The Business Ethics Blog

I do a lot of media — I’ve been quoted in plenty of newspaper articles, I’ve done 30-second spots on the TV news, and I’ve done hour-long radio call-in shows. Along the way, I’ve had good and bad experiences. I’ve been misquoted, and quoted out of context. I’ve also been treated with great respect — sometimes more respect than is warranted. But overall, doing media can be fun, and I hope in doing this stuff I put my expertise to good use and help to inform public debate over important issues.

But journalists are often confused about just what to expect from someone like me. Some expect me to give quick “yes that’s unethical” answers. Some expect me to adopt a reflexively negative attitude towards business and innovation. Some expect me to predict the future. I’ve been interviewed by sloppy reporters, and by amazingly sharp and diligent ones. But in general, I sympathize with the reporter’s task, which often includes needing to get up to speed on a new topic several times a week, or even several times a day.

So that’s why I wrote this: Finding & Interviewing Experts in Business Ethics: What Journalists Need to Know. It’s a distillation of years of experience with journalists both good and bad. I hope journalists, and perhaps others, find it useful.