The Importance of Journalistic Ethics

Ally Campbell

ac076015@ohio.edu

In an era of "fake news" and public distrust in mainstream media, it's essential to consider the ethical obligations of journalists. 

Theoretically, the job of the media is to inform the public and create a forum for discussion. On a broader note, as written by Steve Knowlton and Bill Reader in the second edition of "Moral Reasoning for Journalists," "Journalism, in all its varied forms, is a foundation upon which the public can govern itself." 

In practice, journalists have served both as guardians and as antagonists of the public. 

Ethical Journalism 

Take Watergate for example. The media fulfilled its watchdog function and reported the scandal thoroughly and accurately. Investigative journalism played a key role in educating the public about government deceit. It led to Nixon's resignation and altered how Americans perceive the press and their government to this day. Watergate and the coverage around it are still benchmarks for successful journalism today. 

The journalists who broke Watergate and continued to cover it upheld their ethical duty to inform the public, and to do so in an accurate and transparent manner. Despite internal and external pressures, journalists such as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein worked to benefit the public as a whole. There were many before, many after and many to come, but Watergate is a shining example of ethical journalism at its best. 

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Not-So-Ethical Journalism 

On the other hand, there are plenty instances of poor ethical practices in journalism. Consider the 2014 article in Rolling Stone which falsely or inaccurately reported a rape story. The article, entitled "A Rape on Campus," intended to shed light on the serious issue of sexual assault on college campuses. In this case, however, Rolling Stone published an unverifiable story of gang rape. The more than 9,000-word article may have falsely accused members of the University of Virginia chapter of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. 

After the story's credibility was questioned, Rolling Stone asked dean of the Columbia School of Journalism, Steve Coll to produce a report explaining where the article went awry. The report called the article a failure. 

Columbia School of Journalism's report said, "The failure encompassed reporting, editing, editorial supervision and fact-checking." 

While the intent of "A Rape on Campus" may have been noble and altogether ethical, its execution was not. It's important to recognize that journalism ethics go far beyond intent. Ethics must be factored into every aspect of reporting, from sourcing to fact-checking.

So, let's consider the ethics of journalism in today's media environment. Many media organizations and professionals have their own codes of ethics, but for ease, we'll look at the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics.  

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A Code of Ethics

According to SPJ's code, there are four principles of journalistic ethics. They are: 

1. Seek Truth and Report It
2. Minimize Harm 
3. Act Independently
4. Be Accountable and Transparent 

A code of ethics holds journalists accountable and true to their purpose. In fact, if those involved in writing, fact-checking and editing "A Rape on Campus" had adhered to these principles, Rolling Stone wouldn't have lost credibility, and the Columbia School of Journalism wouldn't have published a lengthy report on the article's failure. 

Whether the SPJ code is one you subscribe to or not, it's significant to understand the importance of having a code. Ethics aren't precise or universal, but they are essential to journalists and journalism as a whole. 

An Ethical Evolution

Ethics must evolve as society does. Old journalistic norms included one-sided reporting, fabrication and other practices that would be unacceptable by today's standards. Fortunately, journalistic ethics and the accompanying norms have adapted to today's expectations for accurate, fully reported stories. 

Ethical journalism is what will bring back public trust in the media and diminish the prevalence of fake news. Going forward, journalists must consider their ethical responsibilities and work to serve the public to the best of their abilities.