Law, Ethics, & News Literacy
Through dedication and ethical reporting, I aim to contribute positively to our publication's reputation and trustworthiness.
Ethics Team
As part of the Scot Scoop Ethics Team, it is my job to inform other students in the publication on various topics such as reporter privilege and privacy law. Below are some examples of presentations that we give to the class.
News Gathering
This video involved the disparities in music programs at middle schools throughout a district. I was told by the superintendent that the district had concerns about publishing videos that I had filmed at one of the middle school's concerts due to student privacy. However, prior to the performance, I had already asked the advisor in person if I could record and publish parts of the performance. He agreed, although when I followed up with an email in order to obtain written consent, he requested that faces be blurred. This is why a few clips in the video have blurred faces and, ultimately, I didn't utilize as much footage as I would have liked, but I made sure to respect the district's concern for students and parents.
This article was harder to navigate because it covered a sensitive topic, namely the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. My co-writer and I included a trigger warning accordingly. We told the story as it was and made sure not to sensationalize or downplay any part of the situaiton.
Because this article involved interviewing minors, I came across some ethical concerns. I was informed by the program advisor that Girl Scout policy is that last names cannot be published without explicit parental permission. Those that I interviewed were already high school age, however, and agreed to their last names being published.
This podcast was part of a larger article on the college protests going on at the time. I aimed to balance perspectives by having a guest represent a side that wasn't getting as much attention in the news.