Much has been written about the right of the media to cover trial processes. Less has been written about their responsibilities when doing so. The latter point is emphasized in this essay. Balancing fundamental constitutional rights associated with media coverage of trials against the seemingly insatiable appetite of viewers for such mediated fare highlights the need for scholars to study the nature and possible effects of televised coverage of trial processes. One aspect of media coverage that has received relatively little (...) attention is consideration of ethical issues surrounding media use of lawyers to comment on trials. Because of growing reliance on such commentary, the ethics of their behavior must be assessed. This article considers development of a policy to address the ethical dilemma: Should a media organization that uses lawyers to comment on trials adopt a policy establishing moral and ethical standards for such commentators? Both journalistic codes and current codes governing lawyers' behavior are considered. (shrink)

In an analysis of 47 U.S. journalism ethics codes, we found that although most consider images, only 9 address a gripping issue: how to treat images of tragedy and violence, such as those produced on the battlefields of Iraq, during the 2005 London bombings, and after Hurricane Katrina. Among codes that consider violent and tragic images, there is agreement on what images are problematic and a move toward green-light considerations of ethical responsibilities. However, the special problems of violence and truth (...) telling in wartime and issues of how to handle graphic images across media platforms receive virtually no attention. (shrink)

First, this article summarizes major arguments levied against codes. Second, standards for a sound ethical code are presented. Third, a trend is described toward more concrete codes developed by specific communication organizations. Finally, positive functions of codes are examined, with special emphasis on two: the argumentative function and the character?depiction function.