Ethics

1. I think he differentiated between a legitimate news story and and one that wasn't because it Jim West was in fact pursuing these underage boys, that was something the people needed to know and would make a story. It would also bring to light that someone is this kind of position doing this was not right and something to make it right would have to be done. If he wasn't pursuing these boys, than it wouldn't be a story. Everyone has a right to their own privacy and if he was gay that's his personal business that shouldn't be exploited for everyone to see and hear.

2. Bill Morlin justified the use of a concealed identity, because he was not doing it himself. Under their code of ethics they are not supposed to pretend that they are someone else to obtain information, but he went through a loop hole and had a consultant pretend that they were someone else to find out information. If he himself is not pretending to be another person posing to find out information that is following their ethics, if someone else does it and give them information then that is totally fine.

3. I feel like they published so many articles on Mayor West's alleged improprieties because it was something that they deemed to be important that is happening that people should know about. They found something that was news worthy and that people could connect with, it was something happening in their community and influencing the way it was run. They probably also kept publishing articles because they wanted to find out the truth and it was something that people wanted to know about.

4. I believe the gay community somewhat benefited from Mayor West being exposed. Instead of having someone deny bills and ways to make the gay community have rights, the newspaper showed that West was gay and that he was going against something that he was himself. I believe Mayor West was hurt by this but that was only because of the choices that he made that caused him to suffer. I think the outcome was worth it because I believe if you stand up for something and back it up, having Mayor West deny all the rights for the gay community just made him a hypocrite.

5. I think it is hard to distinguish if it is fully wrong or not. I think if a city official is doing something wrong and the newspapers get a tip from someone about it it should be looked into and researched but staking out and trying to catch the person seems like it has gone a little to far. A newspapers job is to report what is going on, not investigate so deeply that they are acting like police or FBI agents. They have no idea what Jack Lynch is doing and it is apart of his personal life. If he is doing something that is hurting others and he is in the wrong then that should be brought to attention.