A survey of online news people rated the quality of online news. Top rankings went to content criteria, such as credibility and utility, suggesting that many traditional journalism values remain paramount.

This survey explores whether readers and editors agree on what makes a good newspaper. The results show that readers and editors of newspapers agree on the importance of many traditional journalistic standards, such as integrity, impartiality, editorial independence, strong local news coverage, accuracy, and good writing. However, readers do not value professional staffing goals and enterprise reporting as highly as do editors, particularly editors at larger newspapers. Other results of this study more finely distinguish differences between editors and readers at newspapers of different circulation sizes.

Editors do share common values, regardless of the size of their papers. But this study of 257 editors shows that editors of smaller papers evaluate newspaper excellence differently than do their big-paper counterparts.

Transparency is important in today's business environment. The use of euphemisms decreases transparency yet is increasing in business and business education. This study examines the effects of euphemism on people's attitudes toward actions and their intentions to perform those actions. It also measures the effect of oversight on attitudes and behavioral intentions. Using a 2 9 2 experimental design, we measured participants' attitudes by employing a semantic differential scale and behavioral intentions by using a simple yes/no question regarding the action described. A questionnaire with 20 brief scenarios provided the euphemistic (transparent) versus non-euphemistic (less-transparent) condition. Oversight versus non-oversight conditions were manipulated through instructions to participants. Hypotheses regarding the effects of euphemism were supported; participants were both more likely to rate an action as appropriate and to indicate they would take that action when stated euphemistically. Oversight did not have a significant effect on attitude toward the action, but did significantly affect participants' intentions to take that action. Findings suggest both managerial and ethical implications for businesses. Greater transparency includes more straight talk and less euphemism and is recommended to ensure employees' understanding and implementation of ethical business actions.

No abstract