This article looks at journalism students’ experiences in a course that simulates an online newsroom. On the basis of a quantitative survey and more qualitative reflections from the students, we explore the dilemmas that students experience “working” as online journalists and how these are related to broader issues of journalistic ethics. Some of these experienced problems are, combined with the technological mechanisms, much embodied in online journalism and in journalistic practice in general. The survey indicates that the problems amplify the discrepancy between the students’ expectation of good journalism and the perceived practice of online journalism. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of providing a course that simulates a real newsroom.
AndersenM. B. (2006). Fra presseetik til markedsmoral [The institutionalization of media ethics in Denmark]. Journalistica, 1(1), 25-41.
4.
BallA.HannaM.SandersK. (2006). What British journalism students think about ethics and journalism. Journal & Mass Communication Educator, 61, 20-32.
5.
Blach-ØrstenM.BurkalR. (2014). Credibility and the media as a political institution. Nordicom Review, 35, 67-79.
6.
Blach-ØrstenM.HartleyM. J.FlensburgS.OlsenM. B. (2015). Medieetik - mediernes udvikling i Danmark 2015 [Media ethics—The development of the media in Denmark]. København, Denmark: Kulturstyrelsen.
7.
BraunM. J. (1999). Media ethics education: A comparison of student responses. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 14, 171-182. doi:10.1207/S15327728JMME1403_4
8.
BruråsS. (2009). Kriminaljournalistikkens etikk - PFU-udttalelser belyst fra tre moralfilosofiske posisjoner [The ethics of crime journalism. Statements from the Norwegian Press Council elucidated from three moral philosophical positions]. Bergen, Norway: Universitetet i Bergen.
9.
BuchR. (2006). Journalisters syn på journalistisk etik [Journalists view on journalism ethics]. Journalistica - Tidsskrift for forskning i journalistic, 1, 81-99.
10.
ConwayM.GroshekJ. (2009). Forgive me now, fire me later: Mass communication students’ ethics gap concerning school and journalism. Communication Education, 58, 461-482. doi:10.1080/03634520903095839
11.
CookT. (1998). Governing with the news: The news media as a political institution. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
12.
DetenberB. H.CeniteM.MalikS.NeoR. L. (2012). Examining education and newsroom work experience as predictors of communication students’ perceptions of journalism ethics. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 67, 45-69. doi:10.1177/1077695811428884
13.
EberholstM. K.HartleyJ. M. (2013). Sproget på netmedierne [The terminology of the online media]. In ThurahT.KristiansenM. (Eds.), Sproget i de elektroniske medier [The language of the electronical media] (pp. 163-204). Copenhagen, Denmark: Hans Reitzel.
14.
FenglerS.EberweinT.MazzoleniG.PorlezzaC.Russ-MohlS. (Eds.). (2014). Journalists and media accountability: An international study of news people in the digital age. New York, NY: Peter Lang.
15.
FieldenL. (2012). Regulating the press: A comparative study of international press councils. Oxford, UK: The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.
16.
García-avilésJ. A. (2014). Online newsrooms as communities of practice: Exploring digital journalists’ applied ethics. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 29, 258-272. doi:10.1080/08900523.2014.946600
17.
HartleyJ. M. (2011a). Radikalisering af kampzonen [Radicalisation of the battle zone—A study of online news production and journalistic self-understanding between ideals and audiences] (Doctoral thesis). Roskilde Universitet, Denmark.
18.
HartleyJ. M. (2011b). Routinizing breaking news categories and hierarchies in Danish online newsrooms. In DomingoD.PatersonC. (Eds.), Making online news: Newsroom ethnography in the second decade of internet journalism (pp. 73-86). New York, NY: Peter Lang.
19.
HartleyJ. M.OlsenM. B. (in press). From politics on print to online entertainment? Ideals and aspirations of Danish journalism students from2005-2012. Nordicom Review.
20.
HovdenJ. F. (2008). Profane and scared—A study of the Norwegian journalistic field (Doctoral thesis). University of Bergen, Norway.
21.
HovdenJ. F. (2014). To intervene or be neutral, to investigate or entertain?Journalism Practice, 8, 646-659. doi:10.1080/17512786.2014.894332
KostyuP. E. (1990). Doing what is right: Teaching ethics in journalism programs. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 5, 45-58.
25.
LaitilaT. (1995). Journalistic codes of ethics in Europe. European Journal of Communication, 10, 527-544. doi:10.1177/0267323195010004007
26.
LambethE. B.ChristiansC. G.FlemingK.LeeS. T. (2004). Media ethics teaching in century 21: Progress, problems, and challenges. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 59, 239-358. doi:10.1177/107769580405900304
PlaisanceL. P. (2006). An assessment of media ethics education: Course content and the values and ethical ideologies of media ethics students. Journal & Mass Communication Educator, 61, 378-396.
RichardsonB. (1994). Four standards for teaching ethics in journalism. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 9, 109-117.
31.
SandersK.HannaM.BerganzaM. R.JavierJ.ArandaS. (2008). Becoming journalists. European Journal of Communication, 23, 133-152.
32.
WarnickB. R.SilvermanS. K. (2011). A framework for professional ethics courses in teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 62, 273-285. doi:10.1177/0022487110398002
33.
WilligI.Zilliacus-TikkanenH.OttosenR.HovdenJ. F.BjørnsenG. (2009). The Nordic journalists of tomorrow: An exploration of first year journalism students in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Nordicom Review, 30, 149-165.
