The Golden Rule of Ethics: Treat the Public the Way You Want to be Treated

Jennica Lurie
jl390412@ohio.edu

We all have decisions to make in life about what is wrong and what is right. When we were toddlers and decided to throw a temper tantrum instead of telling Mom what was upsetting us, there were consequences for our choice of bad behavior. These same rules govern journalism as we know it, today. The only difference is instead of a timeout, a journalist who breaks moral codes can be suspended or even fired from their job. There are certain ethical and moral codes each journalist must follow in order to ensure that the public is well informed.

http://www.ahaparenting.com/parenting-tools/positive-discipline/timeouts

The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth

The number one goal and expectation of all journalists is that they report the truth. Statistics show that confidence in mass media has declined immensely since the mid-90's. Many say that this is due to citizen journalism. Social media has become a way for all people to report the news and since they have no one to answer to, there is no telling whether what they are saying is fact or fiction. Even with the development of citizen journalism, professional reporters must maintain credibility in order to boost the public's confidence. One mistake made by one journalist can have a profound negative affect on the citizen's view of all journalists.

Standing Up for What is Right

Journalists realize that every story that is published with their byline across the top holds them entirely accountable for what is written and how it affects those it is written about. Regardless of what their editors or the company they work for says, each journalist should live by the Marcus Aurelius quote, "if it's not right don't say it, if it's not right don't do it." In other words, the media should have a "Duty of Care". We all have an inner moral compass that distinguishes right from wrong. We utilize this compass in everyday life so why should it be any different when reporting accurate, fair, and honest news? The answer is, it shouldn't. A news story regardless of the platform it is distributed on should give the reporter a sense of pride in a job well done. It takes integrity to be able to turn down extra compensation in return for inaccurate advertising, or printing of false information. Journalists should never just do what they are told. If a higher-up asks them to print false information or disregard a story that must be told, it is their ethical responsibility to follow their own moral compass.

Protection of the Citizens

As members of society, our goal is to minimize harm in any way possible. If our friend asks us what we think of her new haircut or the new shoes she just bought, we usually respond with, "I love it," even if we don't actually believe what we're saying. We do this to minimize harm. At this point, the damage is done, the shoes have been bought or the hair has been cut. We don't want to make our friend upset over something so small. This same principle applies to the way journalists should report stories. If reporting the story is more harmful than it is helpful, sometimes it makes sense to rethink publishing it. Journalists can also minimize harm by being gentle and thoughtful when talking to and interviewing victims. Even though reporting accurate and fair information to the public is the number one goal of journalism, that does not mean that they must step on everyone's toes to accomplish it. If the roles were reversed I'm sure we would all appreciate a little bit of consideration.

What Happens When the Code is Broken?

So herein lies the question we are all wondering. What happens when a journalist, on any platform, breaks this code? This question happens to be much more loaded than it has ever been before. Does the idea that journalists do not have to be licensed mean that it is a much less important job than being a doctor, a lawyer, or really any other profession that requires a license? To me, it doesn't mean that at all. Instead, it means that each and every time we tweet the news, we are journalists. Every time we post a blog on how to survive college, we are a journalist. If licensing means taking away the freedom to express myself by publishing my own writing online, then I absolutely do not believe it is a fair thing to do. While many professions take away the license of those who break their code, journalism typically either suspends or fires the person from the job they worked so hard to get. Not to mention, it is one big network. That person will have a hard time getting a job in the field from that point on. To me, these consequences are just as harsh as taking away someone's license, the only difference is that in journalism everybody hears about it.