By Delano R. Massey
Lexington Herald Ledger
Published 10/13/2007
Excerpt:
It probably won't be the last time a student newspaper publishes a cartoon
that sparks a firestorm.
Bob Steele, a senior journalism ethics faculty member at the Poynter
Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla., said publications at all levels should keep
in mind that freedom of expression "should continually be built on a spirit of
responsibility and respect."
"We should not offend for the sake of offending" and "we should not shock
just because we could shock."
"If it's journalism that we are creating and presenting, then we should ask
about the journalistic purpose and make sure it's justifiable," he said. "We
must also identify and weigh the potential consequences of our actions."
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