Towards 'mindful Journalism': Applying Buddhism's Eightfold Path As An .

Mark Pearsoncanon you can find common moral and ethicalprinciples journalists might reasonably beexpected to follow in their work, includingattributes of peace journalism identified byLynch (2010: 543): oriented towards peace,humanity, truth and solutions. The Dalai Lama’sbook – Beyond religion: Ethics for a whole world(2011) – explored his vision of how core ethicalvalues might offer a sound moral frameworkfor modern society while accommodatingdiverse religious views and cultural traditions.It is in that spirit that this paper explores thepossibilities of applying some of Buddhism’score principles to the secular phenomenonof journalism. It also must be accepted thatBuddhist practices such as ‘mindfulness’ andmeditation have been adopted broadly inWestern society in recent decades and havebeen embraced by the cognitive sciences, albeitin adapted therapeutic ways (Segal et al 2012).The Noble Eightfold Path attributed to theBuddha – Siddhartha Gautama (563 BCE to 483BCE – but disputed) – has been chosen becauseof its longevity as a moral code, its relativebrevity and the fact that its core elementscan be read at a secular level to relate tobehavioural – and not exclusively spiritual –guidelines. Former New York Times reporterand blogger Doug McGill (2008) has suggestedBuddhist ethics sit comfortably with journalismas an endeavour:Indeed, in its relentless quest to observewithout filter or distortion the nature ofdaily human existence – the fact and flavorof the simple ordinary present, the livingnow – Buddhism seems, in a certain way,quintessentially journalistic.Gunaratne (2005: 35) offered this succinctpositioning of the Noble Eightfold Path (or the‘middle way’) in Buddhist philosophy:The Buddhist dharma meant the doctrinebased on the Four Noble Truths: Thatsuffering exists; that the cause of sufferingis thirst, craving, or desire; that a pathexists to end suffering; that the NobleEightfold Path is the path to end suffering.Described as the ‘middle way’, it specifiesthe commitment to sila (right speech, actionand livelihood), samadhi (right effort,mindfulness, and concentration) and panna(right understanding and thoughts).It is also fruitful to explore journalism as apractice amidst the first two Noble Truthsrelated to suffering (dukkha), and this is possible40because they are accommodated within the firststep of the Eightfold Path – ‘right views’. TheFourth Noble Truth is also integrative. It statesthat the Noble Eightfold Path is the means toend suffering. Here we consider its elements asa potential framework for the ethical practiceof journalism in this new era.Application of the Noble Eightfold Path toethical journalism practiceEach of the constituent steps of the NobleEightfold Path – understanding free ofsuperstition, kindly and truthful speech,right conduct, doing no harm, perseverance,mindfulness and contemplation – has anapplication to the modern-day practice oftruth-seeking and truth-telling – whether thatbe by a journalist working in a traditionalmedia context, a citizen journalist or a seriousblogger reporting and commenting uponnews and current affairs. Smith and Novak(2003: 39) identified a preliminary step to theBuddha’s Noble Eightfold Path that he sawas a precondition to its pursuit – the practiceof ‘right association’. This, they explained,acknowledged the ‘extent to which we aresocial animals, influenced at every turn by the“companioned example” of our associates,whose attitudes and values affect us profoundly’(Smith and Novak 2003: 40).For journalists this can apply at a numberof levels. There is the selection of a suitablementor, an ethical colleague who might beavailable to offer wise counsel in the midst ofa workplace dilemma. There is also the needto acknowledge – and resist – the socialisationof journalism recruits into the toxic culture ofnewsrooms with unethical practices (McDevittet al 2002). Further, there is the imperativeto reflect upon the potential for the ‘packmentality’ of reportage that might allow forthe combination of peer pressure, competitionand poor leadership to influence the coremorality of the newsgathering enterprise, asnoted by Leveson (2012: 732) in his review ofthe ethical and legal transgressions by Britishnewspaper personnel.We will now concentrate on a journalisticreading of the steps of the Eightfold Path.Kalupahana (1976: 59) suggests its constituenteight factors represent a digest of ‘moral virtuestogether with the processes of concentrationand the development of insight’. Mizuno (1987:160) argues that, although the precepts wereoriginally portrayed as the path to liberationfor a sage, they could apply equally to anordinary person as guidelines for moral living.Copyright 2014-4. Ethical Space: The International Journal of Communication Ethics. All rights reserved. Vol 11, No 4 2014AUSTRALIAN PAPERS

