Roughly two dozen people attended SPJ-DC’s “The Press and the Public,” a panel discussion about journalistic ethics on Oct. 27 in downtown Silver Spring.
The event, held in the Fenton Room at the Silver Spring Civic Building, aimed to engage journalists and the public in a discussion about the importance of ethical news coverage. It was the last of three programs in DC-SPJ’s “Press and the Public” series, which was funded through a $2,500 grant from the SDX Foundation, the educational foundation of SPJ. All three programs, held at various locations throughout the D.C. area, focused on journalistic ethics, and why ethical news coverage is important.
The panel discussion was moderated by SPJ-DC board member Amy Reinink, a freelancer who has written for The Washington Post and other media outlets. Panelists included Diana Huffman, a former editor and reporter who currently is the Baltimore Sun distinguished lecturer at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism; Craig Terrill, media specialist for the city of Takoma Park; and David Moon, a Washington-based policy attorney and political consultant, and editor of the Maryland Juice political blog.
Topics of discussion included journalistic ethics as they apply to blogs and social media; the importance of reader discretion in the digital age; and ethical reporting on deadline.