Overview

This module is the fifth in a series of six that the faculty of the Carter Journalism Institute at NYU has developed to expose students to core ethical and legal issues underscoring journalism as it is practiced in the United States. In this module we look at source agreements (on-the-record, off-the-record, on background, and not for attribution), recording conversations, the use of anonymous sources, and undercover reporting.

Module 5 contains eight units:

5.1 Source Deals: On-the-Record, Off-the Record, On Background, Not for Attribution.

5.2 The Ethics of Secretly Recording Conversations.

5.3 Legal and Ethical Implications of Anonymous Sourcing.

5.4 Judy Miller and Weapons of Mass Destruction.

5.5 The Rolling Stone Rape Story Fiasco.

5.6 Confessions of a Chinese Dissident.

5.7 An Argument in Favor of Undercover Reporting.

5.8 The Legend of Nellie Bly.

Each module in this Journalism Ethics & Law series takes about 90 minutes to complete. At the end of each is a knowledge check quiz, which, to receive credit, you must complete.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this unit, students should be able to:

• Define source deals such as off-the-record, on background, and not for attribution, and know how they differ.
• Understand the risks of secretly recording subjects.
• Cite specific instances of reporters relying on anonymous sources (Judy Miller, Rolling Stone) and how it ultimately undermined their work.
• Note advantages and disadvantages of undercover reporting.