Right viewsSmith and Novak (2003: 42) explained that thevery first step in the Eightfold Path involved anacceptance of the Four Noble Truths. Sufficeit to say that much of what we call ‘news’– particularly that impacting on audiencesthrough its reportage of change, conflict andconsequence – can sit with Smith and Novak’s(2003: 33) definition of dukkha, namely ‘thepain that to some degree colors all of finiteexistence’. Their explanation of the First NobleTruth – that life is suffering – is evident whenwe view the front page of each morning’snewspaper and each evening’s television newsbulletin:The exact meaning of the First Noble Truthis this: Life currently is dislocated. Somethinghas gone wrong. It is out of joint. As its pivotis not true, friction (interpersonal conflict) isexcessive, movement (creativity) is blocked,and it hurts (Smith and Novak 2003: 34).This is at once an endorsement of acceptednews values and a denial of the very concept ofthere being anything unusual about change. AsKalupahana (1976: 36) explains, a fundamentalprinciple of Buddhism is that all things in theworld are at once impermanent (anicca),unsatisfactory (dukkha) and nonsubstantial(anatta). News, too, is about the impermanentand the unsatisfactory. It is premised uponidentifying to audiences what has changedmost recently, focusing especially on themost unsatisfactory elements of that change.Yet given Buddhism’s premise that all thingsare subject to change at all times and thathappiness is achieved through the acceptanceof this, it might well erode the newsworthinessof the latest upsetting accounts of change inthe world since we last looked. In some waysthis step supports the model of ‘deliberativejournalism’ as explained by Romano (2010: 11),which encourages reports that are ‘incisive,comprehensive and balanced’, including theinsights and contributions of all relevantstakeholders. Most importantly, as Romanosuggests:Journalists would also report on communitiesas they evaluate potential responses, andthen investigate whether and how they haveacted upon the resulting decisions (Romano2010: 11).Thus, the notion of ‘right views’ canincorporate a contract between the newsmedia and audiences that accepts a level ofchange at any time, and focuses intention uponAUSTRALIAN PAPERSdeeper explanations of root causes, strategiesfor coping and potential solutions for thosechanges prompting the greatest suffering.Right intentThe second ingredient relates to refining andacting upon that very ‘mission’, ‘calling’ or driveto ‘make a difference’ which is the very humanmotivation for selecting some occupations. Forsome, it is a religious calling where they feelspiritually drawn to a vocation as a priest, animam, a rabbi or a monk. But for others it isa secular drive to aid humanity by helpingchange society in a positive way – a careermotivation shared by many teachers, doctorsand journalists. It becomes the backbone toone’s professional enterprise. Smith and Novak(2003: 42) describe it thus:AUSTRALIANPAPERSPeople who achieve greatness are almostinvariably passionately invested in some onething. They do a thousand things each day,but behind these stands the one thing theycount supreme. When people seek liberationwith single-mindedness of this order, theymay expect their steps to turn from slidingsandbank scrambles into ground-grippingstrides.In journalism, this might necessitate achange in mindset from bringing news ‘first’in a competitive sense to ‘best’ and mostmeaningfully to an audience in a qualitativesense. Of course, it would not be ‘news’ ifit were not delivered relatively soon afterits occurrence, but in this era of instantcommunication this step reinforces the notionof ‘responsible truth-seeking and truth-telling’– authoritative and credible news, obtainedethically, and delivered as soon as possible toretain its relevance and utility without losing itsveracity.Right speechThis step relates to both truthful and charitableexpression and, interpreted narrowly, thatsecond element of ‘charitable expression’ couldpresent a fundamental challenge to the conceptof journalism as we know it. It certainly posesserious questions about the celebrity gossiporientation of many news products today. Thenotion of telling the truth and being accuratelies at the heart of journalism practice and isforemost in most ethical codes internationally.While a single empirical fact might be subjectto scientific measurement and verification,any conclusions drawn from the juxtapositionof two provable facts can only constitutewhat a scientist would call a ‘theory’ and theCopyright 2014-4. Ethical Space: The International Journal of Communication Ethics. All rights reserved. Vol 11, No 4 201441

Mark Pearsonrest of us might call ‘opinion’. In defamationlaw, collections of provable facts can indeedcreate a meaning – known as an ‘imputation’– that can indeed be damaging to someone’sreputation (Pearson and Polden 2011: 217).Thus, it becomes a question of which truths areselected to be told and the ultimate truth oftheir composite that becomes most relevant.Smith and Novak (2003: 42) suggest falsitiesand uncharitable speech as indicative ofother factors, most notably the ego of thecommunicator. In journalism, that ego might befuelled in a host of ways that might encouragethe selection of certain facts or the portrayalof an individual in a negative light: politicalagendas, feeding populist sentiment, peerpressure and corporate reward. They state:False witness, idle chatter, gossip, slander,and abuse are to be avoided, not only intheir obvious forms, but also in their covertones. The