Final essay

Running Head: ETHICAL CODE OF CONDUCT 1
Ethical Code of Conduct
Connie Butts
JRN 333: Ethics in Journalism
Dr. Teresa R. Taylor-Moore
April 12, 2015

Ethical Code of Conduct
Members of this television news station believe that relevant truth telling is a sacred duty
that is at the heart of a free society. Our conscientious journalists report and write stories daily
that impact the community and keep them informed of current events. This sacred duty inspires
these journalists to seek out the truth and fearlessly report it in an accurate, complete, and fair
manner that provides the community with the information needed to make informed choices.
(Jacquette, 2010) Through personal integrity and accountability this station strives to set a
positive example by displaying the highest principles in fact-finding and interviewing people in
order to get the true and factual account behind each story and then present it in a manner that
shows respect and consideration to all involved. In evidence of this stations principles and
personal commitment, we adopt this Code of Conduct as our guideline in gathering information
and reporting news stories (see appendix).
Seek Truth and Report it
This station will verify the accuracy of all sources in order to demonstrate responsible
news reporting, realizing the harm that spreading false information can cause to the community
and society as a whole. (Jacquette, 2010) Information that is received from sources will be
verified through fact checking in order to present stories that are both truthful and based on data
before being considered as a credible source (Lazaroiu, 2009) as well as by interviewing persons
involved in the story to reduce the risk of bias and make sure no facts are misrepresented. This
will contribute to an objective and impartial story that will serve the public (Pala, 2011).
All sources will be identified unless extenuating circumstances forbid their disclosure, in
that case they will be rarely used and only if the information they provide can be confirmed. No

source will be viewed as credible until steps are taken to verify the information they present and
it can be backed up by documentation. The confidential source, or informant will be a subject
that is shared with a trusted workmate or editor for oversight and verification that the source is
indeed a real person and has provided reliable information in the past (Jacquette, 2010). Once a
confidential informant’s personal and provided information is verified and documented they can
expect full cooperation in keeping them anonymous. The objective of this news station is to
provide relevant truth telling in the public interest while avoiding presenting falsehoods, both
intentional and unintentional. This goal will be realized through verifying and documenting facts
and giving an opportunity to all parties in a news story to give their accounts as they experience
them.
Stories gathered and verified by this station will be presented boldly and in an unbiased
manner in order for the community to understand the facts in the same manner as those who
were the participants when the story unfolded. Therefore, personal bias will be avoided in
writing and presenting stories and every effort will be made to reflect the thoughts and feelings
of the subjects presented without prejudice. It is the goal of this station to “promote peace and
understanding, to work with honesty, clarity, and compassion: to challenge stereotyping and
expose corruption and lying - and to respect diversity and difference” (Wilson, 2010). Presenting
the news in an honest and fair manner will help the station attain this goal.
Sensational news reporting and over dramatization of incidents in the interest of
increased ratings will be avoided by this station. This type of reporting has contributed to undue
fear and distrust among communities. An article from the English Journal (1995) stressed this
point by referring to an article about a boy who had taken a gun to school. The article stated that
“students and teachers were terrorized that day by a gun toting student” when in actuality only

one student and the administrator had any knowledge of the incident, other than the boy who
possessed the gun, until after it had been reported on the news (McLean, 1995). If the facts had
been adhered to in this incident rather than story being fabricated, the story would have remained
low key, and no panic or undue concern would have been raised.
Minimize Harm
This news station fully recognizes that stories that are not covered in a compassionate and
respectful way can cause great harm to those involved in news stories that are covered.
Therefore, every effort will be made to minimize harm to the extent possible. This will be done
by showing compassion and using special sensitivity to the inexperienced and the young
(Jacquette, 2010). Special sensitivity for children that are victims of crimes or accused of crime
is essential for their lives and reputations to resume in a normal manner. The public’s right to
know must come secondary if the consequences of revealing information could result in ruining
the life of a child overall. A news story can present enough relevant information to the public to
effectively cover an event and withhold specifics like names if it serves the greater good and
minimizes harm to those in question. This is especially true in the case of children and victims
of sex crimes (Jacquette, 2010).
Compassion and sensitivity must also be used when dealing with those effected by
tragedy or grief. Sensitivity should never be sacrificed in order to obtain facts when dealing with
these persons. The responsible journalist recognizes that “people are adversely affected by news
coverage at times and that causes discomfort.” (Jacquette, 2010) They act accordingly by
showing compassion and good taste while remembering that “only an overriding public need can
justify intrusion into anyone’s right to privacy” (Jacquette, 2010). Care must be taken in naming
criminal suspects before formal charges have been made in order to ensure the public’s right to

