Editorial: Balacing newsworthiness and minimization of harm
The United States is the greatest country in the world by so many characteristics from economy to cultural influence. Other nations look up to the U.S. and follow its examples.
The U.S. is the beacon of the democratic world, the protector of human rights.
In fact, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution establishes that, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
But even the greatest empires face their dark times.
Freedom of speech and freedom of press were supposed to be protected by the First Amendment here in the U.S.,
BUT:
- Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder, was detained by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 8 near his student housing for his pro-Palestinian views, according to ABC News.
- Similarly, international student at Tufts University Rumeysa Ozturk was arrested by ICE, with her visa revoked, reportedly based on her opinions expressed in a student newspaper op-ed, according to CNN.
- New York Times reported that nearly 300 international students in the U.S. had their visas revoked. Three current Central Michigan University students had their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System records erased as well without a notice, as Central Michigan Life previously reported.
- In late February, the White House announced that it will now choose what news media outlets are allowed access to the White House.
Today, we are facing unprecedented times. The earlier examples show that the First Amendment freedoms are under threat.
As journalists at CM Life, we are guided by the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics. Its principles direct us to seek truth and report it as well as to minimize harm of our reporting.
“Balance the public’s need for information against potential harm or discomfort,” the code read. “Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance or undue intrusiveness.”
To protect our sources and people affected by our coverage, CM Life balances newsworthiness with minimizing harm.
Recently, the Student Press Law Center, along with several other student media organizations in the U.S. released a joint warning unlike any we have seen before. Primarily, the concern was about protecting the personal safety of the individuals who exercise their First Amendment rights on our platforms.
The warning recognized that newsrooms have conflicting interests as sources of community education and protectors of the safety of our sources. It’s a conversation we had as an editorial board recently, too.
As a newsroom, we also value transparency and our audience’s trust. That’s why we want to share our recent policy changes with you, our readers.
We are, for now, choosing to be more open to requests for content to be taken down, or for interviewees to choose to remain anonymous, if the right circumstances apply.
In this newsroom, we are not only journalists, but people, too. We recognize that choosing to speak out on a contentious topic is your right, and we also want no part in jeopardizing your safety to make it happen.
So, if you have been a source for us in the past, and are concerned about being targeted for your words, we will be open to considering requests for retroactive anonymity. That can mean replacing your first and last name with a pseudonym or even removing your comments altogether.
In addition, if you are being asked to speak about a contentious topic, but have a genuine safety concern, we will take that into consideration if you request to be anonymous.
Our staffers have been instructed to carefully consider requests based on the seriousness of the safety and well-being concern, as well as consult with their editors if they are uncertain. We take our journalistic responsibility, and your safety, seriously.
A valid request for anonymity would require a concern for your safety or well-being, or a genuine threat to your legal status.
Alternatively, cases could arise in which retroactive anonymity is not enough, and a story must be taken down. This has already happened once in the past few weeks, and we are prepared to handle any future concerns, questions or requests.
In situations like this, we as an organization have to weigh the value of the article for the community with the level of concern held by a single source.
A valid request for a takedown would require a significant safety concern or threat to your legal status, and the inability for the content to stand on its own without you as a source.
While we do not anticipate a high volume of requests, please know that they will be handled carefully and on a case-by-case basis.
If your request does not meet the qualifications for a valid request, it will be denied. We take our role as watchdogs of this community seriously, and we are not in the business of rewriting history.
As members of the Central Michigan University and Mount Pleasant communities, our heart goes out to our neighbors who are feeling threatened or afraid. You are not powerless, and you are not alone.
If participating in any of our content is a significant personal risk, please reach out to us at editor@cm-life.com.
