Releasing News to the Public

A detailed Summary of Releasing News to the Public

Before the releasing a news story to the public, there are several factors that have to be addressed before its release. In the situation of The Charlotte Observer in November of 1986, they had to decide how much of the information that they received and collected was to be printed, because what became public knowledge could actually cause someone to lose their life. When someone runs for any type of office, they are going to be subject to a close examination of their character by the public. Everything that they do or have done in their life is going to be praised and / or scrutinized by the public. Where are the lines drawn and how much information should be printed about someone if it could possibly put their life at risk? By applying the Potter Box these answers should come to the forefront.

There are several essential facts to this case. There is a candidate who has a past affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan but has been straight for years now. But the reason he was involved with the Ku Klux Klan was because "He was in the Klan as a plant. An informer. For the FBI. He prevented more Klan violence that you'll ever know. He wasn't a devil in the civil rights struggle. He was an angel" (Ethridge 1989). Also, if

2. Employer: Your employer expects you to do things in a manner in which they agree. When it comes to a newspaper, they want the whole story.

Finally, the fourth quadrant comes into play in the determining of loyalties. There are five loyalties and all can be applied in this situation.

3. Profession: People of the same profession will always be there to either praise or criticize you because whatever you may or may not do affects the whole profession.

1. Self: You should always be loyal to yourself, because you have a neverending duty to self-interest.

this information was to get to the public his life was in very serious risk. The candidate later dropped out of the race and the story in its entirety was never released.

The third quadrant of the Potter Box is now applied discussing the ethical principles that are present. The newspaper could use several of the five ethical principles. First, Aristotle's Mean could be applied to balance out the situation. You could do a report on the candidate's past but not divulge the fact that he was an informer for the FBI, thus keeping his life out of jeopardy. This is not the strongest principle in the situation but it can be applied.

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Approximate Word count = 915
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous

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