Abstract
In 1993, news organizations broke a major story setting forth allegations in a lawsuit that Cardinal Bernardin, a respected leader of the Roman Catholic Church, had engaged in sexual abuse of a young man. Many leaders in the media, including The New York Times and The Washington Post, acted responsibly in publishing or broadcasting the story about the filing of the lawsuit, but refusing to emphasize or embellish the abuse allegations. CNN, on the other hand, dramatized the story, using it as a means of titillating its readers or viewers and apparently seeking to increase its position in the market. CNN exploited the story for its own gain and paid little attention to generally accepted ethical norms in journalism. The story soon unraveled, but not before much harm had been done. The dramatic publication of these false allegations was devastating to Cardinal Bernardin and others.
Recommended Citation
Smith, Rodney K. and Shea, Patrick A.
(2002)
"Religion and the Press: Keeping First Amendment Values in Balance,"
Utah Law Review: Vol. 2002:
No.
2, Article 1.
Available at:
https://dc.law.utah.edu/ulr/vol2002/iss2/1