Interim Leaders Hired for Center for Ethics in Journalism

Russell Cothren

Ray McCaffery and Ben Pollock.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Center for Ethics in Journalism in the Walter J. Lemke Department of Journalism is beginning its second year with Ray McCaffrey serving as interim director and Ben Pollock filling the position of interim assistant director.

McCaffrey has worked for more than 25 years as a journalist, including eight years as a staff writer and an editor at The Washington Post. He earned a doctorate in journalism studies from the University of Maryland. McCaffrey's bachelor’s is in psychology from Fairfield University, and he has a master’s in clinical psychology from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Pollock has worked as an editor at NWA Media and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He is a past president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. He is a Fort Smith native and earned a master's in journalism at the Fayetteville campus and a bachelor's in communication from Stanford University.

Patsy G. Watkins, associate professor of journalism, was instrumental in developing the center, and she and associate professor Gerald B. Jordan comprise the center's steering committee.

"We are all so pleased to have Ray and Ben join the Center for Ethics in Journalism this year," Watkins said. "They bring a range of skills and knowledge to this project to carry it forward according to our original goals, and also lead us to think in new and creative ways about the center's mission."

The Center for Ethics in Journalism fosters the study and practice of the principles of accuracy, fairness and service to the public in all media.

“The Center positions the Lemke Department of Journalism at the forefront of research and delivery of valuable information that media professionals need and, at times, crave,” said Larry Foley, chairman of the journalism department. “Ethical debates and discussions dominate every newsroom, and we believe the Center will provide insight, reflection and valuable resources that will be immensely helpful to journalists who strive for balance and accuracy.”

The center’s website provides information about contemporary issues in journalism ethics, hosts academic research on the topic, and offers links to ethics readings and related sites.