Journalism is the last, fun industry to work in.
These are the words of Phillip Knightley who I heard speak last night at City University.
But what of ethics?
Do they exist?
Which other industry could you have a lecture from a senior figure in your field with the comment “…unusual sex in a torture chamber is not illegal”?
Knightley who worked for the Sunday Times Insight team says he has no regrets
Yesterday I also found myself in a two hour debate between journalism students and teachers over the ethics of journalism.
Before entering the room I joked with one teacher: “we’re going to talk about ethics in journalism.”
“Yes, it shouldn’t take long!” was the reply.
In the room we heard tales of researchers chasing down rape victims, using the clergy to get to a dead baby’s mother, screwing over senior police officers and interviewing a rape victims.
All speakers said they have no regrets (neither did Phillip Knightley) and all felt they had no need to justify it – it’s their job (they all work for broadsheet newspapers).
To anyone inside that room, hidden deep in the bowels of the building we were in in what felt like a secret bunker, they would have been shocked and disgusted – maybe some people were.
How do you best approach someone who has just lost their only child? How do you ask a rape victim to describe the moments during that awful event? Do you help a victim or just look on?
Yesterday I also visited an animal testing lab in London and spoke to the staff who look after the animals.
They were pleasant and clearly cared about the animals, but they all said they don’t tell many people about their jobs (one said he says he works for the Inland Revenue because no one asks him further questions).
One worker who looked after the rats and mice in the lab said: “The worst thing about the job is you know what you’re doing is worthwhile but you can’t tell people.”
I think the same can be applied to journalism (just). We, as journalists might have to take part in horrible experiences and do some awful things – but maybe, just maybe, the end might just about justify the means.
Let’s not completely kid ourselves though. Journalism, by comparison, is usually unethical and immoral. But sometimes, just sometimes, it can bring about some good – and give us some fun along the way. I don’t think many other careers can do that.
simonneville.wordpress.com 
I agree, yesterday was truly eye-opening.
I like your description of DLG03 as “a secret bunker” – now that’s colour writing!
Just a small point – I think you mean the end justifies the means. We may be somewhat underhand and secretive in our methods at times, but if the story is in the public interest, then the outcome is worthwhile.
I found the session yesterday interesting, although I didn’t find it particularly ‘eye-opening’ in terms of being shocked by the admissions of our tutors. I think it made clear that ethics do exist in journalism, but that it is important that we get used to the ethics which we are sensitive to in daily life being challenged in the context of our career.
I was surprised that so many people seemed to expect a set of rules outlining how to make ethical decisions. Making decisions about where our own boundaries lie is our own responsibility, no-one is going to tell us what to do.
In relation to the justification that ‘it is my job’. Well, it is. In the most basic sense journalists can be seen as providing a service, and in our capacity as ‘purveyors of information’, we have a responsibility to provide the most accurate and up-to-date news, if in doing so we have to push buttons and use what some may deem as ‘questionable’ tactics then so be it. We may not all be as hard-lined as some but I believe there is room for all types of journalist.
Something we may have to get used to is that it is quite likely that another journalist who is willing to cross a line that we are not will get the scoop first, and we will have to take it on the chin.
I would rather Journalists keep their bias out of their reporting and just tell it as it is. I’ll deal with the ethics part.