Scenarios

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

Journalistic ethics – scenario

Scenarios

Informed consent – scenario

Scenarios

Transparency and full disclosure – scenario

Public interest – scenario

Covering a tragedy – scenario

Withholding information – scenario

Accuracy – scenario

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.

Returning favours – scenario

In this scenario a naive reporter's early success with a government minister leads to an ethical dilemma when a 'favour' is demanded in return.

Right of reply – scenario

When should journalists offer a right of reply? All the time, sometimes, never? Try our ethical scenario and add your comments.

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.

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."

Emotional assumptions – scenario

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

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.