Paper Trail

The ‘E’ Word

It takes some care to remain on the right side of the ethical tracks.

By Jim Abbott

I have frequently used this column and presentations to various groups to talk about the “E” in NIE but today I want to use a different “E” word–ethics.

As we continue to move the three major program initiatives of the NAA Foundation closer together, we are finding that there is great agreement among all people who work with young readers. NIE professionals, youth editors and student newspaper advisors all agree that we have much in common. In the realm of ethics, however, there are some significant differences. YEA professionals normally work in the newsroom where there is a clearly defined code of ethics. For example, it is considered unethical to take money from a sponsor and then write a glowing review of the products or services of that provider. There are well-defined times when an “unnamed source” may be quoted and when such a source must not be used.

At student newspapers, the question of ethics can become a bit cloudier. Good school newspapers should have a clear code of ethics just like a major newspaper. If a local school newspaper does not have one, the editors ought to talk to the local newspaper to see what code they use. Many school newspapers sell advertising, and that leads to questions of revenue-influencing content. Like all newspapers, they need to be careful of breaches of ethics, whether real or perceived.

If a local business wants to help support education, they can donate to a fund to produce quality educational products for the schools.

With NIE programs, the question of ethics becomes still cloudier. The last issue of Update talked about legal issues such as copyright laws. There are serious questions of ethics involved when one NIE program “borrows” materials or ideas from another NIE program. I would suggest that exchanging copyrighted material is not only illegal but also highly unethical.

There are many issues relating to raising sponsorship money that need to bring ethics into play. One is the way money is solicited from other businesses. If an NIE program uses telemarketers or other professional fundraisers, either internal or external, and pays the telemarketing fees from donated funds, there is a real question of ethics involved. If you tell a potential donor that the money donated is going to help schools when, in fact, some of the money is going to pay the costs of fundraising, that is unethical. As a donor, I would be outraged to think that my money was not being used in the way I thought it was to be used.

Vacation donation can lead one down a less than ethical road, if you are not careful. I would encourage you to be quite clear in your message to subscribers that the “value of your newspaper” will be donated to a fund to provide newspapers to schools rather than stating, “Your newspaper will be donated to a local school.” Minor difference, certainly, but the truth is that the donated newspaper is not given to a school; it is the value that is donated to a fund to provide the newspaper.

Perhaps the single-most serious ethical issue facing NIE programs is the sponsorship of tabs or in-paper space. In my mind, taking money from a car dealer to produce an NIE tab about cars would be like a reporter taking money to write a positive review of a product. If a local business wants to help support education, they can donate to a fund to produce quality educational products for the schools. If advertisers want to promote their own businesses, they can purchase advertising or even “advertorial” supplements.

Many NIE programs are looking to obtain 501(c)3 status so they can seek funds from foundations and corporations that donate only to charitable organizations. (See my column in the spring issue of Update for a more detailed discussion of tax-exempt status.) If the only reason to create a 501(c)3 is to purchase your own newspapers, you are on shaky legal ground and clearly operating unethically.

A final ethical concern I have is promoting sales of the newspaper to schools on a specific day or days to meet circulation goals. I believe it is unethical to use NIE as the vehicle to target circulation goals without regard to educational quality.

Can an NIE program raise funds and remain an ethical program? Yes, but great care must be taken to remain on the right side of the ethical divide.

Jim Abbott, vice president, NAA Foundation, can be reached at (703) 902-1730 or abboj@naa.org.