covert forms – subtle belittling,‘accidental’ tactlessness, barbed wit – areoften more vicious because their motives areveiled (Smith and Novak 2003: 42).This calls into question the essence of celebrityjournalism for all the obvious reasons. Gossipabout the private lives of the rich and famous,titillating facts about their private lives, andbarbed commentary in social columns all failthe test of ‘right speech’ and, in their ownway, reveal a great deal about the individualpurveying them and their employer, discussedfurther below under ‘right livelihood’. Takento its extreme, however, much news mightbe considered ‘uncharitable’ and slanderousabout an individual when it is in fact revealingtheir wrongdoing all calling into question theirpublic actions. If the Eightfold Path ruled outthis element of journalism we would have toconclude it was incompatible even with the bestof investigative and Fourth Estate journalism.Indeed, many uncomfortable truths mustbe told even if one is engaging in a form of‘deliberative journalism’ that might ultimatelybe for the betterment of society anddisenfranchised people. For example, experts in‘peace journalism’ include a ‘truth orientation’as a fundamental ingredient of that approach,and include a determination ‘to expose selfserving pronouncements and representationson all sides’ (Lynch 2010: 543).contains the fundamental directives of mostreligions with its Five Precepts which prohibitkilling, theft, lying, being unchaste andintoxicants (Smith and Novak 2003: 44). Manyjournalists would have problems with the finaltwo, although the impact upon their work wouldof course vary with individual circumstances.And while many journalists might have jokedthat they would ‘kill’ for a story, murder isnot a common or accepted journalistic tool.However, journalists have often had problemswith the elements of theft and lying in theirbroad and narrow interpretations. The LevesonReport (2012) contains numerous examples ofboth, and the extension of the notion of ‘theft’to practices such as plagiarism and of ‘lying’ todeception in its many guises have fuelled manyadverse adjudications by ethics committees andcourts.Importantly, as Smith and Novak (2003: 43)explain, the step of right conduct also involves‘a call to understand one’s behavior moreobjectively before trying to improve it’ and ‘toreflect on actions with an eye to the motivesthat prompted them’. This clearly invokes thestrategic approach developed by educationalistDonald Schön, whose research aimed to equipprofessionals with the ability to make crucialdecisions in the midst of practice. Schön (1987:26) coined the expression ‘reflection-in-action’to describe the ability of the professional toreflect upon some problem in the midst oftheir daily work. The approach was adaptedto journalism by Sheridan Burns (2013: 76) whoadvised student journalists:You need a process for evaluating yourdecisions because a process, or system,lets you apply your values, loyalties andprinciples to every new set of circumstancesor facts. In this way, your decision makingwill be fair in choosing the news.Even industry ethical codes can gain widerunderstanding and acceptance by appealingto fundamental human moral values and notjust offering a proscriptive list of prohibitedpractices. A recent example is the Fairfaxmedia code of conduct (undated) which posesquestions employees might ask themselveswhen faced with ethical dilemmas that mightnot be addressed specifically in the document,including: Would I be proud of what I have done?Right conductThe fourth step of ‘right conduct’ goes to thecore of any moral or ethical code. In fact, it42 Do I think it’s the right thing to do? What will the consequences be for mycolleagues, Fairfax, other parties and me?Copyright 2014-4. Ethical Space: The International Journal of Communication Ethics. All rights reserved. Vol 11, No 4 2014AUSTRALIAN PAPERS

What would be the reaction of my familyand friends if they were to find out? What would happen if my conduct wasreported in a rival publication?While this specific approach seems to focus onthe potential for shame for a transgressor, itoffers an example of a media outlet attemptingto encourage its employees to pause and reflectin the midst of an ethical dilemma – what Schön(1987: 26) called ‘reflection-in-action’. Such atechnique might offer better guidance andmight gain more traction if it were foundedupon a socially and professionally acceptablemoral or ethical scaffold, perhaps the kind offramework we are exploring here.Right livingThe Buddha identified certain livelihoods thatwere incompatible with a morally pure way ofliving, shaped of course by the cultural moresof his place and time. They included poisonpeddler, slave trader, prostitute, butcher,brewer, arms maker and tax collector (Smithand Novak 2003: 45). Some of these occupationsmight remain on his list today – but one canjustifiably ask whether journalism would makehis list in the aftermath of the revelationsof the Leveson Inquiry (2012). That reportdid, of course, acknowledge the importantrole journalism should play in a democraticsociety, so perhaps the Buddha might havejust nominated particular sectors of the mediafor condemnation. For example, the businessmodel based