Journalistic Ethics

Goals

1. Describe journalistic ethics.
2. Gage how well a news item follows these ethics.

Journalistic Ethics: What?

Professional ethics are a set of rules that guide the behavior of professionals in fields like law, plumbing, medicine, architecture, engineering, and journalism.

Journalistic ethics are the standards that competent news reporters (journalists) follow because these standards protect the public from manipulation and misinformation.

Why

If you understand the rules of ethical journalism, this equips you with two key skills:

1. You can identify news items and news sources where reporters fail to meet ethical standards. Such items and sources should be viewed with caution, as they often aim to mislead or manipulate the audience.

2. You can communicate news to others in ways that follow professional standards, increasing clarity, credibility, and trust.

Typical Ethical Standards

There are many different versions of journalistic ethics, but they all aim to serve the same general purpose: ensuring the accuracy, fairness, and integrity of journalism.

Here are some of the common items.

1. Seek truth and report it
   • Reporters should verify facts using multiple reliable sources.
   • They should avoid spreading rumors or unverified claims.
   • Look for stories that cite sources by name and explain how information was gathered.
2. Minimize harm
   • Ethical journalists consider the impact of their reporting on people’s lives.
   • They avoid sensationalism, invasion of privacy, or identifying victims without consent.
   • Watch for stories that show respect for vulnerable individuals.
3. Act independently
   • Journalists should not allow advertisers, political parties, or special interests to influence their reporting.
   • Ethical news sources disclose potential conflicts of interest.
   • Be wary of stories that promote products or political agendas without transparency.
4. Be accountable and transparent
   • Journalists admit mistakes and correct them clearly and promptly.
   • Ethical outlets explain how and why decisions were made.
   • Look for corrections, editor’s notes, or detailed sourcing.
5. Give voice to the voiceless
   • Ethical journalism includes perspectives from all sides, especially those who are underrepresented.
   • Check if stories include quotes or viewpoints from ordinary people, not just officials.
6. Avoid plagiarism
   • Journalists must create original work or clearly credit others.
   • Reputable sources name the original outlet when reusing content.
7. Label opinion as opinion
   • Ethical sources clearly separate news reporting from commentary or opinion.
   • Look for labels like “Opinion,” “Editorial,” or “Analysis.”
8. Provide context
   • Stories should include background so readers can fully understand the issue.
   • Be cautious of articles that focus only on one event or quote without broader explanation.
9. Avoid misleading headlines
   • Headlines should accurately reflect the content of the article.
   • Watch out for clickbait or exaggerated titles that don’t match the story.
10. Use reliable sources
    • Ethical journalism relies on people with direct knowledge or expertise.
    • Be suspicious of articles that rely on anonymous sources without justification or only quote vague groups like “some experts say.”

Ethical Journalism (How To)

1. Use the information in the proceeding section to make a checklist.

2. Use this checklist to measure the quality of a news item that you read or hear or a news item that you write.

Checklist

Use this checklist to evaluate the quality of a news item—whether you are reading it or writing it.

A high-quality, ethical news item should check most or all of these boxes.

• Are the facts verified using multiple reliable sources?
• Are sources clearly named and quoted where possible?
• Is the story free of rumors or unverified claims?
• Does the story avoid sensationalism and protect people’s privacy?
• Does it show care for vulnerable individuals or communities?
• Is there evidence of independence from advertisers or political influence?
• Are conflicts of interest disclosed?
• Has the outlet corrected past mistakes clearly and promptly?
• Does the story explain how information was gathered or decisions were made?
• Are multiple perspectives included, especially from ordinary or underrepresented voices?
• Is all content original or properly credited to its source?
• Is opinion clearly labeled and separated from factual reporting?
• Does the story include enough background or context to understand the issue?
• Is the headline accurate and not exaggerated or misleading?
• Are sources knowledgeable and clearly connected to the topic?
• If anonymous sources are used, is there a good reason given for anonymity?