Bulletin!!! The Bill of Rights and Responsibilities of the News Media - Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics

Professionals, Educators and Students of Journalism

Do You Measure Up?

The press, or news media, are protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

This is the Code of Ethics used to guide the news media in the exercise of their work.  Do you think they are following their own Code of Ethics?  First a bit about the SPJ.  

Society of Professional Journalists Improving and protecting journalism since 1909

Our Mission

The Society of Professional Journalists is dedicated to the perpetuation of a free press as the cornerstone of our nation and our liberty.

To ensure that the concept of self-government outlined by the U.S. Constitution remains a reality into future centuries, the American people must be well informed in order to make decisions regarding their lives, and their local and national communities.

It is the role of journalists to provide this information in an accurate, comprehensive, timely and understandable manner.

It is the mission of the Society of Professional Journalists:

— To promote this flow of information.
— To maintain constant vigilance in protection of the First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and of the press.
— To stimulate high standards and ethical behavior in the practice of journalism.
— To foster excellence among journalists.
— To inspire successive generations of talented individuals to become dedicated journalists.
— To encourage diversity in journalism.
— To be the pre-eminent, broad-based membership organization for journalists.
— To encourage a climate in which journalism can be practiced freely.

SPJ Code of Ethics

Preamble

Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. Ethical journalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair and thorough. An ethical journalist acts with integrity.

The Society declares these four principles as the foundation of ethical journalism and encourages their use in its practice by all people in all media.

Seek Truth and Report It

Ethical journalism should be accurate and fair. Journalists should

be honest and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting

information.

Journalists should:

Take responsibility for the accuracy of their work. Verify information before

releasing it. Use original sources whenever possible.

Remember that neither speed nor format excuses inaccuracy.

Provide context. Take special care not to misrepresent or oversimplify in

promoting, previewing or summarizing a story.

Gather, update and correct information throughout the life of a news story.

Be cautious when making promises, but keep the promises they make.

Identify sources clearly. The public is entitled to as much information as possible

to judge the reliability and motivations of sources.

Consider sources’ motives before promising anonymity. Reserve anonymity for

sources who may face danger, retribution or other harm, and have information

that cannot be obtained elsewhere. Explain why anonymity was granted.

Diligently seek subjects of news coverage to allow them to respond to criticism

or allegations of wrongdoing.

Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information

unless traditional, open methods will not yield information vital to the public.

Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable.

Give voice to the voiceless.

Support the open and civil exchange of views, even views they find repugnant.

Recognize a special obligation to serve as watchdogs over public affairs and

government. Seek to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in the

open, and that public records are open to all.

Provide access to source material when it is relevant and appropriate.

Boldly tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience.

Seek sources whose voices we seldom hear.

Avoid stereotyping. Journalists should examine the ways their values and

experiences may shape their reporting.

Label advocacy and commentary.

Never deliberately distort facts or context, including visual information.

Clearly label illustrations and re-enactments.

Never plagiarize. Always attribute.

Minimize Harm

Ethical journalism treats sources, subjects, colleagues and members of

the public as human beings deserving of respect.

Journalists should:

Balance the public’s need for information against potential harm or discomfort.

Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance or undue intrusiveness.

Show compassion for those who may be affected by news coverage. Use

heightened sensitivity when dealing with juveniles, victims of sex crimes,

and sources or subjects who are inexperienced or unable to give consent.

Consider cultural differences in approach and treatment.

Recognize that legal access to information differs from an ethical justification

to publish or broadcast.

Realize that private people have a greater right to control information about

themselves than public figures and others who seek power, influence or

attention. Weigh the consequences of publishing or broadcasting personal

information.

Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity, even if others do.

Balance a suspect’s right to a fair trial with the public’s right to know. Consider

the implications of identifying criminal suspects before they face legal charges.

Consider the long-term implications of the extended reach and permanence of

publication. Provide updated and more complete information as appropriate.

Act Independently

The highest and primary obligation of ethical journalism is to serve

the public.

Journalists should:

Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived. Disclose unavoidable conflicts.

Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and avoid political

and other outside activities that may compromise integrity or impartiality,

or may damage credibility.

Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; do not pay for

access to news. Identify content provided by outside sources, whether paid

or not.

Deny favored treatment to advertisers, donors or any other special interests,

and resist internal and external pressure to influence coverage.

Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines

between the two. Prominently label sponsored content.

Be Accountable and Transparent

Ethical journalism means taking responsibility for one's work and

explaining one’s decisions to the public.

Journalists should:

Explain ethical choices and processes to audiences. Encourage a civil

dialogue with the public about journalistic practices, coverage and news

content.

Respond quickly to questions about accuracy, clarity and fairness.

Acknowledge mistakes and correct them promptly and prominently. Explain

corrections and clarifications carefully and clearly.

Expose unethical conduct in journalism, including within their organizations.

Abide by the same high standards they expect of others.

The SPJ Code of Ethics is a statement of abiding principles supported by additional explanations and position papers (at spj.org) that address changing journalistic practices.

It is not a set of rules, rather a guide that encourages all who engage in journalism to take responsibility for the information they provide, regardless of medium. The code should be read as a whole; individual principles should not be taken out of context. It is not, nor can it be under the First Amendment, legally enforceable.

SPJ Web Site https://www.spj.org/

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St. Louis Blues turn Blues to Brilliance with Stanley Cup - After 52 Years Win First NHL Cup

Coach Craig Berube and team win Stanley Cup

America's newest Miracle on the Ice

One of the most incredible sports turnarounds in all of sports history took place last night when the St. Louis Blues hockey team won their very first Stanley Cup championship.  Less than six months ago in the middle of the NHL season the blues were a train wreck.

January 2019

After 52 years the Blues still had no Stanley Cup.

They are in last place in the entire conference.

The coach was fired and an interim coach was appointed.

A 25 year old rookie was named goalie who never played in the NHL.

The odds were 250-1 they would not win the Stanley Cup.

Like I said, a train wreck.  Yet, sometimes the sports gods like to shake things up.  The magic of the Blues is enchanting.  Way back when, I went to several Blues games in St. Louis in 1967, their first season.  My brother played basketball at St. Louis University.  I remember the hockey games and the arena seemed dark, smoke filled, and the Budweiser flowed freely.

The St. Louis Arena, first home of the Blues, was built in 1929.  The Arena was not well-maintained after the 1940s, and its roof was damaged by a February 1959 tornado. By the time the NHL's St. Louis Blues began playing at the Arena, it had fallen into such poor condition that it had to be heavily renovated in time for the 1967–68 season. As a condition of getting the expansion franchise, Blues owner Sid Salomon Jr. purchased the Arena from the Chicago Black Hawks, and spent several million dollars renovating the building and adding some 3,000 seats to bring the total to almost 15,000.

It never stopped being renovated from that day on, and held almost 20,000 seats by the time the Blues left the Arena in 1994. Many fans considered its sight lines the best of any arena in the league, which is remarkable considering that it was not originally built for hockey. It was also known as one of the loudest arenas in the league.

In 1977, the Arena and the Blues were purchased by Ralston Purina, which rechristened the building the Checkerdome after the company's checkerboard logo. By 1983, the cereal and pet food corporation had lost interest in the Blues and the Arena, and forfeited the team to the league. The team was purchased by Harry Ornest, a Los Angeles-based businessman, who promptly returned the Arena to its original name.

After the Blues moved to their new home, the venue now known as Enterprise Center,

The Miracle on Ice 2019 Season

Here is the newest Miracle on Ice in America, as the team that refused to give up finally came of age and today St. Louis can forget the floods and  disasters plaguing them all year, forget the blues, and celebrate the new world champion St. Louis Blues hockey team as they finally break the jinx and bring home the Stanley Cup.

This is how Sporting News describes the remarkable past six months.

Before we can even start with how this happened, we need to go all the way back to November with the firing of coach Mike Yeo and the promotion of associate Craig Berube . "Chief" took over a team that was 7-9-3.

Jan. 3

As stated above, the season was looking grim on this date. Before games started that Thursday night, St. Louis was 15-18-4 (34 points) with a minus-21 goal differential and dead last in the league.

