American journalists are held to high standards and follow both moral and ethical codes that keep their work truthful and fair to their readers. Many people trust news outlets, which is why journalists should always strive to provide accurate information to their consumers. If in the case that a journalist releases incorrect content, it is their responsibility to rightfully correct the news to the best of the writers ability.
People working in both journalism and strategic communication industries have one major thing in common: ethical codes. Communication professionals ensure integrity and loyalty in every news article they write or advertisement they create. Viewers digest various kinds of journalistic content daily, and the content should always bring clarity to the reader.
NPR released an ethical handbook that states missions, guidelines and principals to provide the reader with content that is "fair and complete as possible". The book explains that whether NPR distributes information, via newspaper, television, web, radio, or any other form, they "must attain the highest quality and strengthen credibility". Most major news outlets provide an ethical mission statement as part of a guide for the moral obligations of the company.
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Cartoon by Martin Loftin |
News outlets such as NPR and CNN require journalists to read and follow their handbook for guidance in writing. NPR also asks journalists to visit the company's ethical codes, especially in matters of controversy, in order to uncover and report both sides of every story. It is important for journalists to leave personal opinions and biases behind them when writing, and to report on relevant news, especially in hard news such as politics, government or economy.
The New York Times also provides ethical guidelines for their journalists. All members of The New York Times editorial process and staff are to understand the news outlet's ethical values and dedication to providing insightful content to readers. The handbook explains rules and regulations with relationships to sources, loyalty to providing truthful content and to minimize harm to both the news outlet and the reader.
Marketing and advertising agencies also have ethical codes that they expect all employees to follow. Mad Fish Digital, a digital marketing firm, provides employees a code of ethics that explains that they will "do no harm to a client" and will not "intentionally mislead traffic to sites".
Enforcing moral and ethical codes allows readers and clients to trust the content provided by news outlets or strategic communication agencies. Ethical codes shape the way journalists provide readers with informative content. Ethics plays a part in all business, journalism and strategic communications.
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