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Preamble |
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Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that
public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by
seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and
issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and
specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a
journalist's credibility. Members of the Society
share a dedication to ethical behavior and adopt this code to declare the
Society's principles and standards of practice. |
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Seek Truth and Report It
Journalists should be
honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting
and interpreting information.
Journalists should:
- Test the accuracy of information from all
sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error. Deliberate
distortion is never permissible.
- Diligently seek out subjects of news stories to
give them the opportunity to respond to allegations of wrongdoing.
- Identify sources whenever feasible. The public is entitled to as much information as
possible on sources' reliability.
- Always question sources’ motives before
promising anonymity. Clarify conditions attached
to any promise made in exchange for information. Keep
promises.
- Make certain that headlines, news teases and
promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and
quotations do not misrepresent. They should not
oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context.
- Never distort the content of news photos or
video. Image enhancement for technical clarity is
always permissible. Label montages and photo
illustrations.
- Avoid misleading re-enactments or staged news
events. If re-enactment is necessary to tell a
story, label it.
- Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods
of gathering information except when traditional open methods will not
yield information vital to the public. Use of
such methods should be explained as part of the story
- Never plagiarize.
- Tell the story of the diversity and magnitude
of the human experience boldly, even when it is unpopular to do so.
- Examine their own cultural values and avoid
imposing those values on others.
- Avoid stereotyping by race, gender, age,
religion, ethnicity, geography, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance or social status.
- Support the open exchange of views, even views
they find repugnant.
- Give voice to the voiceless; official and
unofficial sources of information can be equally valid.
- Distinguish between advocacy and news reporting. Analysis and commentary should be labeled and not misrepresent fact or context.
- Distinguish news from advertising and shun
hybrids that blur the lines between the two.
- Recognize a special obligation to ensure that
the public's business is conducted in the open
and that government records are open to inspection.
Minimize Harm
Ethical journalists
treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings
deserving of respect.
Journalists should:
- Show compassion for those who may be affected
adversely by news coverage. Use special
sensitivity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or
subjects.
- Be sensitive when seeking or using interviews
or photographs of those affected by tragedy or grief.
- Recognize that gathering and reporting
information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit
of the news is not a license for arrogance.
- Recognize that private people have a greater
right to control information about themselves than do public officials and
others who seek power, influence or attention. Only
an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy.
- Show good taste. Avoid
pandering to lurid curiosity.
- Be cautious about identifying juvenile suspects
or victims of sex crimes.
- Be judicious about naming criminal suspects
before the formal filing of charges.
- Balance a criminal suspect’s fair trial rights
with the public’s right to be informed.
Act Independently
Journalists should be
free of obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know.
Journalists should:
- Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived.
- Remain free of associations and activities that
may compromise integrity or damage credibility.
- Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and
special treatment, and shun secondary employment, political involvement,
public office and service in community organizations if they compromise
journalistic integrity.
- Disclose unavoidable conflicts.
- Be vigilant and courageous about holding those
with power accountable.
- Deny favored treatment to advertisers and
special interests and resist their pressure to influence news coverage.
- Be wary of sources offering information for
favors or money; avoid bidding for news.
Be Accountable
Journalists are
accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers and
each other.
Journalists should:
- Clarify and explain news coverage and invite
dialogue with the public over journalistic conduct.
- Encourage the public to voice grievances
against the news media.
- Admit mistakes and correct them promptly.
- Expose unethical practices of journalists and
the news media.
- Abide by the same high standards to which they
hold others.
The SPJ Code of Ethics is voluntarily embraced by thousands of
writers, editors and other news professionals. The present version of
the code was adopted by the 1996 SPJ National Convention, after months
of study and debate among the Society's members.
Sigma Delta Chi's first Code of Ethics was borrowed from the
American Society of Newspaper Editors in 1926. In
1973, Sigma Delta Chi
wrote its own code, which was revised in 1984, 1987
and 1996.