Tuesday, June 15, 1999
Gannett unveils ethics rules
Enquirer parent firm lists 5 key points
The Cincinnati Enquirer and the Associated Press
Public distrust of the media and reader concerns about fair play and accuracy prompted the parent company of The Cincinnati Enquirer, the Gannett Co. Inc., on Monday to announce ethical guidelines for all 73 of its daily newspapers.
The news-gathering ethics state that newspapers should seek and report the truth in a truthful way, serve the public interest, exercise fair play, maintain independence and act with integrity.
The five ethics are accompanied by guidelines that “forbid lying to get a story, misstatements of identity or intent, fabrications, plagiarism, mis leading alterations of photographs and slanting of the news,” a statement released by Arlington, Va.-based Gannett said.
The decision to write them was prompted in part by a rising number of lawsuits challenging news-gathering methods, a desire to encourage honest investigative reporting and news-gathering problems last year at several news organizations, including The Enquirer.
Former Enquirer reporter Michael Gallagher relied on voice mail messages for stories published last May accusing Cincinnati-based Chiquita Brands International Inc. of improper dealings in Central America. The newspaper later renounced the articles, fired Mr. Gallagher and paid Chiquita more than $10 million.
Problems at the Enquirer were a factor in Gannett's decision to develop the ethics, but the issue of newspaper credibility is widespread and print reporters generally have received low performance marks on recent public opinion surveys, said Phil Currie, senior vice president of news.
The guidelines were announced to the Enquirer staff in a Monday afternoon staff meeting. Enquirer Editor Ward Bushee said that the principles were a significant step toward making the high standards clear both within the newsroom and with readers.
Gannett said its newspapers should strive to expose wrongdoing; be watchdogs of government and institutions that affect the public; treat people with dignity, respect and compassion; and maintain an arm's-length relationship with anyone seeking to influence the news.
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