Conscience and Ethics: Not Mutually Exclusive

Makenna Goad

makennagoad14@gmail.com

When one thinks about ethics in journalism, it can be assumed that the first thing that comes to mind is the Code of Ethics, created by the Society of Professional Journalists. This code, along with several others created by individual news organizations, serve as constitutions in which journalists are expected to abide by. In following these principles, the public is best informed in the most accurate and unbiased way. 

It is common sense to understand that in order to report news accurately and fair to the public, one must put their personal biases aside and simply report facts. This would require pushing aside one's conscience in certain situations and strictly following the ethics put in place for journalists.

Although a journalist's conscience could potentially inject bias into a story, it is quite unlikely if that journalist has a well-rounded moral compass and the public's best interest in mind. 

Rather than dismissing their conscience completely for the sake of accurate reporting, journalists must use it to not only their own advantage, but the public's as well.

It is a journalist's obligation to follow their conscience and challenge those in power if accuracy and fairness require them to do so. This approach has come about more often in today's world as the U.S. presidential election draws near and coronavirus cases continue to spike. 

It is important for journalists as well as those in high positions within news organizations to remember that personal responsibility must be enforced. Journalists cannot act egotistically or self-serving. In doing this, the field of journalism loses credibility along with the ethics that journalists are expected to abide by. 

According to Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, authors of The Elements of Journalism, ethics are woven into every decision a journalist needs to make. Ethics cannot be followed if one does not have personal ethics and responsibility, which ultimately serve as guides to how someone approaches the decision-making process when reporting.

Picture source: Information Age

Although journalists must be hyper-aware of how their conscience guides them, the public must also be aware in order to act as a watchdog. The press can hold authorities accountable, but the public must also do the same for journalists, especially in the polarized political climate in the United States today. 

Ethics and conscience are not mutually exclusive; they go hand-in-hand. Without using one's conscience to make fair and responsible decisions, one could not follow ethics, which ultimately are supreme in impartial decision-making. By making conscious decisions based around ethics in journalism, news is produced more accurately and free of bias.