No Code Of Ethics For MSNBC

Monday, August 17, President Obama addressed the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention in Phoenix.  Outside the convention center the street corners were filled with supporters and opponents of the health care bill currently under consideration.

Arizona has what is called “open carry” gun laws.  This means it is legal in Arizona for CCW holders to carry a firearm “in the open” and visible anywhere they may legally carry.  In fact, in an open carry state, you may not carry concealed; the gun must be visible.  As in all states, Arizona law defines the places and circumstances in which it is illegal to have a gun.

Apparently, there were several people seen at this outdoor gathering of protesters and supporters exercising their 2nd Amendment right.  They were carrying firearms and wearing handguns in holsters.  MSNBC took film of one of the men who had a sidearm on his hip and an AR-15 slung over his shoulder.  The fake-journalists showed the edited video clip and made the following comments.

Contessa Brewer mused, “there are questions about whether this has racial overtones….white people showing up with guns.” Following her report, two other fake-journalists continued.  “There is tremendous anger in this country about government, the way government seems to be taking over the country, anger about a black person being president….we see these hate groups rising up and this is definitely part of that.”

None of them mentioned that the man carrying the rifle in their edited clip is black.

You be the judge.

First, MSNBC’s video clip.

Now, here’s (as Paul Harvey would say) the rest of the story.  Note the photo of the man with the rifle.

As I said, you be the judge.  Is MSNBC purposely trying to be deceptive, and if so, what is their agenda?

The preamble of the Code of Ethics from the Society of Professional Journalists reads as follows:

“Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist’s credibility. Members of the Society share a dedication to ethical behavior and adopt this code to declare the Society’s principles and standards of practice.”

A sidebar to this then states:  “The SPJ Code of Ethics is voluntarily embraced by thousands of journalists, regardless of place or platform, and is widely used in newsrooms and classrooms as a guide for ethical behavior. The code is intended not as a set of “rules” but as a resource for ethical decision-making. It is not — nor can it be under the First Amendment — legally enforceable.”

So, I guess that journalists aren’t legally required to be truthful in their reporting of the news, but it is encouraged, at least on paper by the SPJ.

I would like to appeal to any real journalists out there that might come by and read this.  Please weigh in with your own thoughts.

UPDATE:  No sooner had I published this post than I found this story.  Apparently, a local conservative talk-show host and the man carrying the rifle planned in advance for him to be there with his firearms, as a show of support for the 2nd Amendment.  This additional information doesn’t in any way detract from what MSNBC did.

Tagged as: code of ethics for journalists, dishonest news, ethics in journalism, journalism, MSNBC, Obama, Society of Professional Journalists, VFW national convention