A Code of Ethics

Mitchell Lyons
ml082312@ohio.edu

Media and Journalism is always changing. Journalism has come a long way since the first newspaper was printed back in 1690.

Journalism went from newspapers to radio to television and now online and social media. Social media can be a great tool to quickly spread information to a mass audience. However, it can be a bad thing as well. It has led to "Fake News" and everything being criticized and looked at through a magnifying glass. This has helped lead to a lack of trust between the media and the public.

Currently, the trust the public has in the American media is at an all-time low. A Gallup Poll shows that the trust Americans have in the media to "report the news fully and accurately" is 32 percent, the lowest in their polling history. That number is way too low considering the job of a journalist is to accurately and fairly report the news. All journalists have a responsibility to report the truth. But beyond that, they all have a code of ethics they should follow.

Image from Mayrsom.com

The Code of Ethics For Journalists 

No matter what company a journalist works for, they all have a code of ethics. The Society of Public Journalists (SPJ), National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) advertising agencies all have their own ethics code. However, because of the first amendment, these groups cannot enforce their ethics codes. If journalists had to follow the groups ethics code, it would cut into their first amendment right of Freedom of Press. SPJ says that even though they cannot force journalists to abide by their ethics code, they believe they have provided a very strong framework and guidelines for the journalists to follow, should they want to.

Advertising

Advertising is an extremely important part of every company. However, it is an important part of journalism as well. It is how newspapers, television stations etc. make most of their money. However, advertising can be very misleading. They tend to oversell their product. A company like Flex Seal tries to sell there customers that their product can fix anything, including a boat. This overselling has led to distrust between companies and their consumers. Nineteen percent of people in a Harris Poll say that they trust advertisers to be honest in their claims all or most of the time. This is a problem for everyone involved. The Institute for Advertising Ethics (IAE) was created to help do what is "right of the consumer." This group should hopefully help the consumer understand what they are really getting in a product.

Conclusion 

Ultimately, it comes down to the journalist. They must have their own personal code of ethics for themselves. It is important for each journalist to have boundaries for themselves that they will not cross. Not only do journalists need to have boundaries, but also they must get back to the basics. Journalists must get back to the most important thing in journalism; taking responsibility for their work and "seek the truth and report it." The rise of "Fake News" has caused the public to lose trust in the media. It's time to get it back. The public needs to see that their are still good journalists out there that have strong ethics and will report the truth.