That night, the Blues went out and beat the reigning Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals 5-2. 

Jan. 5

St. Louis recalled 25-year-old goaltender Jordan Binnington from San Antonio (AHL). Two days later, he made his first start of the season and his career. The rest has been history.

Beginning with his 3-0 shutout of the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 7, the 2011 draft pick has posted a 21-5-1 record with an impressive 1.78 goals-against average and .932 save percentage.

Jordan Binnington of the @StLouisBlues became the 35th goaltender in League history to register a shutout in his first career NHL start and the eighth to do so in the past 15 years. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/XipaVcRYIQ

- NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 8, 2019

Jordan Binnington notched his first NHL start and shutout on the same day he was announced @theAHL player of the week.

You could say last week was pretty good to him 👍 pic.twitter.com/R4hUT5UHav

- San Antonio Rampage (@sarampage) January 10, 2019

Binnington, who eventually took over the No. 1 spot from Jake Allen, has had his name thrown into the Calder Trophy and, dare we say, Vezina Trophy debates. He has earned Player of the Week honors twice this season (second star on Jan. 14; first star on Feb. 11) and was the NHL's Rookie of the Month for February.

Jan. 23-Feb. 19

Twenty-eight days. In just 28 calendar days, the Blues changed their season.

After losing 4-3 to the Kings on Jan. 21, St. Louis went on a tear, winning a franchise-record 11 consecutive games. After going from a game under. 500 (21-22-5) to 10 games over (32-22-5), the Blues were suddenly in a playoff spot and poised to make the postseason for the 42nd time in franchise history.

Over the course of those 11 games, St. Louis went 493 minutes and 42 seconds without trailing. Rookie sensation Binnington won nine in a row - tied for fifth-most by a rookie netminder in NHL history. The team's points leader, Ryan O'Reilly, scored 12 points. Vladimir Tarasenko notched an awe-inspiring 20 points (10 goals, 10 assists). Tarasenko, whose name was in the trade rumor mill in the beginning of January , was named the NHL's third star of the month for February.

Every season has a Cinderella team, a team with an amazing story. Worst-to-first St. Louis was the team this year. The glass slipper fits.

SN's Tom Gatto contributed to this report.

Thank you Blues for showing us that professional sports is not about superstars, outrageous salaries, major media markets, swollen egos and greed, but about the perseverance, hard work, fan loyalty, blue collar work ethic, and love of the game.

Congratulations to the St. Louis Blues and to the Boston Bruins who gave us a seven game thriller.  During the entire playoffs neither the Blues or the Bruins never had a fight break out on the ice, including during the championship series.  It is rare to see professional hockey without fights and I honor their sportsmanship.

Here is what the rest of the nation had to say about the amazing miracle on ice in the 2019 Stanley Cup.

Thanks to 32 saves from Jordan Binnington, the Blues took down the Bruins in Game 7 to win their first-ever Stanley Cup.

Laura Branigan “Gloria"  Blues Theme Song

From Worst to First, Blues Complete the Perfect Comeback with Stanley Cup Win

From the NHL’s cellar at the beginning of January to Stanley Cup champions just five months later, the Blues flipped the script in incredible fashion to end its 52-year championship drought.

By JOAN NIESEN 

June 13, 2019

The baseball town has a Stanley Cup.

The city Stan Kroenke labeled an economic backwater sold out the Enterprise Center for a game in Boston Wednesday night, and then Busch Stadium, too. The Cardinals were in Miami, and so upwards of 45,000 fans filled their stadium combined with the 18,000+ down Clark Avenue to keep the party going in St. Louis, the party the Blues spoiled Sunday and then reignited Wednesday with a 4–1 win in Boston. 

The Game 7 victory marked the city’s first Cup since the Blues’ inception in 1967, and it came as the conclusion to something like the perfect sports story. The team was the worst in the NHL on the morning of Jan. 3, a date that’s loomed large in St. Louis’s consciousness this spring—since the 11-game winning streak in January and February that vaulted the team up the standings, since it found itself improbably the No. 3 seed in the Central Division at the start of the playoffs. It’s been a sprint all spring, from worst to first for this team that was so recently left for dead.

