ethics
Is Target Really One of the 'World's Most Ethical Companies?'
Hamilton Nolan · 06/26/12 12:25PMSince we started covering Target's voracious anti-unionism and labor woes last year, former employees have described the company to us as "humiliating," "'pleasant' slavery," and "the sketchiest place I ever worked," among many other things. But—to our surprise—Target is also one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies."
Do You Care About Killing Cats and Dogs?
Hamilton Nolan · 03/08/12 11:18AMHuge Houses Are Morally Wrong
Hamilton Nolan · 02/10/12 03:56PMNew York Times Staffers: Now Is the Time to Rat Out Your Colleagues
John Cook · 12/05/11 11:56AMThe holidays are almost upon us, which means it's time for you to take a careful look at your neighbor and report any and all suspicious activity to your immediate supervisor. At least it is at the New York Times, which just sent a memo to all staffers urging them snitch on any co-worker who may have engaged in any "potential ethical or legal violations." IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING. David Pogue, your ears are burning! Memo after the jump.
Lawyer Listed Sexxxy Secretary Job Via Craigslist 'Adult' Gigs
Lauri Apple · 11/30/11 10:54AMIf you were advertising a legal secretary position on Craiglist, would you post it in the Jobs section under "Legal/Paralegal," or in the Gigs section under "Adult"? If you're Illinois lawyer Samir Zia Chowhan you'd choose Option Two, because you'd expect your secretary to be "adult"—with you! On the clock and on the desk, never sleep, never rest.
'Privacy Is for Paedos' And Other Pearls of Wisdom From Journalism's New Cartoon Villain
John Cook · 11/29/11 02:56PMAs if the News Corp. hacking scandal weren't already lousy with pitch-perfect villains, a new one has topped them all. Former News of the World deputy features editor Paul McMullan gave a bravura performance today before a British government inquiry into the press scandal, gamely defending the most loathsome transgressions of his colleagues in the U.K. tabloid press with Snidely Whiplash relish.
Deadly Man-Made Flu Won't Kill Everyone Unless It Escapes From the Lab
Lauri Apple · 11/27/11 02:03PMBy tweaking the H5N1 bird flu virus a bit, a Netherlands-based virologist and his crew have created a highly contagious version that, if ever unleashed upon the general population, could kill millions of us. But don't fret! Their research, like that one Rolling Stones documentary, hasn't been released to the public. At least not yet, anyway.
The Shady Marketing Scheme That's Buying Off Your Favorite Bloggers
Hamilton Nolan · 10/26/11 12:20PMWho Broke the Speaking Rules at the New York Times?
Hamilton Nolan · 10/11/11 08:54AMNew York Times ethics cop Phil Corbett just sent out the following memo to the newsroom, reminding them about the paper's rules for paid speaking engagements. (Thomas Friedman, among others, has had trouble with this in the past.) An NYT source says "they don't send these reminders out unless someone breaks the rules or screws up." So who was it? Email me if you know.
Conservative Writer 'Boldly' Infiltrates D.C. Protest Group
Lauri Apple · 10/09/11 03:36PMIn reading The American Spectator, the top-shelf, right-wing magazine, you might have spotted the byline of assistant editor Patrick Howley. Yesterday Intrepid Patrick joined up with anti-war protesters at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum not only to write about the goings-on but also—and this is the best part—"to mock and undermine" the protesters, as he admitted in his eventual report.
Maybe Appalachian Babies Have Birth Defects Because of Inbreeding, Lawyers Suggest
Lauri Apple · 10/08/11 05:16PMFour lawyers face an ethics complaint after helpfully pointing out that a study of mountaintop mining and birth defects in Appalachia "failed to account for consanquinity [sic], one of the most prominent sources of birth defects." In non-legalese: maybe those babies have defects because of how hillbillies like to screw within the family all the time.
How Univision Tried to Blackmail Marco Rubio
John Cook · 10/03/11 03:40PMOnline 'Other (Including Porn)' Is 13 Times More Popular Than News
Hamilton Nolan · 09/12/11 12:50PMNYT Tech Columnist Spanked For 'Flagrant' Violation of Ethics Policy
Ryan Tate · 07/06/11 12:58PMMaking Lobbyists Wear Badges: The New Holocaust?
Jim Newell · 07/01/11 01:18PMIn an effort to tweak its ethics rules following a spate of corruption, the Massachusetts House is considering among other things a requirement that lobbyists wear ID badges in the statehouse if they're "seeking access to House members or staff." This doesn't seem controversial. Then again, maybe it's the Holocaust?
GLAAD President Resigns over AT&T Donations
Max Read · 06/19/11 01:51PMScaremongering Reporter Gets Award For Scaremongering
John Cook · 06/16/11 01:09PMCongratulations to Brian Ross, America's Wrongest Reporter, for winning a coveted Edward R. Murrow Award honoring his coverage of the Toyota unintended acceleration story. The award, oddly, is for "Video Continuing Coverage" rather than "Fostering Global Panic Based on Bullshit Story." Still, a Murrow is a Murrow, right? Let's go to tape.
Charlie Rangel Is Anthony Weiner's Only Friend in Congress
Jim Newell · 06/10/11 05:35PMPretty much no one in Congress wants to be buddy-buddy with Rep. Anthony Weiner anymore, either because his peen pic grossed them out or they're worried that his colossal stupidity might be contagious. And while most once-friendly Democratic congressmen from neighboring districts in New York are trying especially hard to avoid him, old Rep. Charlie Rangel from Harlem is offering rare support for the congressman. It's better than nothing?