The Many Codes of Journalism

Colin Murnan

colin.murnan@gmail.com

 

Even with the wide range of codes seeking to hold journalists accountable, there is yet to be one legitimate, enforced code of law that all journalists must follow. This may be for the best. 

A major ability of a journalist is the freedom to gather information, interview sources, and publish stories to the best of their ability. Creating strict guidelines that all journalists have to stick to runs the risk of putting journalists on a leash and stifling their ability to report quickly and effectively. 

Also, it could allow for intervention from the government to potentially enter and disrupt the flow of information. It's vital that journalism stays independent so that its employees remain unbiased communicators to the common people. 

A new segment of journalism has expanded. Industry titans like CNN, Fox, and MSNBC are now reporting on events halfway around the globe. 

There have been attempts to create a centralized code that would stretch across the world of journalism. From the Center of Journalism Ethics at the University of Madison-Wisconsin, Stephen J.A. Ward talks about a system that would take into account that widening scope of journalism and its effect on the world. 

"The idea of global media ethics arises out of a larger attempt to change, improve, or reform the global media system to eliminate inequalities in media technology and to reduce the control of global media in the hands of minority Western countries," Ward writes. "News media now inhabit a radically pluralistic, global community where the impact of their reports can have far-reaching effects - good or bad." 

But a sprawling code such as this may be hard to implement. Maybe it's easier for publications to decide how to hold their journalists accountable on their own, like the successful NPR. 

Picture source: https://www.npr.org/about-npr/182675632/photos-and-logos

"The mission of NPR, in partnership with its member stations, is to create a more informed public, one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding of and appreciation of events, ideas, and culture within the United States and across the globe," the NPR web site states. "To this end, NPR reports, produces, acquires and distributes news, information and other content that meet the highest standards of public service in journalism and cultural expression."

A clear, concise mission, and the oversight of and reinforcement of these messages, perhaps is the best way to keep journalists on the right track. It's essential, especially in these times, to keep the central purpose of journalism at the forefront: Pursuit of the truth.