Media Ethics Vocabulary

verb to speak of in a way that shows a lack of respect or approval

• It is unprofessional to disparage your colleagues in the workplace.
• Don't disparage your friends behind their backs.
• Stop dissing me, it's not cool to disparage others.
• His constant criticism seemed to disparage even the brightest ideas.

noun a person who searches out and publicly exposes real or apparent misconduct of a prominent individual or business

• The investigative journalist was known as a muckraker for her relentless pursuit of uncovering corruption.
• I heard that gossip columnist is a real muckraker, always digging up dirt on celebrities.
• Don't listen to him, he's just a muckraker spreading rumors.
• In literature, the author portrayed the protagonist as a muckraker, revealing the hidden truths of society.

verb to state or represent (something) too strongly; exaggerate

• It is important not to overstate the impact of this new policy on the economy.
• Don't make it seem like the situation is worse than it actually is.
• Let's not blow this out of proportion.
• She tends to exaggerate things and always overstates the facts.

adjective a word or phrase naming an attribute, added to or grammatically related to a noun to modify or describe it

• The politician filed a lawsuit against the newspaper for publishing slanderous statements about him.
• I can't believe she spread those slanderous rumors about her coworker.
• She's always talking smack and spreading slanderous lies.
• His words were like a barrage of slanderous arrows, aimed to damage her reputation.

adjective a word that describes or modifies a noun, in this case meaning not suitable for printing or publication

• The document contained several unprintable characters that caused formatting issues.
• I can't believe he said such unprintable things in front of everyone.
• The conversation got so heated that they started hurling unprintable insults at each other.
• The artist's work was so provocative that some considered it unprintable in mainstream publications.

noun a person who leaks information, especially secret or classified information

• The company launched an investigation to identify the leaker of confidential information.
• I heard there's a leaker in the office who's been sharing gossip with everyone.
• That leaker is always spilling the tea on everyone's business.
• The journalist was hailed as a hero for being a leaker of important government secrets.

noun a blend of the words 'stalker' and 'paparazzi', referring to aggressive paparazzi photographers who stalk celebrities

• The stalkerazzi's unethical behavior was condemned by the media ethics committee.
• The stalkerazzi were lurking outside the celebrity's house again.
• Those stalkerazzi are always trying to get a scoop on the stars.
• The stalkerazzi's constant surveillance felt like a violation of privacy.