Podcast: The Enduring Impact of Food Lion v. ABC Primetime Live

(DENVER) — When is it okay for journalists to go undercover for a story? Where is the line between the individual right to privacy and the press’ right to gather news? Can the courts hold the press to its ethical standards? These are some of the questions raised by the Food Lion vs. ABC Primetime Live case from July 1995. Unfortunately, there seem to be no more clear answers today than there were more than 25 years ago.

In this podcast, Robert Davis dives into the issues raised by the Food Lion v. ABC Primetime Live case and discusses how it continues to impact journalism today. Davis argues that the story ABC published should be considered journalism because it uncovered a significant harm. However, that does not mean that the way ABC compiled its story was true to the ethical boundaries of journalism.