Thursday, May 9, 2013

Journalism Ethics Goes to the Movies

Surprise! Original content coming at you! Book review! Exclamation point!


In Journalism Ethics Goes to the Movies, State University of New York journalism professor Howard Good entertainingly examines journalists’ ethical problems through Hollywood movies. While it initially seems like a strange conceit, melding the two topics is an effective choice. The films provide a useful context for readers less familiar with journalistic integrity. It doesn’t take a seasoned reporter to know that the blatant plagiarism in Shattered Glass is wrong.

Other examples include Broadcast News’s battle of style over substance, Mr. Deeds’s deception dilemma and Wag the Dog’s exploration of political media manipulation. Each chapter uses a specific film to make a specific point, and overall the book is a teaching tool with plenty of additional reading provided after each assignment.