We have a code but there is no enforcement...Odd?

Paige Zsebik
pz862718@ohio.edu

For this week, while diving into the explanations of the various Ethics Codes for journalism, I found something to be very strange. There are a multitude of codes such as The Society of Professional Journalists' (SPJ) and Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) yet all have the same takeaway, there really is no way to strictly enforce them. So then what is the point? Who monitors these things? What consequences will occur when "breaking" them? Will the journalist police find you?
 
When I think of code of conduct, I think of rules, regulations, and clear consequences outlining what happens to the rule breakers. But the ethics codes such as The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) and American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) do not really spell out the consequences. Maybe it is just me, but I like to have clean cut instructions and know my rights from wrongs. We do not have a mechanism for investigating complaints or enforcing discipline on SPJ members, much less other journalists" The SPJ. Weird right?

These codes include things like truth and accuracy, transparency, avoiding conflicting interests, and being respectful to both parties of the story. Journalists are just expected to "follow them" and that is the end of it. It is clear this explains why social media is blasted with false advertisements of weight loss shakes they swear work or a miracle pill that makes your hair grow 10 inches in a month. We now run into another problem with journalism and today's news. What are we supposed to believe? Where is the truth? If I order your weight loss shake that you swear works and I lose no weight, who is going to reap the domino effect of that? Definitely not the celebrity on Instagram!

Our first week we dove into the truth and how in today's news, we feel as if we are not getting the whole truth, or we are constantly reading between the lines. So to now learn about the multiple ethics codes makes me question why we have our first problem. The answer I now get is because of the lack of enforcement. Because journalists are held to the expectations we will all follow the codes. We have proven that very wrong. So why keep them? What is the point? We have the good ones and the bad ones in the journalism field. What is stopping a good one from reporting false news, or losing their transparency? I guess we can sum up the lack of enforcement to this, de “is not a set of rules, rather a guide that encourages all who engage in journalism to take responsibility for the information they provide, regardless of medium. … It is not, nor can it be under the First Amendment, legally enforceable.” The RCFP

image source: https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-is-kim-kardashian-pushing-sketchy-diet-lollipops