The Blues took the Cup in fitting style: on the road, up against a wall, and thanks to goaltending that puts the word ridiculous to shame. It was Jordan Binnington’s promotion from the AHL to starter in January that sparked this run, and the team leapfrogged the rest of the Western Conference thanks to a spectacular road record—it was 12-4-5 away from the Enterprise Center from Jan. 23, the start of the streak, until the end of the regular season—and the looming sense that it was one game away from its fortunes reversing. But that’s the beauty of this team: It was never defined by its worst moments, always believed it was more than a fluky streak.

Wednesday, it proved that was the case.

Wednesday, it allowed the Bruins to at times control the pace of the game, but that didn’t matter. Binnington had 32 saves, allowing just one Boston goal, for a .970 save percentage. And the Bruins pounded him in the first and second periods especially, as his limbs flew left, right and upside down to deflect barrage after onslaught. 

For much of the game, St. Louis had a two-goal cushion thanks to first-period scores by eventual Conn Smythe Trophy winner Ryan O’Reilly and team captain Alex Pietrangelo, but it wasn’t until Brayden Schenn knocked in a goal at 11:25 in the third period that the game seemed like it could finally break the Blues’ way, shattering the longest Cup drought in the NHL.

They should never have been here, these Blues, who swung big in free agency over the summer and then sputtered in the fall. But that unlikely trajectory was familiar for so many people instrumental to the chase: Binnington, who was the fifth-string goalie in the organization when the season started, or Pat Maroon, the hometown kid who ended up signing for less money late in free agency proceedings.

Then there’s Laila Anderson, the 11-year-old with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocystosis, a rare immune disorder, who also happens to be a Blues superfan. She wasn’t able to leave the house throughout most of her beloved team’s run in the second half of this season, only to be permitted to start attending home games during the Western Conference Final, when the Blues defeated the Sharks in six games. On Tuesday, Laila learned doctors had cleared her to fly to Boston at the Blues’ invitation, and barely 24 hours later, her favorite player, Colton Parayko, lowered the Cup for her to kiss.

Throw the Vegas odds out the window. Math doesn’t do this justice.

Math says a team in the NHL’s cellar halfway through the season shouldn’t be playing in June, and superstition says the Blues are never allowed to compete this long. They hadn’t made the Stanley Cup Final since 1970, hadn’t even won a finals game until June 3. They’d been good, great sometimes, and always choked—but this year’s team flipped the script. 

This year’s team was very bad, on pace to be one of the worst in franchise history, and instead of coasting into the postseason as so many past iterations have, it clawed. St. Louis went 24-6-4 from Jan. 23 until the end of the regular season, and Binnington posted six shutouts over that span.

It continued to dominate—especially on the road—in the playoffs, tuning out amped up crowds from Winnipeg to Dallas to San Jose to Boston, finally, where it put the final stamp on a 10–3 road postseason record. Back in St. Louis, rain poured on the fans at Busch Stadium, fans who couldn’t have cared less what the Cardinals were doing down south, fans who screamed and danced and couldn’t discern the downpour from their tears.

After a series plagued with gripes about officiating, Game 7 was a clean one. There was just one penalty, on St. Louis, and thus only two minutes of 5-on-4 play. The Bruins and the Blues were able to match up at full strength and full emotion, and St. Louis played like a team familiar with the brink—which is exactly what it’s been all season. 

It played like a team unconcerned with Tuukka Rask’s near-perfection three nights earlier, or Boston’s glass-thumping, bellowing crowd. It played like a team that’s not listened to what anyone’s said about it all year, and it became just the seventh team to undergo a midseason coaching change before hoisting the Cup. It’s perhaps the first to renegotiate its identity so completely between January and June. 

The Blues have been best in the least likely circumstances, against the longest odds. One fan put down $400 on the team during a January trip to Las Vegas. The odds then that the Blues would win the Cup: 250–1. Wednesday night, he took home $100,000. It might have seemed crazy at the time. It might have seemed crazy last month.

