Posted on 03/20/2012 12:17:25 PM PDT by Lucky9teen
Story Highlights:
White House admits to asking media outlets to scrub Malia Obama spring break story Media ethics experts see outlets’ response as “a little bizarre” and “outside of standard practice” Experts agree that a story clarification would have been a viable substitute to ensure the public’s trust in media Malia’s trip leads to a number of journalistic questions surrounding government resources and citizen safety
On Monday, a curious pattern was observed and documented on The Blaze. Stories about Malia Obama – Barack and Michelle Obama’s eldest daughter — and her purported spring break trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, were mysteriously disappearing from various outlets’ web sites. Did Media Follow Journalistic Ethics in Covering Malias Mexico Trip?
President Obama with daughters Sasha (left) and Malia (right) (AP)
From The Telegraph to The Huffington Post, numerous news sites essentially deleted related stories, creating plenty of questions among observers. Following the removals, It didn’t take long for the Obama administration to admit to asking the media to scrub the stories. Earlier today, The Blaze spoke with Kelly McBride of The Poynter Institute and Jane E. Kirtley, a professor of media ethics and law at the University of Minnesota Law School, to gain expert insight on the ethics issues associated with this scenario.
(Related: White House Admits to Asking News Agencies to Pull Malia Obama Vacation Story)
As The Blaze has noted, the First Lady’s communications director, Kristina Schake, explained that the White House has requested, since the beginning of the Obama presidency, that the children not be photographed or reported on when they are without their parents. While this request is understandable, the sociopolitical situation in Mexico and the rapid removal of stories about Malia creates a litany of questions about media ethics and the appropriateness of outlets’ responses.
Did Media Follow Journalistic Ethics in Covering Malias Mexico Trip?
“It doesn‘t surprise me that the White House would request that journalists not cover the spring break of the president’s daughter,” McBride explained. “It surprises me that [outlets] would just take the stories down.”
Rather than simply removing the pieces, McBride said that the media could have replaced them with a note that fully explained that a decision had been made to respect the private affairs of Obama’s family members. The decision to remove them, she says, could potentially lead to public distrust.
(Related: Rick Santorum Reacts to Obama Allowing Daughter to Vacation in Mexico: ‘Set an Example’)
McBride also argues that the incident could “feed conspiracy theory,“ as the decision was ”outside of standard practice.” In she end, she contended that the removal “causes a different type of harm to the [news] organizations.”
“Part of the problem is that it leaves the audience wondering what type of power the Office of the President has over the media,” she continued. “I think that if you’re transparent and you say, ‘We’re not going to cover [Obama's] 13-year-old daughter’s trip to Mexico, but we are going to cover the president’s affiliations, associations, etc.,’ then I think the audience can have some sort of assuredness that the media loyalty remains with the audience and not with the president.”
Glenn Beck discussed his take on Malia’s trip on his radio show this morning:
Kirtley reflected these same sentiments, calling the removals “a little bizarre” and claiming that it is “virtually impossible” for media outlets to take something back once it’s been published. A correction, she agreed, would have been the best way to handle the situation.
“The piece that seems strange is that they’re removing the story. It isn’t so much that the White House yelled at them…that kind of back and forth between the media and the White House is common,” she explained. “For me, the question is, ‘Why did these news organizations take out the stories?‘ It’s an act of futility and I simply don’t see the justification of it.”
When asked if the media that did decide to keep the article online were violating any ethical standards by publishing the piece, McBride said that they were not, as the agreement that exists between media and the White House is an informal one. This “gentlemans’ agreement,” of course, is the notion that journalists will refrain from covering the president’s children in specified or compromising situations.
This morning, The Blaze’s Editor-in-Chief Scott Baker addressed the media ethics issues associated with this story on Beck’s radio show as well:
“It’s not written down anywhere and nobody signs a contract. Once a story is out there it’s impossible to figure out who would be governed by this gentleman’s agreement,” McBride explained. “I think it’s fine to enter into such agreements as long as members of the media can maintain their own independent judgment.”
In addition to questions surrounding the media‘s reaction to the White House’s “reminder,” as Schake referred to the government’s interactions with various outlets following reports about Malia, questions about a U.S. State Department travel warning have also run rampant.
