Lying for the Sake of the Truth: The Ethics of Deceptive Journalism

Authors

James E. Mahon, CUNY Lehman CollegeFollow

Document Type

Book Chapter or Section

Publication Date

2014

Abstract

Should journalists go undercover and misrepresent who they are in order to write exposé stories? This chapter examines the case of Ken Silverstein, the Washington editor of Harper's Magazine. Silverstein lied to lobbying firms about being a prospective client so he could expose firms' strategies to help tyrannical regimes and dictators. Although a utilitarian ethical approach would dictate that Silverstein should have gone undercover and lied to obtain the truth, an approach based on virtue ethics would discourage such actions.

Comments

Chapter published in Land, Mitchell, Fuse, K. and Bill W. Hornaday, eds. Contemporary media ethics: A practical guide for students, scholars, and professionals. Spokane, WA: Marquette Books.