You are covering a hockey game at the Stockton Arena. When you arrive, it’s still about 30 minutes until puck drop. The communications director tells you there is pizza in a room down the hall you can eat. Are you allowed to partake? Why or why not?
A source asks you to send her copies of the newspaper after the story runs. Do you do it? If so, do you ask her for money for the copies? Why or why not?
You’ve been assigned to do a review on a new Miracle Mile restaurant called Thai Me Up. Do you call and let the restaurant know you’re coming? Why or why not?
You’re interviewing a source who is involved in a riff between the school and an outside organization. The source at that outside organization asks you to “see what Delta tells you first” and then come back to interview him. Do you go to Delta first? Do you tell the source what the school’s official response was? How do you handle it?
An editor hands you an Easter Day assignment. It’s a morning service at Weber Point Events Center where members of various congregations come together to worship. You are an atheist. Can you refuse the assignment? Why or why not?
Your Facebook profile lists that you 1) Love cats, 2) Enjoy Ethiopian cuisine and 3) Are a Democrat. Your editor calls you into his office to discuss removal of one of those profile traits. Which one do you think it is? Why?
One of your favorite shirts proclaims: “I ♥ Weed.” The shirt is proclaiming your love for the small Northern California town of Weed near the Oregon border. Maybe. In any case, your job is to cover K-12 education. You are friends on social media with a number of educators, superintendents and parents of school children. A friend tags you in a photo from a backyard barbecue. You’re drinking a beer wearing your favorite shirt. Within an hour, several friends have left you messages: “Irresponsible” said one. “This isn’t the reporter I respect,” said another.” What do you do? Why?
You just spend an hour interviewing a train collector at his Manteca home. During the conversation, you mention in passing that your uncle has a train collection. The source responds: “I should meet him!” When you get back to the newsroom, you see you have a Facebook friend request from the source. Do you accept it? Why or why not?
A four-alarm fire is burning in a residential neighborhood. You are one of the first members of the press to respond, but the police department has already blocked off the area to incoming traffic due to the severity of the blaze. The fire, you’re told, is spreading from roof to roof and has already taken down four houses with six more burning. Police tell you that “you shall not pass.” Nearby, you see a man in a backyard watering his house down. He tells you that you can jump the fence, but into his neighbor’s yard, not his, because you’ll scare his Chihuahua. Do you jump the fence to gain access? Do you wait until police let you pass? What are the consequences for both acts? What do you do? Why?
In the middle of a conversation, a source says “off the record” and then provides salacious details of a prominent public employee’s affair with a city council member. Are you allowed to use the information in print? Why or why not?
A member of ASDC is being interviewed for a story about College Hour. You spend about 20 minutes asking the student questions. Five minutes after you finish an interview, the student frantically approaches you and says you can’t use any of the information he said because he didn’t clear it through the ASDC president. Can you use his quotes? Why or why not?
You arrive at a wrestling event at the Stockton Arena. Once inside, a public relations representative notices you’re a member of the press and wants to hand you a “gift bag” as a “gesture of thanks.” Inside, the bag contains a spa gift certificate, a 12-month Beer of the Month Club subscription and $50 toward a luxury car wash. Can you accept the bag? Why or why not?
You interview a prominent Lodi wine maker for a video. During your entire interview, she tries to give you a bottle of wine. Or two. You continue to politely refuse, but she begins to get insulted. You’re finally able to leave without accepting the time. Two days later, there’s a bottle of wine on your desk at work with a note that says, “now you HAVE to accept.” Can you take the wine home? Why or why not?
A competing news organization in your coverage area can’t send a reporter to an event. Instead, a middle manager, an assignment editor, calls and asks if one of your reporters can send quotes over for them to put together a story. The manager says your news organization “owes them” a favor after they provided photos for a story a few months back. Do you send the quotes? Why or why not?
A local restaurant is offering bald men free meals. Men who have half a head of hair get hair off. You’re a student reporter who is only 18. During the course of the interview, you’re taken into the bar area of the restaurant to conduct interviews. Are you allowed to be there? Should you tell someone your age? Why or why not?
A student died in a car accident the weekend before publication. The student was a prominent member of the campus community. The reporter is getting great quotes and information about the student, but the editor is having no luck finding a good photo. The editor then sees one on the student’s Facebook page. Is it OK to use the Facebook photo? Why or why not?
Your audio recorder breaks midway through an interview and you don’t realize it. Your source doesn’t have time for a second interview. She tells you to “go ahead and make me sound good” and “quote from memory.” What do you do?
At Disneyland a 20-percent discount is offered for working journalists if you present your California Highway Patrol offered press pass. Not a lot of people know about it, but someone mentioned it to you. Do you present your press pass for a discount? Why or why not?
Is it ever OK to present your press pass at an event you aren’t covering? Why or why not?
You’re out on a farm interviewing a man about his apple harvest. You make an off color joke about having lots of acres to “bury the bodies” just to loosen things up. The source’s demeanor suddenly changes. He continues to answer questions, but seems to be very uncomfortable around you. As you’re about to leave, he asks you to shoot some photos in his house. He follows you inside and slams the door. “WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BODIES?” he screams at you. What do you do?
A campus dean visits the newsroom during production week. Your adviser has “gone to the bathroom.” The dean asks to see the front page of the newspaper where a story about one of the faculty member’s in his department is the prominent feature. The story is a news piece about the faculty member being sued. Do you let the dean see the paper? Do you wait for your adviser? What do you do? Why?
A former student is charged with embezzlement. In pitching, the staff finds out that the current editor in chief once dated the student. He said he was always suspicious of where she got her money from, especially since they once went to an expensive restaurant where she ordered them both steaks and paid. Can you use that tidbit of information in the story about her? Why or why not?
A water polo player you’re interviewing asks if you’d be free for dinner the same night you’re doing the interview. Is it ever OK to date a source? Why or why not?
You’re interviewing a victim of sexual assault on campus. She wants you to write a story, but said she “doesn’t want to go into detail” about the assault. She tells you that campus police didn’t act properly after the incident. Do you push her to get more information or do you let it go because you don’t want to push a victim? Why?
The school football team isn’t putting up the wins it did in previous years. While at a game, the only shots you get are ones of the team looking, well, not much like football players. The coach approaches you at half time and demands to see the photos. Do you show him? Why or why not?
A source asks you to read her quotes back to her after an interview. Do you? Why or why not?