In February, the government issued a warning to Americans that proclaimed that “homicide, gun battles, kidnapping, carjacking and highway robbery” are all currently serious risks when traveling throughout portions of Mexico. It is important to note there is currently no warning in effect for Oaxaca, the location where Malia purportedly visited (or is currently visiting), however, there have been concerns about that area in the past.
In speaking about the State Department warning, McBride seemed to indicate that it wasn’t enough, in itself, to definitively warrant a story. But she went on to explain that it is understandable for reporters to ask other viable questions about the practicality and cost of the trip.
“It is reasonable to ask if it is an appropriate use of resources to send 25 Secret Service agents to guard a 13-year-old in Mexico and her entourage,” she said.
Kirtley, though, did seem to think that the State Department angle could make for a legitimate journalistic discussion.
Did Media Follow Journalistic Ethics in Covering Malias Mexico Trip?
“To me, that’s a legitimate discussion. I respect the idea that children, as a general proposition, might need to be off limits. Not saying I agree with it, but I respect it,” she explained. “From the perspective about issues of safety for American citizens…I think this is a legitimate question about whether one of Obama’s children might be at risk…if they’re confident she’s not what steps are they taking to ensure her safety?”
In speaking specifically about journalistic ethics, Kirtley said that she personally sees no problem with reporters covering the fact that Obama’s daughter may have gone to Mexico with some friends.
“This is always tricky in the context in children,” she said. “There are different ways that one could approach the story. Would I be providing real time coverage about route of travel? Probably not. There’s no need to know those details.”
So it seems the question on experts‘ minds is why the media so willingly and quickly removed stories about President Obama’s daughter. With the collective journalistic enterprise in America acting as the nation’s Fourth Estate, this willingness, despite no official mandate governing relations between the press and federal government, does raise important questions.
The media’s response was embarrassing to them. They should be ashamed to call themselves journalists. Maybe, journOlist, but definitely not journalists.
Sorry, I should read, “the media’s response should be embarrassing to themselves”
There was no reason to scrub the story other than to protect Barack Obama from a very embarrassing story.
the mainstream news media is the fourth branch of government
That all depends upon which of the standard practices you apply:
1. Standard Media Ethics for Conservatives
2. Standard Media Ethics for Democrats
I strongly suspect that it is the Secret Service intervening in this case. Their resources to protect in Oaxaca are not so great that they could not be overwhelmed by a large enough force. And there are a number of such forces in Mexico.
However, if this is the case they should have intervened from the start to tell Obama that Mexico is pretty much a no-go as far as recreation. If it is to Mexico City for official business, that is okay, because there would be Mexican security in addition. But tourism? Bad idea.
This being said, if Obama insisted, they only thing they could do would try and “soft pedal” the publicity surrounding the visit. Hopefully the vacation would be over before the bad guys could get their act together.
Malia was in Oaxaca where there was a 7.6 earthquake today. Does anyone think the media will “scrub” the story?
And now michele’s press secretary has put out a statement..awww.
Malia is fine....from her ‘SCHOOL TRIP’ in Mexico.
It went from vacation (not allowed to be reported on) to a ‘school trip’ in a country the State Dept warned Americans not to go..
Weird how that all works, eh?
I don’t care if she is in Mexico or whatever. I do care if she is using our money.
Should have been a non-story. Knowing Obama, it was leaked to the media so they would report on it then Obama shows his humane side by asking the media not to report on it.
Then they blame Fox News.
She was wearing a T-shirt with a large broken cross on the front.
Why did Free Republic scrap the story?
I wonder how it will play if the Secret Service sweeps Little MAO out of Mexico and leaves the rest of the Sidwell girls to the risks in an active earthquake zone?
You don’t need to suspect anything. We know. It was Michelle Obama’s office that acted to take down the stories. Not the Secret Service.
Malia? Is that an Islamic name? I would have thought he would have called his daughters something like “Marxia” or “Leninia” or “Stalinia”.
Malia? Is that an Islamic name? I would have thought he would have called his daughters something like “Marxia” or “Leninia” or “Stalinia”.
It is perfectly obvious to me that they are more concerned about the “optics” of this trip than they are the safety of this child.
No, Malia is a Hawaiian name.
Malice / Malia......ode to Alinsky and his future plans for America.
Who paid for this trip?
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