ReSource: CBS case puts journalism at a crossroads

Author: Dennis K. Brown

A Notre Dame expert in journalistic ethics says the news media is at a turning point after its latest scandal – the admission today by CBS News that it cannot vouch for the authenticity of documents used in a story casting doubt on President Bushs National Guard service.p. “How many more fiascos can journalism endure before citizens say: ‘Enough is enough.” said Robert Schmuhl, professor of American studies and director of the Gallivan Program in Journalism, Democracy&Ethics. "If that happens, the new media – of bloggers, talk shows and the like – will assume even greater significance, and the information landscape will be vastly different.p. “Mainstream journalism is at a crossroads. Unless we see greater concern for ethical practices in collecting and presenting news, the public could decide other sources meet their needs more effectively – and traditional sources will lose even more readers and viewers.”p. _Contact: Robert Schmuhl, 574-631-5128 or schmuhl.1@nd.edu _ p.

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