Ethics Codes in a Changing Industry

Carolyn Nachman
cn290310@ohio.edu

Most ethics codes share a core belief in truth, integrity and fairness. These principles are widespread throughout the industry of journalism, whether it be in advertising, news writing, public relations or broadcast. While the industry may be changing to a more web-based, digital age, the core values and ethics of the industry should be unwavering.

Issues of a Changing Industry

The Online News Association states that, "we believe that the Internet is the most powerful communications medium to arise since the dawn of television." I 100 percent agree with that statement. The Internet is able to reach thousands of millions of people in mere seconds. This is something that has never before been possible. Words published on the Internet can be read and re-read and criticized and analyzed in ways they have never been before. That is why it is paramount that journalists hold on to basic ethical principles, so as to continue fostering relationships between the public and the journalism industry.

Social media is also evolving the journalism industry into something it has never been before. While social media can be a great way to spread articles and create conversation between the public and professionals within the industry, it has never been easier to say the wrong thing or unintentionally insult someone. During Communications Week last year Candy Crowley visited Ohio University, and I was able to hear her speak. Throughout the one hour question and answer session, one thing she said really stuck out. When the topic of Twitter came up she mentioned that she hardly ever tweets because you are always one tweet away from being fired. The accuracy of that statement cannot be understated. It is important to also remember to hold true to the values of honesty, loyalty and fairness even when writing something as minimal as a tweet.

Time Crunch

Time constraints and deadlines pressures often lead to inaccurate reports, which can violate core ethics codes. This was explicitly seen during the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. In an effort to be the first to break the story, or have the most up-to-date information, many well-established, reputable news organizations, including The New York Times and CNN, broke news that was later found to be untrue. Following a trail lead by 140 characters expressed on Twitter, is not the way to investigate a story.

Photo Courtesy of Wired.com

While using various forms of social media, such as Twitter, may not always be the best way to investigate a story, that is not to say that it can't greatly enhance the story being told. During the 2013 Superbowl, Oreo unveiled, what many consider, a piece of marketing genius. Just as the lights went out after the halftime show, the Oreo Twitter account released an advertisement attached to a tweet. This creative, spur of the moment advertisement is still talked about today. While time pressures may been seen as an inhibition to many, it can also create something spectacular without breaking any ethical codes.