Investigative journalism ethics in The Pelican Brief

Probably most of you know the story in the movie ’The Pelican Brief’, in a summary a talented law student finds out the conspiracy behind the assassinasion of two Supreme Court Justices and the traces lead up to as high as the President of the United States. After everyone who tries to help the law student is murdered, as a last resort, she contacts an investigative journalist.

As a good investigative reporter, he does his own research and tries to find another source to confirm the same findings. Naturally, it is not that easy given the fact that high level politicians and the government are involved. Nevertheless, we must highlight the role of the chief editor of the newspaper who does not allow him to publish the story until he has undeniable evidence that the findings are true. This is an essential element of ethical reporting, as the sole word of a student cannot be enough for an article, especially not for such a significant case.

Editors and chief editors have a lot of responsibility with respect to ethics, since they give guidance to the journalists and they have the power to stop publishing a story that lacks proof, accuracy and was obtained via bad sources or techniques.

In the movie there is a moment when they try to get into a health institute to find a person who could help them. However, it is not possible for reporters to visit patients so the journalist keeps the director of the institution talking while the law student sneaks in to find the person. Even if this lead them to the other source and they could reveal the conspiracy, it was still a questionable practice.

Investigating cases often ends with such situations when journalists cannot find what they need in the legal or ethical way. This will always be a dilemma as they want to verify their story but at the same time remain trustworthy and respectable.

Government related topics are especially sensitive as information might interfere with government or national interest. Journalists must conduct thorough research and must be confident that the information they are planning to reveal will not cause caos, on the other hand sometimes even shocking things must be uncovered to serve democracy and justice. But where is the line?

You can read more on Dissemination of Information: Government Interests, National Security and Freedom of Speech - How to Strike the Right Balance? the winner essay of the 2010 Ethicontest.