Everyday Ethics

By Bob Steele
Nelson Poynter Scholar for Journalism Values

Oh, my. The Amy Jacobson case continues to unfold and the latest chapters prompt significant indigestion at the least. Jacobson was the reporter at WMAQ-TV, the NBC station in Chicago, who self-imploded when she hit ethics land mines.

If you've missed the earlier chapters, here's what I wrote for Poynter Online yesterday.

I included some "Lessons Learned" related to Jacobson's behavior and decisions and I posed some questions related to the involvement of another Chicago TV station, WBBM, owned and operated by CBS.

Now we learn from the Chicago Tribune Amy Jacobson's behavior may have been even more problematic ethically and professionally. The Tribune reports, "Amy Jacobson was briefing police on her interaction with Craig Stebic without telling her bosses." The Tribune story says Jacobson could not be reached for comment and, "WMAQ management declined to comment, but Plainfield Police Chief Don Bennett told reporters Thursday that 'Jacobson has in the past informed the Plainfield Police Department of her prior conversations with Mr. Stebic.' "

If Jacobson did indeed share information with police about her conversations with Craig Stebic, or any other information about her reporting on the disappearance of Stebic's wife, that's a very serious violation of ethics standards and principles. Jacobson must answer questions about her journalistic independence. Her ethics and her professionalism are all the more suspect given this latest revelation.

Independence is a linchpin principle for journalists. Journalists have a primary and essential obligation to serve the public. Journalists should not be collaborating with law enforcement agencies. If Jacobson was giving information to the police, she was compromising her credibility and that of her station.

If Jacobson had what she believed to be essential information in relation to the disappearance of Lisa Stebic or other matters in the case, Jacobson should have reported that information on television.

We've also learned more about the role of the CBS station in this saga. WBBM-TV yesterday posted on its own Web site a statement related to the videotape it aired showing Jacobson at the Stebic house. That statement clarifies who shot the videotape -- a CBS 2 WBBM-TV photographer -- and gives other details about why WBBM was at the neighbor's house.

That's an important step for that station to take in the name of accountability. However, the statement raises another concern. The station's statement says, "Until Thursday night, CBS 2 avoided talking about [how the video came to be], to protect the identities of both the homeowner who gave the station permission to film on his property and our CBS 2 photojournalist who shot the video. Because of uncertainty surrounding this case, both individuals were concerned about having their names made public. They still are ...."

OK. I can understand such concern. But on what grounds is it legitimate for a news organization to protect the identity of one of its own journalists who was videotaping a news story?

More questions to be asked. More answers sought.