For fans in St. Louis, it probably still seems crazy. But eventually, the shock will wear off, and 52 years of futility will suddenly seem like maybe, just maybe, they were worth it.

Random Acts of Kindness Stimulate the Brain, Change the World, and divert attention from our Political Quagmire - Why not give it a try?

The Power of Kindness

How to stimulate the brain and change the world.

What exactly is a random act of kindness?  While Wikipedia takes a stab at defining it whatever is on Wikipedia is subject to continuous change.  As a result there are numerous references on the Internet to Wikipedia definitions for the phrase, "Random acts of kindness" but all of them are different.  Here is the latest incarnation of their definition.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

A random act of kindness is a selfless act performed by a person or people wishing to either assist or cheer up an individual person or people.  Either spontaneous or planned, random acts of kindness are encouraged by various communities.

Any further search for a definitive definition for this phrase has been met with frustration, deception and despair, all reactions contrary to the whole concept of random acts of kindness.

Perhaps the problem with today is our preoccupation with precisely defining what we are doing before we can do it.  When there is confusion in terms of the definition, there can only be chaos in the execution or lack of execution.

In other words, maybe we just think to much.

Why in the world do we need definitions in order to do good?  I mean do we really adhere to a world view that if it is not in Wikipedia or the Urban Dictionary then it cannot be right, or good or even worthwhile?

I use both resources on occasion but as a journalist I also realize that any effort to use democracy to create truth is doomed, and both resources do it.

What does that mean?  Both services allow their definitions and other content to be submitted by the public, edited by the public, changed by the public and even interpreted by the public.

That sounds like a form of democracy, power to the people, regardless of whether the people know the subject or understand the power.  It is like the French Revolution, a brutal and bloody overthrow of a monarchy in 1789 with no idea what to do if it succeeded.  It took them three times to get it right.

Encyclopedia Britannica defines it as follows:

French Revolution, also called Revolution of 1789,  the revolutionary movement that shook France between 1787 and 1799 and reached its first climax there in 1789. Hence the conventional term “Revolution of 1789,” denoting the end of the ancen régime in France and serving also to distinguish that event from the later French revolutions of 1830 and 1848.

So what exactly is a "Random act of kindness" and why should we care what it means?

Well, I say a "Random act of kindness" is a selfless and often spontaneous act performed to help others or to cheer them up.  It is usually performed anonymously with no expectation for acknowledgement or recognition.

If we worried less about motive and reward and more about giving we would need no definition and no reason to act.  It would be an everyday occurrence because it was just the right thing to do whenever you can do it.

But from a scientific perspective there may be compelling reasons why you really should be doing it every opportunity you may get.

Helping others feel good and happy might just be your ticket to happiness and to a whole lot of other people, and that sounds like a good thing.

Science has proven that the brain generates chemicals naturally,  One of these is a hormone called serotonin found in the pineal gland, digestive tract and the brain.  It serves to transmit nerve signals to nerve cells.

Changes in the hormone level can alter your mood by making you sad when the level goes down and making you happy when the level goes up.  When you stay happy this endorphin protects you from depression while helping to strengthen your immune system.

Studies have proven when a person does a random act of kindness it not only increases the happy feeling, through production of more serotonin, for the recipient of this act of kindness, but also for the giver and anyone watching the act or reactions.

Imagine that, we spend billions of dollars on prescription drugs because we don't feel good only to feel worse and destroy our immune system in the process, when we could be feeling well by doing random acts of kindness.

Unfortunately, here in America it may be difficult to find people able to react naturally to a random act of kindness.  You see, if they are already under the influence of prescription drugs their brain is no longer able to react naturally to such acts of kindness.

Think about this, based on our national addiction to legal, prescription drugs, one could conclude Americans are about the most depressed people on the planet.  We have the highest standard of living, most expensive health care and education, more wealth and better homes and diets than most people.

Yet we have had a 400% increase in anti-depressant pill use the last two decades because of our depression.  That figure comes from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, not me.

