The document outlines several ethical issues and guidelines for journalists, including having a code of ethics to address conflicts of interest, plagiarism, confidential sources, obscenity, photo ethics, advertising, and social media policies. It discusses how to avoid conflicts of interest by not writing about friends, relatives, or groups involved in outside activities. It also addresses avoiding plagiarism and fabrication, using anonymous sources only as a last resort, handling interviews with victims sensitively, and considering diversity in coverage.

1. Ethical issues
• Code of ethics: set of guidelines that helps
newspaper staffers make ethical decisions.
Addresses:
oConflicts of interest
oPlagiarism and fabrication
oConfidentiality of sources
oObscenity and profanity
oPhoto ethics
oAdvertising
oSocial Media Policy
• Employee manual posted on the blog
• Society of Professional Journalists’ Code
oAdapt the Associated Collegiate Press Model Code of Ethics for Collegiate
Journalists
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2. Ethical issues
Conflicts of interest:
oYou cannot write the same story for competing media
oYou cannot accept meals or gifts from sources
oYou CAN take a role in student government just as long you don’t write
about issues that come before the board
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3. Ethical issues
More on conflicts of interest:
Think about every non-newspaper thing you do and consider how it might put you in a
conflict situation. Always err on the side of caution.
oYou should not interview relatives, friends or roommates for a
story, or professors if you currently have them as an instructor.
This could cause you to hesitate to ask challenging questions,
or intentionally leave out certain questions so you don’t make
anyone look bad.
oYou should avoid socializing with people, students, professors
or staff on the beat that you cover. So, do not attend a party at
a source’s home because, in building a personal relationship, it
makes it more difficult for you to treat all sources fairly
oLimit your political activities to the voting booth and do not
speak out publicly on issues or take part in activities or events
that could be considered political.
oIf you play in the band, you can not cover the band. If you play
sports, you cannot cover the sport. Sports reporters should be
a journalist, first, not a fan.
oWhen you accept a story, think long and hard if you face ANY
conflict of interest.
oYou should NEVER show a story to a source before
publication. You CAN read quotes and facts to a source if they
feel a need to confirm their quotes. You should never promise a
copy of the story. 3

4. Ethical issues
Plagiarism and fabrication:
oJayson Blair - fabrication
oBrown Daily Herald – plagiarizing columns
oUniversity News – plagiarizing movie reviews
• First offense is cause for termination
• Copying other people’s work and making things up is plagiarism
Attribute information in stories and
oDefinition: From SPJ:
actually know the subject matter well so you can
explain it in your own words without relying on
someone else.
Integrity and credibility, two of the most important values in journalism,
demand that all media outlets be clear about the source of stories they did
not produce.
oHow to avoid temptations:
oFor your stories, you must submit a source list that
includes phone numbers or email addresses for all
people interviewed, website addresses for online
sources, and citations for all books and articles used for
research.
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5. Ethical issues
Obscenity and profanity:
oThere is never a good reason to print vulgar language just to get a reaction. The staff should
be sure that the words are a justifiable part of the story.
oObscenity or profanity must give added insight into the character of the speaker.
oThe full word is not printed. The first letters are printed and the rest of the word is replaced by
dashes (-).
oWords such as hell, damn, bitch are not considered obscene. These 7 are NEVER allowed:
• Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, Cocksucker, Motherfucker, and Tits
oSexually explicit material: case by case; show good taste
• Pierced nipple example for extreme body piercing
• Interviewing victims of tragedy
oOne of the best lessons you can get for a career as a reporter:
oYou’re doing a service for your readers and the people touched by the tragedy
oYou can tell the story in a way that is constructive
oYou cant avoid intruding on someone in grief because you have
to get your story written. Just be sensitive and respectful in
your approach.
o“I’m sorry for your loss,” is the ONLY way to start the
conversation.
oDon’t assume anyone wants or does not want to talk.
Sometimes they are eager to share.
oIf not, be respectful and polite. Leave your number or a
business card. Maybe they will change their mind and you want
them to remember YOU first.
oMake sure the person understands the terms: “This is for a
story I’m writing for the newspaper where your name will
appear.
oIMPORTANT: Pay attention to your emotions during the 5
interview and let your reactions inform your reporting (while

6. Ethical issues
Covering suicide:
oWhether or how to?
oWe should not cover suicide unless it causes a public spectacle; it’s committed in
connection with a homicide, kidnapping or serious crime; it involves a public figure.
• Suicides of a member of the campus community impacts all of us
oThird leading cause of death among 15 to 24 year olds after accidents and
homicides
oWe don’t want to start a suicide contagion
oAvoid speculating the motivation for the suicide
oConsider adding trends in rates, myths about suicide,
warning signs or other actions that people can take to
prevent suicide
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7. Ethical issues
Confidential Sources
oAnonymous or unnamed sources chip away at the credibility of a newspaper
oBut some stories like Watergate would never be told unless a reporter protected a
source’s identity
• You have to balance the importance of the information against
the risk to the source
oOften, there’s no compelling reason to protect the source or use the quote
oA reporter should not promise confidentiality to a
source without the editor’s permission. You should
urge the source to allow an attribution.
oAnonymous sources will be used if the story is of
compelling or vital interest and only as a last resort.
oConfidentiality will be granted only where there is a
danger of physical, emotional or financial harm if the
source goes on record. The editor must know the
name and consequences surrounding the request for
confidentiality even though the information is being
withheld from print. 7

8. Ethical issues
o If a source requests confidentiality:
• Evaluate the info: is it credible? Vital? Could you get this
information from another source who would be named?
• Talk to your source: ask what the consequences will be. Explain
the news policy. Try to convince!
• Find other sources: Get someone else!
• Talk to your editor: Discuss the pros and cons of using an
anonymous source
o If you decide to go with the anonymity,
briefly explain in the article why you are
protecting the source’s identity.
o Be on the lookout for sensitive material that may be offensive or disturbing to
people
o News Watch Diversity Style Guide – a diverse staff helps a newspaper cover a
multicultural community
o Reach out with campus and community groups
o Ask hard questions! Is it fair? Will these words hurt people?
• Case study
• http://journalism.indiana.edu/resources/ethics/
• Group decision making
• Warn the reader
• Be open to criticisms and respond to letters
• If we make a mistake, we will take responsibility
• But we will still stand by our decisions and learn from our mistakes
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9. o Ethics Audit
Ethical issues
o Collect demographic information about the campus:
racial, ethnic, gender compositions of students and
faculty; age of students; numbers of part- and full-
time students and faculty
o Then study several issues of the paper and determine
if the men and women appearing as subjects in the
stories or photos are representative of campus? What
is the racial balance? What words are being used to
describe people? Who is missing from the coverage?
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10. Ethical issues
• Social media policies
• BEST BUY: The company does not want information shared
that isn’t meant to be public.
• •Tweeters cannot share Best Buy logos and other items
related to the company. (being too cautious? I guess that
depends on the industry you are in. For a big brand like Best
Buy, it's understandable.)
• •Best Buy wants each employee to differentiate themselves
and state their tweets and posts are theirs -- and theirs alone --
and not associated with Best Buy. (If an employee crosses a
line, Best Buy won't experience such harsh brand backlash.)
• IBM: Clear cut guidelines regarding what cannot be shared
and how the company communicates.
• However, IBM also encourages “IBMers” to express
themselves, let their voice shine, and demonstrate their skills
and creativity on social media.
• Employees are encouraged to inspire discourse and share
ideas via blogging and social media.
• (blog.hubspot.com: of 5 Noteworthy Examples of Corporate
Social Media Policies)
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