The Importance of Ethics Codes

Carly Maurer

cm744511@ohio.edu

The Difference Between Codes and Values

Values and codes are often used synonymously but there is a distinguishing difference between the two. Values are moral principles that journalists find important and strive to uphold. They aim to do this by backing them up with codes. The purpose of a code is to outline the actions journalists need to take in order to live up to their morals and conduct themselves in an ethical manner. These differences are important to note, because one cannot uphold a valuable moral principle without first distinguishing between it and the means by which to support it.

Important Values and Codes

As would be expected, a majority of news associations have overlapping values they aim to defend. Common values include a dedication to the public trust, truth, fairness, integrity and independence among other coinciding principles. The Radio Television Digital News Association addresses each of these principles individually while the Society of Professional Journalists prefers to lump some of the corresponding codes into more general categories. Each method details what journalists need to do, but I find the way in which RTDNA compiles them to be more understandable and easier to distinguish the importance.

Widely supported codes of ethics state that journalists have a commitment to serve the public and recognize the diversity of the community and provide a full range of information to allow the public to make decisions. They have a duty to continuously seek the truth and clearly disclose the origin of the information and place primary value on significance and relevance in order inform the public without bias or stereotype.

To defend the principles of integrity and independence, journalists must avoid conflicts of interest, clearly label opinion and commentary and identify sources whenever possible. They must also prevent surreptitious newsgathering unless there is absolutely no other way to attain information. Ethical journalists do not allow outside forces to influence the news content and report the news without fear or favor.

Courtesy of True News

Why Codes are Not Enforced?

As SPJ states in their preamble, “Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist's credibility.”

There is a wide acceptance among journalists that accountability is expected and any less would not be living up to your integrity or respecting your fellow colleagues or your profession. Sure the codes aren’t technically enforced, but accountability encourages adherence to these standards and journalists recognize that they are duty bound to uphold these principles and conduct themselves ethically.  As Kovach and Rosenstiel state in the "Elements of Journalism," “Journalists have an obligation to exercise their personal conscience.” We have faith that our colleagues strive to do better and when they stop trying to do better, we will hold them accountable. Ethics codes are the bottom lines to which a journalist should not fall, as a journalist you strive to be above this line. 

What this Means for the Future 

Following a year in which many unethical occurrences took place in the media, the need for ethical reporting is arguably stronger than ever. With public support on the downside, some believe we are at an ethical decline, but as discussed in the International Business Times,  others see the turmoil as a push in a more positive direction. With a plunge in public trust and support comes and overwhelming necessity to improve and often times this is what is needed in order to achieve greater success. After all, our role as journalists is to serve the public. They are demanding change and the time for us to reinvent ourselves has arisen. I, among many journalists, take this as privilege and an opportunity to lead the field into a better future.