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    SPJ Code of Ethics

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    jvanwyke
    The document presents the Code of Ethics for members of the Society of Professional Journalists. The code outlines principles for journalists to seek truth, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable. It states journalists should be honest, fair, and courageous in gathering information while respecting privacy and avoiding misleading reporting. Journalists are asked to avoid conflicts of interest and remain free of outside influence in their work.

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    SPJ Code of Ethics

    Uploaded by

    jvanwyke
    713 views1 page
    The document presents the Code of Ethics for members of the Society of Professional Journalists. The code outlines principles for journalists to seek truth, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable. It states journalists should be honest, fair, and courageous in gathering information while respecting privacy and avoiding misleading reporting. Journalists are asked to avoid conflicts of interest and remain free of outside influence in their work.

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    The document presents the Code of Ethics for members of the Society of Professional Journalists. The code outlines principles for journalists to seek truth, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable. It states journalists should be honest, fair, and courageous in gathering information while respecting privacy and avoiding misleading reporting. Journalists are asked to avoid conflicts of interest and remain free of outside influence in their work.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    713 views1 page

    SPJ Code of Ethics

    Uploaded by

    jvanwyke
    The document presents the Code of Ethics for members of the Society of Professional Journalists. The code outlines principles for journalists to seek truth, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable. It states journalists should be honest, fair, and courageous in gathering information while respecting privacy and avoiding misleading reporting. Journalists are asked to avoid conflicts of interest and remain free of outside influence in their work.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 1

    Preamble

    Code of Ethics
    Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and
    the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and
    comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the
    public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist’s credibility.
    Members of the Society share a dedication to ethical behavior and adopt this code to declare the Society’s principles
    and standards of practice.

    Seek Truth and Report It Minimize Harm


    Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous Ethical journalists treat sources, subjects and
    in gathering, reporting and interpreting information. colleagues as human beings deserving of respect.
    Journalists should:
    Journalists should:
    P Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by news coverage. Use
    P Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent special sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects.
    error. Deliberate distortion is never permissible. P Be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those
    P Diligently seek out subjects of news stories to give them the opportunity to respond to affected by tragedy or grief.
    allegations of wrongdoing. P Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort.
    Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance.
    P Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as
    P Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about
    possible on sources’ reliability.
    themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention.
    P Always question sources’ motives before promising anonymity. Clarify conditions Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy.
    attached to any promise made in exchange for information. Keep promises. P Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity.
    P Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, P Be cautious about identifying juvenile suspects or victims of sex crimes.
    audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not P Be judicious about naming criminal suspects before the formal filing of charges.
    oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context. P Balance a criminal suspect’s fair trial rights with the public’s right to be informed.
    P Never distort the content of news photos or video. Image enhancement
    for technical clarity is always permissible. Label montages and photo illustrations.
    Act Independently
    Journalists should be free of obligation to any
    P Avoid misleading re-enactments or staged news events. interest other than the public’s right to know.
    If re-enactment is necessary to tell a story, label it. Journalists should:
    P Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information P Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
    except when traditional open methods will not yield information vital to the public. P Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity
    Use of such methods should be explained as part of the story. or damage credibility.
    P Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and shun secondary
    P Never plagiarize.
    employment, political involvement, public office and service in community
    P Tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience boldly, organizations if they compromise journalistic integrity.
    even when it is unpopular to do so. P Disclose unavoidable conflicts.
    P Examine their own cultural values and avoid imposing P Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable.
    those values on others. P Deny favored treatment to advertisers and special interests and resist their pressure
    P Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, to influence news coverage.
    sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status. P Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; avoid bidding for news.

    P Support the open exchange of views, even views they find repugnant. Be Accountable
    P Give voice to the voiceless; official and unofficial sources of information Journalists are accountable to their readers, listeners,
    can be equally valid. viewers and each other.
    Journalists should:
    P Distinguish between advocacy and news reporting.
    P Clarify and explain news coverage and invite dialogue with the public
    Analysis and commentary should be labeled and not misrepresent fact or context.
    over journalistic conduct.
    P Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur P Encourage the public to voice grievances against the news media.
    the lines between the two. P Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.
    P Recognize a special obligation to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in the P Expose unethical practices of journalists and the news media.
    open and that government records are open to inspection. P Abide by the same high standards to which they hold others.

    Sigma Delta Chi’s first Code of Ethics was borrowed from the American Society of Newspaper Editors in 1926. In 1973, Sigma Delta Chi wrote its own code, which was revised in 1984 and 1987.
    The present version of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics was adopted in September 1996.

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