Code of Ethics:

Codes of ethics were developed to be able to provide guidelines for journalists, reporters, and other media professionals to stand by and be able to take responsibility of their own actions within the media. They’re not made as rules or laws that need to be followed, so there are no legal implications to breaking them, but it allows for expectations to be set.

The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) has their own Code of Ethics that they hold their members up to as far as integrity and ensuring that information that is spread is accurate, fair, and thorough. They have four major principles stated: Seek Truth and Report it, Minimize Harm, Act Independently, and Be Accountable and Transparent (SPJ, 2014). Within Seek Truth and Report it, they ask that all their reporters and journalists provide accurate information regardless of time or format (SPJ, 2014). This will ensure that their sources are credible and if it is incorrect, they will take responsibility for the wrong information while also making sure that they are keeping promises to their sources- especially in the efforts of confidentiality and anonymity (SPJ, 2014). It also ensures that even if the reporter or journalist themselves do not agree with the views, they will still provide an accurate voice for the story of the event or person(s) they are portraying. No falsities or unattributed information will be spread to keep the level of loyalty and accountability high within their own work. Minimize Harm is important in cases of respect, especially with respect for others (SPJ, 2014). It helps to ensure that in sensitive times, they will not be intrusive to families or persons affected by recent events and provide compassion for those affected as well. This portion also holds journalists to update their information when there are updates to be make since the prior information could be incorrect or changed due to the updates themselves. Any articles that they do provide are permanent once posted and there for their audiences to read and reference back to. Act Independently ensures that they are going to avoid bias by not accepting free items or money from any companies or persons that they are reporting on while also avoiding conflicts of interest within their own lives and the stories assigned to them (SPJ, 2014). Finally, Be Accountable and Transparent ensures that they are going to hold themselves to the same standards that they request of from their own peers and colleagues (SPJ, 2014). Any clarifications or corrections will be made promptly and if there is any knowledge of unethical procedures, even in their own organizations, that they will expose it instead of standing by it and letting the individual(s) carry on.

The Institute for Advertising Ethics is similar as well; however, they have eight principles overall. They are as follows: Advertising, public relations, marketing communications, news, and editorial all share a common objective of truth and high ethical standards in serving the public, Advertising, public relations and all marketing communications professionals have an obligation to exercise the highest personal ethics in the creation and dissemination of commercial information to consumers, Advertisers should clearly distinguish advertising, public relations and corporate communications from news and editorial content and entertainment, both online and offline, Advertisers should clearly disclose all material conditions, such as payment or receipt of a free product, affecting endorsements in social and traditional channels, as well as the identity of endorsers, all in the interest of full disclosure and transparency, Advertisers should treat consumers fairly based on the nature of the audience to whom the ads are directed and the nature of the product or service advertised, Advertisers should never compromise consumers’ personal privacy in marketing communications and their choices as to whether to participate in providing their information should be transparent and easily made, Advertisers should follow federal, state and local advertising laws, and cooperate with industry self-regulatory programs for the resolution of advertising practices, Advertisers and their agencies, and online and offline media, should discuss privately potential ethical concerns, and members of the team creating ads should be given permission to express internally their ethical concerns (AAF, n.d.). These all ensure that communications will always be based off of what is right for the consumers and ensure that they will only continue to build the confidence and trust within the institutions.

These are both similar to the ethical principles of journalists created by Ed Lambeth in which he stated that journalists should be truthful, just, free, humane, and a good steward (Moore, 2017). Within Ed Lambeth’s ethics, he wanted to ensure that journalists would stay unbiased, accurate, and competent within their own information while staying fair and respectful of other humans without being swayed in the favor of another entity or person. These ethics all allow journalists and media professionals to maintain and uphold high standards for themselves and their co-workers and partners. This also ensures that they can maintain a strong level of trust from their audiences and readers and continue to build that over time.

Among the various professional codes of ethics that are already being practiced and public, there are similar best practices. Three examples of these best practices include being accurate and right, showing compassion and respect, being accountable and transparent.

With being accurate and right, media professionals should be able to provide correct information to all their audience. Being timely or the first to produce the news does not excuse them from inaccuracy. They must always provide updates or clarification of their news within a timely manner to ensure that their readers are kept up to date. Being accurate will also hold all media professionals to making sure that there is no bias within their reporting by ensuring all sides, especially the minority, are heard despite possibly opposing opinions or viewpoints on the events or topic. This is important to uphold because it will ensure that there is no stereotyping involved within the media reports itself. For instance, Duke University lacrosse players who were reported to have raped a paid stripper at a team party were stereotyped as “hooligans” despite having too little evidence to actually convict the three boys with the rape (Moore, 2017). It had already caused enough issues by tarring their reputations and even cost their coach his job, but also showed how the media took the story without first stopping to check the sources of authority on the matter and sticking to the facts, not just their own assumptions of what may have happened (Moore, 2017).

Showing compassion and respect is important as well when it comes to ethics of media professionals as they want to ensure that their reportings do not harm the persons at stake. It is important to get the most accurate information, but at the same time it is also important to avoid undue intrusiveness within times of distress or discomfort. Private people should be able to control the information about themselves without having their information broadcasted to the audience or readers of various publications and agencies. Also, asking for consent in times like juveniles or victims of sex crimes could be important within highly sensitive topics to show the respect for the individual or individuals affected. For instance, with the Duke lacrosse players, it was a question of whether or not to provide a name to the paid entertainer who claimed to be raped (Moore, 2017). Some organizations provided her name within blogs, while others like The Chicago Sun-Times, Charlotte Observer, and the New York Post identified her after the charges were withdrawn. Some, like The New York Times, Washington Post, Newsday, and the Associated Press never identified her at any point during the proceedings (Moore. 2017). Some deemed it was respectful to leave her name out while the proceedings were ongoing while some deemed it was more important to be fair in naming both the accuser and the accused.

Finally, being accountable and transparent is important within media professionals. This includes updating the information as needed and in as timely of a manner as possible. Since news and media can be fairly permanent for anyone to search for and reference back to, there need to be updates made to stories that have recently unveiled or found new information that could add on or even change the original story. This will also mean that media professionals will disclose any items, including money, provided to them to maintain accuracy. If they were given the items for free to be able to review, it should be disclosed, but if any persons, companies, or agencies provides them with money or items in exchange for a more positive report or swaying their story to seem more favorable, it should be declined. This will also ensure that all media professionals are being held to the same level as their peers. No one is exempt from maintaining the high level of ethics and if there is any unethical work, it should be revealed instead of stood behind or kept silent.

All of these ethical standards keep the news fair without hurting the readers or those being reported on from unjust events or incorrect information. Regardless, these ethical standards are not a set of rules but expectations for media professionals to maintain for the information they provide.