Scenarios
Test your editorial awareness with our news scenarios, which are all based on real situations faced by journalists.
Doorstepping – scenario
You are a local newspaper reporter sent out to doorstep a bereaved family but you lie to your news editor because you are reluctant to intrude on their grief.
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.
Legal threats – scenario
In this scenario a local newspaper reporter faces legal threats for a factual planning application report that lacked the applicant's demanded "positive spin."
Scenario: Conflict of interests
In this scenario you are a political correspondent working for a national public service broadcaster. A lobbying company offers you a significant amount of money to train lobbyists in how to influence the media. What do you do?
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.
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.
Privacy protection – scenario
You are working on the online news desk of a large media organisation. News breaks of fighting overseas. Raw footage arrives showing identifiable dead bodies. What do you do?
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