The News at Any Cost: How Journalists Compromise Their Ethics to Shape the News
Simon & Schuster (1 May 1986)
The News at Any Cost examines all manner of journalistic practices, particularly the competitive nature of finding scoops, and the compromising of ethical standards in the pursuit of those exclusives.
Tom Goldstein argues that journalists will blur ethical lines in order maintain exclusivity in reporting, or otherwise gain some sort of professional credentials or acclaim. The mentality here is one where a journalist or news organisation must “win at all costs,” and this creates an environment where speed and getting the story out there take priority over accuracy and responsibility.
This is especially the case with high profile stories like the Gary Hart/Rice Donna affair. The press aggressively pursued all lurid details of the Democrat presidential candidate’s private life. The invasive methods used by journalists were not only justified, but given a positive spin. Even though there were little or no ethical grounds to do any of this, they would insist it was all in the name of public interest.
Throughout the text, Goldstein describes the herd mentality of reporters and their obsession with being “scooped out;” over-reliance on anonymous sources and the invasive methods used to gain information; and the corporate culture that dictates getting stories out as quickly as possible, truth or accuracy be damned.
Of course, it’s not all condemnation. Goldstein goes on to call for higher ethical standards, and more responsible editorial oversight, with the hope that news organisations can emphasise public interest over competition and shortcuts.
As a law professor and former journalist, Goldstein is rigorous in his criticisms of the media and call for reform. His examination of the drive for influence and exclusivity, and how this corrupts the news cycle, is nothing if not sobering. Highly recommended for anyone interested in both critiques and calls for reflection.
Lawrence Deveney 