Scenarios

Test your editorial awareness with our news scenarios, which are all based on real situations faced by journalists.

Editorial impartiality – scenario

Scenarios

Journalistic integrity – scenario

Scenarios

Informed consent – scenario

Trespass and journalism – scenario

Privacy protection – scenario

Public interest – scenario

Accuracy – scenario

Emotional assumptions – scenario

In this scenario a journalist lets their own emotional assumptions colour their news judgement resulting in misinformation.

Withholding information – scenario

In this scenario a journalist comes across information that changes the focus of a story the editor had asked them to write. Should they include it or withhold it.

Emotional pressure – scenario

How should a reporter respond when someone uses emotional pressure and threats to try to stop them doing their job?

Informed consent – scenario

In this scenario a reporter covering a disaster finds a grief-stricken woman who he films in order to feature in his report before discovering the truth about the tragedy behind her emotions.

Accuracy – scenario

In this scenario a reporter witnesses a mass walkout of workers from a factory affected by industrial action. The company claims it's business as usual; the union says all workers have downed tools.

Trespass and journalism – scenario

In this scenario we look at a situation where a journalist is faced with breaking the law in order to gather essential information for informing the public debate.

Off-the-record chat – scenario

In this scenario we look at what a journalist should do with off-the-record information when it relates to a major news event.

Journalistic integrity – scenario

In this scenario a political correspondent working for a broadcaster is asked to speak at an event organised by a political party - but there is a catch.