Biz media also on trial with Theranos and Holmes

Sara Ashley O’Brien of CNN Business writes about how the business news media that lauded now-disgraced blood testing company Theranos is also on trial during the case of founder Elizabeth Holmes. O’Brien writes, “In the government’s opening statements, lead prosecutor Robert Leach called attention to Holmes’ role in using the media and positive press coverage to […]

Apple CEO Cook: Staffers who leak memos to reporters don’t belong

Apple CEO Tim Cook sent a memo to company employees stating that those who leak memos and information to reporters “do not belong” at the company, reports Zoe Schiffer of The Verge. Schiffer reports, “Tim Cook sent an email to Apple employees Tuesday evening about an all-hands meeting that leaked to The Verge last week. He […]

Dow Jones launches video on financial independence of WSJ reporting

Dow Jones & Co. executive vice president of consumer Suzi Watford and chief revenue officer Jon Stinchcomb sent out the following to the staff: Colleagues, Earlier this year, we released the second video installment of our news literacy initiative, highlighting the importance of the standards and ethics in the WSJ newsroom. Today, we are pleased to share the […]

A former government official wants the WSJ to correct an eight-year-old story

David Folkenflik of NPR writes about how a former U.S. Department of Education official has been trying to get The Wall Street Journal to correct an eight-year-old story that he argues is false and has hurt his reputation. Folkenflik writes, “Attacks on Shireman have arrived seemingly from many fronts — Republican senators, liberal public interest groups, […]

What news organizations could have withstood Theranos’ threats?

Timothy Noah of The New Republic writes about the threats that defunct blood testing company Theranos made against The Wall Street Journal and wonders what other news organizations would have withstood such pressue. Noah writes, “How many news organizations in the United States would have been in a financial position even to consider publishing such a […]

A CEO praising a technology reporter

Scot Wingo, the CEO of Get Spiffy in the Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, writes about longtime technology journalist Allan Maurer for WRAL TechWire. Wingo writes, “Then a couple months later, one of the folks that sat near the door said: ‘Scot that reporter guy is here to see you’?   Huh?  I went to the door […]

WSJ promotes its standards and ethics

Dow Jones & Co. executive vice president of consumer Suzi Watford and Wall Street Journal editor for standards and ethics Emma Moody sent out the following on Tuesday: Dear Colleague, Earlier this year we launched our news literacy initiative in partnership with the News Literacy Project (NLP). This is a long-term, company-wide effort to provide our customers, and […]

The ethics of owning bitcoin

Former Washington Post tech reporter Timothy B. Lee, the founder of Rethinking News, writes about the ethics of reporters owning bitcoin and recounts how the newspaper made him sell his cryptocurrency. Lee writes, “The most clear-cut conflicts of interest occur when a reporter has a direct financial relationship with a company he covers. For example, no […]

The Checks and Balances Project’s investigations draw ethical scrutiny

Elaine Izadi of The Washington Post examines the Checks and Balances Project, which looks into corporate activities but whose recent investigations have drawn ethical scrutiny. Izadi reports, “When it investigated the hotel industry, it was after it had received a grant from Airbnb. A high-profile investigation into Arizona utility regulators came after Checks and Balances received money […]

How a Bloomberg reporter was used for insider trading

Longtime business journalist Bill Grueskin writes for Columbia Journalism Review about the case of alleged insider trading where the investor used Bloomberg News reporter Ed Hammond to drop tips of deals that he traded upon. Grueskin writes, “The indictment notes that Peltz’s moves were timed closely to stories that ran at “a financial news organization.’ While the newsroom […]