Ask the Readers: Is it possible for a journalist to write ethically about a parent’s drug addiction?
I received the following query from a writer who wishes to remain anonymous who would like to get some feedback from you readers. If you have advice for him, it would be great if you could direct it here (anonymously if you wish as well) so I can share the feedback–it might benefit some of you other readers out there. The reader has also included an email address if you want to send him/her input off the record (and if you want to send it to me AND the email address, that’s welcome as well.)
Is it possible for a journalist to write ethically about a parent’s drug addiction? Moreso, should they even consider it?
I’m a journalist in my twenties who grew up in an unusual family situation. My father was a long-term heroin, xanax and valium user whose habit progressed into full-time addiction by the time I was a teenager.
An editor at a publication where I work was recently informed of my family background by a well-meaning mutual friend; this editor expressed interest in having me write a memoir about growing up in the household I grew up in as a feature story. Writing for this publication about this topic would make the world aware of a part of my life that I have worked hard to move on from.
My family suffered greatly as a result of my father’s addiction. He lost his job and we lost our house and all our savings. My mother was an immigrant from a very traditional background who was unequipped to enter the workforce on her own. By the time I was 17, we were staying with relatives and I had to leave school to help support my mother and my sister.
As for my father, he entered into a period of long-term homelessness and is now in a nursing home as a result of permanent health complications from his drug habit.
I’ve worked very hard to get to where I am today and am very proud of it. I now manage to make a living from writing full-time. As a writer, my past pieces have all been standard hard news or feature stories. Apart from a very small circle of close friends, my girlfriend and now this editor, few people that I know of are aware of what I went through in my teenage years.
I’m highly ambivalent about the idea of writing about this topic for a variety of obvious reasons. I don’t want to be known for what happened in my past; I don’t want to hurt the feelings of people who are still alive and I don’t want to blur the facts to spare their feelings either. Is there any ethical way to write about this or should I just go with my gut and not write about it at all?
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