Tom Bradshaw







Self-censorship and the pursuit of truth in sports journalism: A case study of David Walsh

Issues of self-censorship and potential barriers to truth-telling among sports journalists are explored through a case study of David Walsh, the award-winning Sunday Times chief sports writer who is best known for his investigative work covering cycling. The paper uses a Kantian theoretical perspective to explore how sports journalists, including Walsh, implicitly use deontological and consequentialist modes of moral reasoning when making decisions about newsgathering and publication. Kant's categorical imperative is adapted as the journalistic categorical imperative which, together with the journalistic hypothetical imperative, is developed as a concept to explore the practical reasoning of sports journalists. Walsh's autobiographical writings about his sports reporting are analysed, together with the body of articles that he has written while a staff reporter at The Sunday Times. The case study aims to identify and highlight a range of ethical issues facing contemporary sports journalists, particularly self-censorship.

Keywords: self-censorship, sports journalism, David Walsh, Immanuel Kant, truth, categorical imperative


References

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Note on the contributor

Tom Bradshaw is course leader and senior lecturer in Sports Journalism at the University of Gloucestershire. He studied philosophy at Cambridge University before becoming a journalist and has won awards for his sports journalism. He is midway through a PhD that examines ethical issues in contemporary sports journalism.