Follow the Code

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 446.

Significance

Because being a credible source in the world of journalism is so important, so is ethics. At every college that has a journalism program you will find at least one course on ethics that is required for students to take early in their undergraduate programs. This shows a huge role ethics plays in the field of journalism.

Even the most well-known journalism organizations worldwide, such as the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), have their own ethical codes its members and others are encouraged to follow. SPJ's Code of Ethics is accessible through its Web site.

The SPJ Code of Ethics consists of four main points, along the lines of looking for and reporting truth, decreasing harm, acting on one's own and being accountable, according to the Web site. Each of these points has points that provide further explanations for how to use the Code as a guide for ethical behavior.

The code, as SPJ states, “is intended not as a set of “rules, but as a resource for ethical decision-making.” The organization also states that under the First Amendment – the freedom of speech, religion, the press, petition and assembly – its code is not and cannot be legally enforceable. It is merely a resource for journalists and others to use as they are producing information for the print media.