situation has become such a large story, when the media generally shun suicides...

Justin Bieber is a Vandal (Maybe). News at 11.

Justin Bieber was almost busted after allegedly throwing eggs at his neighbor's house in California.Most of the local Los Angeles stations covered the story on their newscasts. One outlet even aired the police press conference about the event live as it was going on. It even made news in the United Kingdom (above).Is this a news story? Should journalists cover such relatively minor events as a pop singer's alleged vandalism?Or, is this such goofy, fun stuff that you have to run it on the ne...