Yes, but the author wasn’t forced at gunpoint, presumably, to work with that particular editor. So then the question can be reframed as: why did the author choose to work with an editor that seems untrustworthy?
Journalists at most news outlets do not choose which editor(s) they work with on a given story, except insofar as they choose to not quit their job. This does not feel like a fair basis on which to hold the journalist responsible for the headline chosen by their editor(s).
Maybe if they were deceived into thinking the editor was genuine and trustworthy, but otherwise if they knew they’re working with someone untrustworthy , and they still choose to associate their names together publicly, then obviously it impacts their credibility.
Insofar as a reporter works for an outlet that habitually writes misleading headlines, that does undermine the credibility of the reporter, but that’s partly true because outlets that publish grossly misleading headlines tend to take other ethical shortcuts as well. But without that general trend or a broader assessment of an outlet’s credibility, it’s possible that an otherwise fair story would get a misleading headline through no fault of the reporter, and it would be incorrect to judge the reporter for that (as Eli says above).
Yes, but the author wasn’t forced at gunpoint, presumably, to work with that particular editor. So then the question can be reframed as: why did the author choose to work with an editor that seems untrustworthy?
Journalists at most news outlets do not choose which editor(s) they work with on a given story, except insofar as they choose to not quit their job. This does not feel like a fair basis on which to hold the journalist responsible for the headline chosen by their editor(s).
Why does it not feel like a fair basis?
Maybe if they were deceived into thinking the editor was genuine and trustworthy, but otherwise if they knew they’re working with someone untrustworthy , and they still choose to associate their names together publicly, then obviously it impacts their credibility.
Insofar as a reporter works for an outlet that habitually writes misleading headlines, that does undermine the credibility of the reporter, but that’s partly true because outlets that publish grossly misleading headlines tend to take other ethical shortcuts as well. But without that general trend or a broader assessment of an outlet’s credibility, it’s possible that an otherwise fair story would get a misleading headline through no fault of the reporter, and it would be incorrect to judge the reporter for that (as Eli says above).