Northwest Airlines felt the story was unfair, but especially was concerned about the way WCCO advertised it. The company complained that the promotions portrayed the airline as unsafe, though the story had no facts to back this up. Northwest Airlines brought its complaint not to the courts, but to the Minnesota News Council, a forum for news media criticism. After a public hearing, the News Council ruled in favor of the company, agreeing that WCCO sensationalized its promotion of a news story. The forum offered business a place to complain about a news story, providing a rare opportunity for the news media to police itself.
Most ethical issues revolve around a conflict in values.
When people look at an issue from different perspectives, there's often room for debate about the proper way to proceed. The issues presented here are no different. Both journalists and businesspeople can hold different opinions about what's right and may even simply agree to disagree. What makes these issues more fundamental is the fact that business and journalism both serve vital roles in our society. The United States is based on open commerce, the free exchange of goods and services in a capitalistic market Likewise, freedom of the press is part of our First Amendment rights.