Codes not always followed

Gregory York

gy028518@ohio.edu

Various ethics codes exist to guide journalists, advertisers, and public relations professionals. These codes began in 1908 and came about during a period of yellow journalism and sensationalism. People at that time wanted more transparent and truthful news. Much competition existed as various print media competed for viewers. In our current social media/mobile communication world, the same intense competition exists and causes some to not follow the codes.

Picture source: World Wide Vital

The core journalism values are truth, independence, accountability/transparency, minimize harm, fairness, integrity, and public trust. The codes that guide journalists are voluntary and are not enforced. The Society of Professional Journalists’ code of ethics encourages journalists to be ethical, follow its guidelines, seek and report truth, and take responsibility for the accuracy of their work. The NPPA asks visual journalists to be accurate and not manipulate images or alter sound to mislead their audience. The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) does not enforce its code; however, it retains the right to “bar from membership or expel from the Society any individual who has been or is sanctioned by a government agency or convicted in court of law of an action that fails to comply with the Code.” The Principles and Practices for Advertising ethics advocates high ethical standards and promotes the education of professionals on the importance of “truthful, ethical advertising.”

Those who are not professional journalists, advertisers, or public relations professionals are likely not even aware of the codes or ethical guidelines. Many are focused on profit and increasing their audience. Many are not trained on ethics nor care about truth and transparency. The PRSA Code states that its members are faithful to those they represent while honoring their obligation to serve the public interest. This can create an ethical dilemma as members seek to promote their clients while also balancing the truth. Those in public relations serve a specific client who is paying them to achieve their goals. A shocking example of this occurred before the Gulf War. 

In October 1990, a 15-year old girl known as “Nurse Nayirah” stated to the Human Rights Caucus that she had witnessed Iraqi soldiers throwing babies out of incubators to die. The US administration at the time used the story to urge military intervention in Kuwait. The story was discredited after the war, and the girl was found to be Nayirah-al-Sabah, a member of the Kuwaiti royal family and daughter of Kuwait’s Ambassador to the United States. A group called the Citizens for Free Kuwait spent much money with a public relations firm and used the story to encourage US intervention in Kuwait.

Any organization, person, or government entity today can create messages directly to the consumer. Vast majority of people are not trained on ethics or aware of any of the codes that guide professional journalists, advertisers, and public relations professionals. Centre for Media Transition prepared a report in 2018 for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). It found that news producers often make their content available to social media to attract audiences. To attract their audiences, the content is often emotional and not necessarily accurate.