Helplessness, hopelessness, and immobilization are now the fashionable keys to being good Americans and great fodder for social gatherings.

Sooo.  Maybe our first random act of kindness should be to help people get off the drugs that are keeping them from being depressed in the first place.  There are a host of prescriptions to take care of our plethora of mind illnesses.

Here are some of the manifestations of depression and mood swinging.

Which Drugs Are Abused?

The most commonly used prescription drugs fall into three classes:

1. Opioids

Examples: oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and meperidine (Demerol)

Medical uses: Opioids are used to treat pain or relieve coughs or diarrhea.
How they work: Opioids attach to opioid receptors in the central nervous system (the  brain and the spinal cord), preventing the brain from receiving pain messages.

2. Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants
Examples: pentobarbital sodium (Nembutal), diazepam (Valium), and alprazolam (Xanax)
Medical uses: CNS depressants are used to treat anxiety, tension, panic attacks, and sleep disorders.

How they work: CNS depressants slow down brain activity by increasing the activity of a neurotransmitter called GABA. The result is a drowsy or calming effect.

3. Stimulants

Examples: methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamine/dextroamphetamine (Adderall)

Medical uses: Stimulants can be used to treat narcolepsy and ADHD.
How they work: Stimulants increase brain activity, resulting in greater alertness, attention, and energy.

Physician office visits
Number of drugs ordered or provided: 2.6 billion
Percent of visits involving drug therapy: 75.1%

Most frequently prescribed therapeutic classes:
Analgesics
Antihyperlipidemic agents
Antidepressants
Source: National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2010 Summary Tables, tables 22, 23, 24  [PDF - 382 KB]

What other people are saying.

Imagine this!  Kindness extended, received, or observed beneficially impacts the physical health and feelings of everyone involved!

Did you know that a single act of kindness can; bring a rush of euphoria, followed by a longer period of calm, reduce stress, increase the sense of self worth, happiness, and optimism, lower blood pressure, diminish pain, an increased sense of self-worth, greater happiness and optimism, translate to immense immune and healing benefits, increase a sense of self-worth, greater happiness and optimism, enhance our feeling of joyfulness, helps reverse feelings of depression and lower the heart rate.

Kindness Breeds More Kindness: In findings sure to gladden the heart of anyone who's ever wondered whether tiny acts of kindness have larger consequences, researchers have shown that generosity is contagious.

Goodness spurs goodness, they found: A single act can influence dozens more.

The positive effect of kindness on the immune system and on the increased production of serotonin in the brain has been proven in research studies. Serotonin is a naturally occurring substance in the body that makes us feel more comfortable, peaceful, and even blissful.

In fact, the role of most anti-depressants is to stimulate the production of serotonin chemically, helping to ease depression. Research has shown that a simple act of kindness directed toward another improves the functioning of the immune system and stimulates the production of serotonin in both the recipient of the kindness and the person extending the kindness.

Even more amazing is that persons observing the act of kindness have similar beneficial results. Imagine this! Kindness extended, received, or observed beneficially impacts the physical health and feelings of everyone involved!

Wayne Dyer

Kindness isn't just a fluffy, feel-good, warm-fuzzy concept. It is a powerful, energetic experience that transforms both the giver and recipient at such deep levels that some say it can work miracles. When we open our hearts and reach out to others in kindness, our brain releases endorphins—the morphine-like chemicals that produce the feelings of exhilaration know as the "runner's high." Acts of kindness, according to researcher Paul Persall, also cause your brain to release "Substance P," a neurotransmitter chemical that blocks pain. These two powerful physiological processes have an immense influence on our body/mind/spirit and the way that we experience life.

A steady flow of endorphins and Substance P through our bodies strengthens our immune system, keeps us feeling happy, joyful, optimistic and energized. This heightens our sense of well being so that we feel calmer, more centered and focused no matter what kind of stressful events might be happening around us. Physiologically, these brain chemicals improve circulation, reduce blood pressure, increase body warmth and improve weight control. Kindness helps us relax so that we can connect with others and with our own good feelings.

Janae Weinhold, Ph.D.

Now heal thyself and then help heal the world.

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