upon celebrity gossip mightprovide an avenue for escape and relaxationfor some consumers, but one has to wonder atthe overall public good coming from such anenterprise. Given the very word ‘occupation’implies work that ‘does indeed occupy most ofour waking attention’ (Smith and Novak 2003:44), we are left to wonder how the engagementin prying, intrusion and rumour-mongering forcommercial purposes advances the enterpriseof journalism or the personal integrity of anindividual journalist who chooses to ply thattrade.The same argument applies to the sections oflarger media enterprises who might sometimesproduce journalism of genuine social value, butwho on other occasions take a step too far withintrusion or gossip without any public benefit.This is where journalists working in suchorganisations might apply a mindful approachto individual stories and specific work practicesto apply a moral gauge to the actual tasks theyare performing in their work and in assessingwhether they constitute ‘right living’.AUSTRALIAN PAPERSRight effortThe step of ‘right effort’ was directed by theBuddha in a predominantly spiritual sense– a steady, patient and purposeful pathto enlightenment. However, we can alsoapply such principles to the goal of ethicaljournalism practice in a secular way. Earlycareer journalists are driven to demonstratesuccess and sometimes mistake the hurriedscoop and kudos of the lead story in theirnews outlet as an end in itself. There can alsobe an emphasis on productivity and outputat the expense of the traditional hallmarks ofquality reportage – attribution and verification.Of course, all news stories could evolve intolengthy theses if they were afforded unlimitedtimelines and budgets. Commercial imperativesand deadlines demand a certain brevity andfrequency of output from all reporters. Bothcan be achieved with continued attention tothe core principle of purposeful reflection uponthe ethics of the various daily work tasks and amindful awareness of the underlying mission –or backbone – of one’s occupational enterprise– striving for the ‘right intent’ of the secondstep.AUSTRALIANPAPERSInstitutional limitations and pressure fromeditors, reporters and sources will continuallythreaten a journalist’s commitment to thisethical core, requiring the ‘right effort’ to bemaintained at that steady, considered pacethrough every interview, every story, everyworking day and ultimately through a fullcareer. As the Dalai Lama wrote in Beyondreligion (2011: 142): ‘The practice of patienceguards us against loss of composure and, indoing so, enables us to exercise discernment,even in the heat of difficult situations.’ Surelythis is a useful attribute for the journalist.Right mindfulnessThis is the technique of self-examination thatSchön (1987) and Sheridan Burns (2013) mightcall ‘reflection in action’ and is the step I haveselected as central to an application of theEightfold Path to reportage in the headingfor this article – ‘mindful journalism’. Effectivereflection upon one’s own thoughts andemotions is crucial to a considered review ofan ethical dilemma in a newsgathering orpublishing context. It is also essential to havegone through such a process if journalistsare later called to account to explain theiractions. Many ethical decisions are valueladen and inherently complex. Too often theyare portrayed in terms of the ‘public interest’when the core motivating factor has not beenthe greater public good but, to the contrary,Copyright 2014-4. Ethical Space: The International Journal of Communication Ethics. All rights reserved. Vol 11, No 4 201443

Mark Pearsonthe ego of an individual journalist or thecommercial imperative of a media employer.Again, the Leveson Report (2012) detailednumerous instances where such forces were atplay, often to the great detriment to the livesof ordinary citizens.As Smith and Novak (2003: 48) explain, rightmindfulness ‘aims at witnessing all mentaland physical events, including our emotions,without reacting to them, neither condemningsome nor holding on to others’. Buddhists (andmany others) adopt mindfulness techniques inthe form of meditation practice – sometimes inextended guided retreats. The extent to whichindividuals might want to set aside time formeditation in their own routines is up to them,but at the very least there is much to be gainedfrom journalists adopting the lay meaning of‘being mindful’. In other words, journalistsmight pause briefly for reflection upon theimplications of their actions upon others – thepeople who are the subjects of their stories,other stakeholders who might be affected bythe event or issue at hand, the effects upontheir own reputations as journalists and thecommunity standing of others, and the publicbenefits ensuing from this particular truthbeing told in this way at this time. Most ethicaltextbooks have flow charts with guidelinesfor journalists to follow in such situations– but the central qu

allow the reporting of such topics as celebrity gossip and official corruption and examines the ethics of subterfuge, deception and treat-ment of vulnerable sources in this light. Keywords: journalism, ethics, Buddhism, mind-ful journalism, philosophy, Eightfold Path Introduction This article explores the possibility of applying