University of Virginia Library

Ethics

An Open Letter to Messrs.
Neill Alford and Jim Rinaca:

When a journalist is
presented with a newsworthy
story, he is bound by both
honor and "journalistic ethics"
to make it public.

If he is asked to breach that
bond, his silence certainly
cannot be interpreted as assent.
It simply means that he will
continue his effort to get and
make public newsworthy facts.

The next time you have a
statement to make which you
don't want revealed, I
respectfully suggest that you
don't say it in a reporter's
presence.