onymous

glenn greenwald on another fine rant (in september 2021) about journalists and sources of leaked material


https://piped.kavin.rocks/watch?v=I31O5_X4P1Y&t=2705

the questions, if you're in a rush

1. is it accurate?


2. is it in the public interest to know?

if the answers to both are yes, publish.

for context, see this previous entry.

on the crucial importance of sources, and how sound journalistic ethics are the keys to freedom of the press.

again, i encourage reading the whole article. and for context, see this previous entry.


https://ethicaljournalismnetwork.org/protecting-sources-keep-journalism-alive

4TH DECEMBER 2019

Protecting the Sources Who Keep Journalism Alive
Aidan White


Journalists can’t be everywhere to witness these events for themselves, so they rely on others to provide them with the facts, eye-witness testimony and insider secrets they need to tell their stories.

These are our sources of information. They are the lifeblood of quality journalism. Reporters may be stylish writers or polished presenters, but what counts most to the public is the reliability of the stories they tell, and that depends on the quality of our sources.( Read more... )

from an international perspective. again, people around the world are on high alert over these issues, and people in the social media true crime genre are... woefully out of step with everyone who cares.

there's also a lot in this article about the greater risks (due to surveillance tech) placed on female journalists, female whistleblowers, and female confidential or anonymous sources. i think we can agree they also exist when you're not even bothering to use any secure tech and are eagerly, publicly outing sources and leakers. i recommend following the link below to read (at least) that section in full. and for context, see this previous entry.


https://www.mediadefence.org/ereader/publications/advanced-modules-on-digital-rights-and-freedom-of-expression-online/module-4-privacy-and-security-online/source-protection-and-the-protection-of-journalistic-materials/

Media Defence provides legal help to journalists, citizen journalists and independent media across the world.


The confidentiality of journalistic sources is central to journalists’ ability to properly investigate stories, and to the protection of individuals and whistleblowers who provide information to them.(1) Efforts to compel the disclosure of sources have a chilling effect on freedom of speech and media freedom and hinder the free flow of information.(2)

In this regard, General Comment No. 34 to the ICCPR provides that states parties “should recognise and respect that element of the right of freedom of expression that embraces the limited journalistic privilege not to disclose sources.” Furthermore, the Africa Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights issued the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa in 2019, which deals with the issue of protection of sources by providing as follows:

“Journalists and other media practitioners shall not be required to reveal confidential sources of information or to disclose other material held for journalistic purposes except where disclosure has been ordered by a court after a full and fair public hearing.”(3)

The Declaration emphasises that this should only take place where the identity of the source is necessary for the investigation or prosecution of a serious crime, where the information can’t be obtained from elsewhere, and whether the public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm to freedom of expression.

It is important to note that the protection of sources has acquired new significance in the digital age in the context of the right to privacy of communications as surveillance technologies whose development is justified in terms of national security can be used to target journalists and their confidential sources

info about source protection and reporter's privilege and shield laws (state by state) - from usa perspective. i'll be posting a few reminders of the magnitude of the efforts of people around the world in recent years to maintain or increase protection for journalists and their sources. while people on yt and social media are acting a fool...


(hint: if you're on social media, maybe sometimes, you shouldn't know exactly who the sources are. especially if they were someone else's source and you're doing secondhand feeding off the material. for context, see this previous entry.)


https://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/1104/confidential-sources

THE FIRST AMENDMENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
PRESENTED BY THE JOHN SEIGENTHALER CHAIR OF EXCELLENCE IN FIRST AMENDMENT STUDIES

Confidential Sources
By Audrey Perry (Updated 2020)

Many states have enacted reporter shield laws to allow confidential sources

More than 30 state legislatures have enacted shield laws to provide reporters some type of privilege against the compelled production of confidential information. State shield laws usually are of limited scope and structure and protect only certain journalists or types of information from being revealed.

Freelancers and bloggers are often not included in the definition of a journalist and therefore have not been granted the privilege. Many laws include broad exceptions for certain types of information, for example, when it’s applicable to criminal defense cases. In 1970 in the federal arena, the Department of Justice provided journalists an additional safeguard against being forced to disclose information in court by requiring the approval of the attorney general for department officials to subpoena reporters.


Efforts to pass a national shield law continue

The issue of confidential sources will likely come under increased scrutiny in the future, as more people become involved in news gathering as a result of the ease of distribution via the Internet.

sharing excerpts from resources on ethics in journalism which would be of use to the social media true crime genre, if applied.


https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp
SPJ Code of Ethics
Revised September 6, 2014 at 4:49 p.m. CT at SPJ’s National Convention in Nashville, Tenn.
SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS


Ethical journalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair and thorough. An ethical journalist acts with integrity.

The Society declares these four principles as the foundation of ethical journalism and encourages their use in its practice by all people in all media. ( Read more... )

i used to think people interested in true crime (as in, mostly infamous past crimes and criminals) were simply morbid, creepy and perhaps sick and disturbed.

later on, when i noticed some were also into cold cases or cases of wrongful conviction, i thought perhaps they were people who were interested in solving mysteries ( Read more... )

journalism
jûr′nə-lĭz″əm
noun

The collecting, writing, editing, and presenting of news or news articles.

Material written for publication or broadcast as news.

The business of a journalist; the occupation of writing for, editing, or producing a newspaper or public journal; the diffusion of intelligence or of opinions by means of journals or newspapers and periodicals.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

good interview with a journo, from a few months back, about the state of modern media and social media.
https://piped.kavin.rocks/watch?v=px_6s0AO3Dw

someone in the (alleged) 'true crime community' on yt, talked to an old school journalist from idaho.

exceeded expectations. 👍