Changing objective: Re-examining The Journalist and the Murderer

Abstract

This study assesses whether the ethics guidelines of modern media organizations reflect an adherence to the messages Janet Malcolm sent in her controversial 1990 book, The Journalist and the Murderer, particularly on the meaning of “truth,” on maintaining objectivity, on avoiding conflicts of interest and on journalistic transparency. This assessment finds the policies of The New York Times, the Associated Press and the Society of Professional Journalists reflect that Malcolm’s once-controversial arguments have become central in today’s mainstream journalistic ethical guidelines.