You’re a reporter for the Daily Bugle. Doing a bit of routine research in the university library, you come across pretty solid evidence that the Democratic candidate for president was guilty of _____________ back in college.
You call the campaign for a reaction, and receive a terse “No comment.”
But later that evening you get a call from a senior aide. “Listen,” he says. “Regardless of the truth of what you called about earlier, the reality is that this election is going to be close. Very close. Now, you know and I know that this country needs to get a Democrat into the White House; we can’t afford another four years of Republican control. You KNOW this. I’m asking you to hold off on your story until after the election.”
What values of “______________” might make it ethical to acede to the request? Any at all?
I’m not asking what you, personally, would do; this isn’t a poll. I’m asking what you believe would be the ethical course, and how it might change based on the nature and quality of “____________________”