There is a long-held journalistic tradition that the press reports the facts of a situation and these facts lead us to the truth. Some argue, however, that in their rush to articulate the truth, the press has let the facts recede too far into the background. The problem has become not so much the reporting of facts, but the question of how reporters determine the truth. From Watergate through numerous government failures and public figure scandals, the media has played an ever-increasing role in the activities and influences of the public sector.

For this discussion:

• Identify an example of freedom of the press in relation to a government entity or a public sector figure.
• Analyze any issues of censorship, cover-up, or pressure tactics that may have come into play.
• Describe the ethical implications of the media and its positive or negative influence in this case.
• Comment on issues of integrity for the government entity or public sector figure.
• Define corrective measures that would address any ethical issues that you have identified.

Reference – Thiroux and Krasemann text, read Chapter 5, “Absolutism Versus Relativism,” pages 77–90.