Editors in newsrooms across the U.S. have found themselves in conversations with reporters and photographers who do not want to participate in covering public declarations and demonstrations supporting both Israelis and Palestinians.
Journalists are objecting for a number of reasons, including personal safety concerns, the presence of hate speech at some gatherings and their own strong personal beliefs.
Editors report these concerns are coming from staff who are across the continuum in their personal experiences and opinions. Because these are personnel issues and because they can impact newsroom morale, Poynter is not identifying the editors or news organizations that have reached out for advice.
These newsroom leaders are faced with two simultaneous challenges: First, they must find ways to document the full range of views of the people in their communities. At the same time, they must also create an environment on staff where journalists can openly discuss and explore their personal competing loyalties.
Here are things editors can and should say to fulfill their responsibilities to their audiences and their staff.
Coverage
Newsrooms serve their audiences by documenting community members’ views on important issues. It would be wrong to ignore demonstrations because we disagree with their message. This is true for abortion rights, gun rights and human rights.
Journalists should accurately reflect the range of views at a demonstration, with full context. If people are engaged in hateful rhetoric, it is important to report that, while also minimizing the harm of the hate speech. That means journalists will discuss how to capture the views, reflecting the appropriate tone and proportion.
Even when journalists are morally opposed to a particular position or point of view, it is important to reflect the range of discussion that is taking place.
It’s difficult to know whether to publish stories about protests if journalists aren’t there to witness the gathering. Sometimes news stories focus on confrontations or bad behavior, but the primary sources are police reports and social media posts, because no journalists were there.
It is equally important to describe hate speech as hate speech. When people call for the destruction or elimination of groups of people, encourage violence or employ demeaning tropes, journalists don’t ignore them or cover up for them, particularly if the speakers are powerful or influential.
That said, journalists also don’t amplify obscure hate groups who are seeking notoriety.
Balancing these responsibilities requires that we openly discuss the journalistic value behind each of our stories and the alternatives that might fulfill that purpose. If we don’t fully gather and document events in our communities, we have fewer options to explore.
Safety
No journalist should be forced to do something that makes them feel unsafe. And only the individual can judge an appropriate level of risk.
To help journalists feel safe on assignment we have many options:
- We can send journalists out in teams, rather than alone.
- We can send someone else when one journalist feels unsafe.
- We can hire security, if necessary.
Personal experience and expression
Your personal experiences cannot on their own disqualify you from covering a story. We start from the presumption that all journalists are capable of upholding our standards of fairness and accuracy, even when they have close ties to an issue.
As an individual journalist, if you question your own ability to be fair, discuss this with your supervisor.
When sharing your personal beliefs, be aware that they may color the way others perceive your work and the newsroom you represent. Remember, you don’t have to post on social media.
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This is a partial list, meant to get the conversation started. By focusing on the best pathway to doing the strongest journalism, most newsrooms can navigate these challenges. Additional suggestions are welcome.
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