Ethic Codes Today

 Ethic Codes Today

Mylan Foster 

mf173318@ohio.edu 

A Code of Ethics shows that the work being published is the truth and can be trusted amongst the audience. It should reflect the morals and values of the specific company or business. Sometimes when a person under the organization or business does not follow the code of ethics, they could lose their job. That shows the critical role of the code of ethics. 

In an article written by Adam Hayes, he states a significant type of ethic code: Value-based Code of Ethics. In my opinion, this is the most critical form because the value of an organization or business is significant for people to see and understand to decide whether or not they trust them. It also shows their commitment to their audience and what they stand for. Personally, knowing what a company stands for is very important for me to see to understand how they want their image to be seen.  

Journalists are required to give the truth when writing a story. A big part of ethics is knowing who your audience is and knowing how to appeal to as many people as possible while also keeping the story's integrity. It is essential to realize that telling the complete truth in writing is how to gain the trust of your audience. Once you have gained their trust, that is how you keep them coming back because they can count on you to be a reliable source for them. Therefore, what their image is and what they stand for is very important to see and look at to know if they are truly genuine about the content that is being put out. 

In an article written by Paul Schempp, he mentions how ethic codes can constantly change and evolve to stay up to date with the current times. There was some trouble with the code of ethics because some saw it as not clear enough. Ensuring that the code is straightforward is vital so that all journalists are on the same accord when writing their stories. There are also six universal ethical principles that Schempp mentions:  trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. These six principles are all keys to showcasing the most authentic values to an audience. 

Sources:

https://www.asaecenter.org/resources/articles/an_plus/2021/january/four-steps-to-updating-your-ethics-code

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/code-of-ethics.asp