Significance

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 442.

Function

Why is being ethical so important? Why does it even matter?

Many people who don't quite grasp the function of ethics in print media may ask these questions. But the answer is simple.

Ethics in print media is used to establish credibility and to distinguish between what is “right” and what is “wrong,” whatever the case may be.

According to the book, Media Ethics: Issues and Cases, “ethics takes us out of the world of ‘This is the way I do it' or ‘This is the way it's always been done' into the realm of ‘This is what I should do' or ‘This is the action that can be rationally justified.”

Being ethical allows you to combine your values with your responsibilities to decide what to do in questionable situations. For example, a journalist who sees it as his responsibility to produce a true and factual story for the public will place a high value on getting the truth and will not sacrifice doing something illegal to get it.

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.