I think this discussion thread and most of the others sparked by Ricks' blog have missed the crucial point: it's about journalistic ethics, not academic freedom.
Specifically, should a reporter use a faculty member in the professional military educational system or a serving military officer as a cudgel against the administration if the opportunity presents itself? In my experience most (but not all) reporters recognize that academic freedom in the military educational system is important but fragile, and using faculty members as anti-administration cudgels can damage not only them personally, but also the acceptance of academic freedom by senior defense leaders.
Should the ethical standard be that the journalist is free to use anything said to him or her in any way they see fit and is under no moral obligation to consider the way their use of the words will effect the person who said them? If so, and people decide it's best not to speak to the journalist and communicate this to their friends and colleagues, does that constitute "blackballing" (assuming the person was only offering advice and not commanding people to avoid the journalist)?
Second, should a reporter portray something written in the professional educational system under the policy of academic freedom as the government position? To take one example, Tom's Foreign Policy blog entry of 31 December is headlined "The U.S. Army Speaks Up For Hamas." It was summarizing a recent publication by an Army War College professor that includes the following disclaimer on p. ii: "The views expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government." Is this within the confines of journalistic ethics? If not, could it potentially cause senior defense leaders to rethink their support for academic freedom at government educational institutions?
Bookmarks