All About the Codes

Jacquez Printup
jp583215@ohio.edu

We know that journalism takes place in many different forms including television, radio, print and so many others. And with the production of so many different stories from many different outlets, it makes sense why the public is the reporter's first priority. And when they are creating stories and reporting on news, there are rules that have to be followed. Places likes the Radio Television Digital News Association Code of Ethics, SPJ Code of Ethics, NPPA Code of Ethics and PRSA Code of Ethics exist as a resource or place for journalists to refer when making ethical decisions.

One critical component to the rules of ethics that popped up in every version was the importance of honesty. As stated before, journalists report for the public and in most cases, the public place their faith in the media to be completely honest and forthcoming with the news they're reporting. There's a level of trustworthiness that citizens place on employees of the media and maintaining that level of trust is something that should stay high on the list of priorities for public media workers.

Another important component of ethics that the RTDNA and SPJ Code of Ethics both mention is the importance of transparency. Much like the importance of honesty, transparency is major as it pertains to the information that you put out. The readers, listeners and viewers should be able to count on the reporter to put out truthful and relevant information. On the other hand, they should also be able to trust the reporter to explain their choices, answer tough questions, acknowledge mistakes and remain on the same level that they would hold their fellow colleagues on. An example of this is when former ESPN reporter Britt McHenry was caught on video camera scolding a tow lot employee. After the video was released, McHenry released a statement on Twitter explaining what took place during the moment and apologizing for her actions. Although this incident doesn't involve any of McHenry's work, I would say it falls in line with SPJ's rule of "abiding by the same high standards they expect of others."

Courtesy of onlinejournalismblog.com

Honesty and transparency are just a couple of the rules that these organizations have listed under their  codes of ethics, but the list extends far passed these two. The Codes of Ethics are important for journalists to follow for the sake of their work and for their career. I believe that these codes also give reporters a sense of responsibility for themselves and the public. They create guidelines for journalists to assure that their work is true, factual and moral.

Being a communication major pursuing a minor in journalism, I'm not privy to a lot of the knowledge that journalism majors have regarding things they focus on during their course of study. But, I do enjoy learning about the codes and other forms of ethics specifically because it allows me to take in new forms of information that I can use both in this classroom and out of the classroom.