Violated or Comforted - and Then Abandoned: Ethical Dimensions of Relationships Between Journalists and Vulnerable News Sources

Abstract

This article focuses on ethical challenges for journalists when contacting and interviewing vulnerable sources about grief in connection with crime and accidents. The study is based on in-depth interviews, with bereaved closely related to the deceased, about their encounters with journalists. Results suggest editorial structures can contribute to violations, and the media attention can disturb and postpone the grieving process. When journalists no longer are interested, mourning relatives can feel abandoned. Paradoxically, proper ethical behavior from journalists can make this worse since respondents can feel more abandoned and even betrayed by journalists they consider sympathetic.