Journalism Ethics: From Wars and Elections to GenAI 

 

The US elections, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war, now extended to Lebanon, are affecting the life of millions of people. These events are also information wars, where propaganda and disinformation – boosted by the use of AI-powered tools – play a crucial role in destabilizing opponents and shaping public opinion. Covering these conflicts, whether it is on the ground or remotely, is extremely complex and can be highly dangerous.

 

Eric Wishart, the Standards and Ethics Editor and former editor-in-chief of Agence France-Presse (AFP) recently published “Journalism Ethics: 21 Essentials from Wars to Artificial Intelligence,” an essential guide for students and working journalists to understand and apply to their reporting the principles that separate accurate, responsible journalism from propaganda and disinformation.

 

In this session, Robin Ewing, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Journalism at Hong Kong Baptist University and Eric Wishart will discuss the crucial importance of strong journalism ethics guidelines for producing trustworthy journalism and how to put them into practice in sensitive areas of coverage such as elections, armed conflicts, or climate change.

 

 

• Date: Thursday 21 November 2024
• Time: 12:30 – 13:30
• Venue: Online (registered participants will receive a link by email)

Buy Eric Wishart’s book via HKU Press: https://bit.ly/3WCP7GH

 

 Eric Wishart is the Standards and Ethics Editor and former editor-in-chief of Agence France-Presse (AFP). He lectures in journalism at Hong Kong University and Hong Kong Baptist University, and is a member of several professional standards and ethics committees. Wishart was the first non-French editor-in-chief in AFP’s history, has judged the Hong Kong News Awards and SOPA Awards, and served as president of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club Hong Kong. He regularly speaks at international conferences on media ethics, combating misinformation, and restoring public trust in the media.

 

Robin Ewing is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Journalism at Hong Kong Baptist University. She is Director of the MA in International Journalism Studies program and Co-program Director of Journalism for the bachelor’s degree. She has been a journalism educator for more than 17 years and specializes in news and feature writing, digital journalism and international news, including the intersection of journalism, history and technology.

 

 The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) is a nonprofit educational and professional organization with more than 1,500 members across the U.S. and Asia. The Asia chapter of AAJA represents members across the Asia-Pacific region. It is a diverse, multi-ethnic community of local and international journalists and media professionals committed to supporting a vibrant press in the Asia-Pacific region. It is committed to advance news diversity in Asia, foster the next generation of journalists, empower journalists from underrepresented communities, strengthen trust in quality journalism and contribute to building more democratic and harmonious societies through fair representation in Asia news.