ABSTRACT
Law and ethics are often taught together in vocational-based tertiary journalism courses because they sometimes involve similar issues. This chapter provides a brief overview of the complex areas of media law and journalism ethics. Its goal is to equip the new or would-be journalist with the understanding to realise when a potential legal or ethical issue arises in their work and to seek advice from senior colleagues or the legal department. Every working day journalists make legal and ethical decisions big and small, often without realising it. Few legal issues give young journalists more nightmares than the threat of a defamation case being brought against them. Critics of the media often suggest that the term 'journalism ethics' is an oxymoron. The chapter provides a number of ethical issues such as privacy debate (or intrusion by the media), trial by media, the commercial pressures facing the media, the role of the media in times of war, deception, and chequebook journalism.
