Asked by unknown

A journalist finds out some damaging information about a city council member and has verified it from several credible sources. There is an upcoming election and this information could seriously affect the outcome.
Question (Item 2):
What is the most ethical behavior for the journalist in this situation? (1 point)
Answers:
The journalist should write a positive report on the council member and then write a correction to the story with the new information.
The journalist should contact the city council member and see if he will pay her not to report the story.
The journalist should report on the story since she would want to adhere to the first principle of ethical journalism.
The journalist should avoid writing an article that would cause the city council member to be arrested.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
The journalist should report on the story since she would want to adhere to the first principle of ethical journalism.

Reason: With verified, credible information and significant public interest (an upcoming election), the ethical action is to publish responsibly — ensuring accuracy, seeking comment from the council member before publishing, and minimizing harm where possible — rather than hiding, extorting, or misleading readers.