know does not jeopardize the right of the accused to have a fair trial. (Jacquette, 2010) The
responsible journalist knows and understands the potential consequences if the accused is
actually innocent. Therefore, the current circumstances must be carefully weighed and care must
be taken not to become overly aggressive or arrogant in these matters. Keeping these facts close
in mind causes a good journalist to treat all they encounter with respect.
The current trend of stereotyping minorities has caused harm, not only to the specified
groups but, to society as a whole. An article found in The American Behavioral Science (2003)
alluded to the fact that stereotyping minority ethnic backgrounds has bred an environment of
distrust and fear (Klein, 2003). This article stated that “minorities are portrayed more frequently
than whites as criminals although it is not in accordance with statistical data.” One result has
been the response of police being unduly aggressive when dealing with minorities who they
encounter in criminal situations. It has become a common occurrence on the news to have a
reported officer involved shooting where minorities are involved and unfortunately in some cases
where they were not armed. This backs up the claim that “ethnic misrepresentation on local
television news may result in a belief by viewers that the real world is similar to the television
world” (Klein, 2003) and unfortunately even police officers watch the news. In order to offset
this trend we as a station will apply the advice offered in the aforementioned article to “focus
less on the ethnicity of an offender and more on the contributing factors such as alcohol or drug
use, thus improving the nature of crime coverage and informing the public about the issues that
really matter in order to reduce some of the biases” evident today in the news (Klein, 2003).
Responsibility and Accountability
Responsibility and accountability are the backbone upon which the weight of good
journalism rests, therefore they must be taken seriously in reporting the news. This is especially

true when reporting stories that may not be received well. This makes it imperative that
accountability must be taken for any mistakes that are made in reporting the news (Jacquette,
2010). The news is traditionally respected and is known for “accuracy and truthfulness of its
reporting, its objectivity, its impartiality, and independence from social or political agenda”
(Jacquette, 2010). In order to maintain the respect it has earned, those in its employ must
demonstrate ethical excellence in conduct and work. In order to do this they must be quick to
expose unethical practices of journalists when they come to light, admit mistakes and correct
them as soon as possible, listen to and encourage the public to voice any grievances they may
have, and live up to the same high standards they expect from others (Jacquette, 2010).
Reporters and journalists are not only responsible to see that they and their fellow
journalists live up to high standards in reporting a truthful and accurate account, they by
extension become accountable for any information, or misinformation, they were supplied and
did not properly verify through other means. Any untruth or misrepresentation that is reported
becomes the responsibility of the journalist that reports it. This could not only damage the
reputation of the individual journalist but also the station by whom they are employed (Jacquette,
2010). According to the Human Rights Quarterly (2013) “journalists play a central role in
fostering a society based on the open discussion of facts and the pursuit of the truth, as opposed
to one based on rumor, prejudice, and the naked exercise of power.” (Heyns, 2013) In order to
fulfill this function, verification of facts is essential. When a journalist fails in this regard they
have failed their profession as a whole.
This places the responsibility for accuracy on the journalist because it is their job to
present “the correct interpretation of the message in the intended spirit” (Pala, 2011) to the
public. Providing insight into a news story in this way is invaluable in the eyes of the public

because it effectively puts them in the figurative shoes of the subjects of the story and offers a
broader understanding of the situation being covered (Claussen, 2007). This requires the
responsible journalist to provide a story that is comprehensive, complete, accurate, and fair,
balanced, and uses relevant sources (Shapiro, 2006).
It must be kept in mind at all times that as a journalist that the objective of our work is to
inform the public of relevant issues and to use special care not to “deform” the message we are
entrusted to share both intentionally and unintentionally (Pala, 2011). We must also realize that
the way the public interprets the news is subjective to their personal knowledge structure and
personal experiences throughout life (Mitu, 2010). Keeping this in mind helps journalists to
present news stories in a concise and clear way that is not easily distorted by background
influences.
The aims of a good journalist are to: 1) be accurate in the news stories we present 2)
present the stories that are written in an unbiased way 3) present news stories in a balanced and
fair way 4) show proper respect for the privacy of those involved in the stories being presented
5) use good judgment when dealing with conflicts of interest 6) show the same respect and
consideration for all people regardless of their ethnic background, race, gender, age, religion,
sexual orientation, disability, social status, physical appearance, or geography (Jacquette, 2010).
The duties of a good journalist are 1) “to disseminate information 2) to interpret events 3) to act
as a watchdog on power 4) to advocate for reform or certain causes 5) to educate and empower
the public 6) to guide public opinion 7) and form a continuum from factual reporting to
interpretive analysis to social activism” (Ward, 2008). The qualities and duties of a responsible
journalist are to be displayed with objectivity, fairness, and balance (Ward, 2008).

A great deal of information has been outlined in this discussion that highlights the duties
of a good journalist or news reporter as well as the responsibilities that are encompassed in the
profession. It is the goal of this news station to not only be faithful in displaying these duties but
also the spirit behind why they were outlined to begin with. We have outlined specific categories
or principles that are expected from our employees at this news station, what they mean, and why
each principle is important. We have also considered some bad examples of journalistic ethics
and what would have been the best course to take in the stories mentioned.
Under the section labeled “seek truth and report it” the need to test the accuracy of the
information of all sources was discussed. Potential harm that could be caused by spreading false
information and the penalties for such was also discussed. The need to thoroughly check out the
credibility of all witnesses through verifying facts, avoiding stereotyping of all types, and the
need to avoid biased reporting was covered. And the example of fabricating a story for the sake
of sensationalism was covered to solidify the need to be truthful and unbiased in presenting
stories is discussed. These points stressed the need for journalists to be thorough, “honest, and
fair in gathering, reporting, and interpreting information” that will be presented to the public
(Jacquette, 2010).
The section “minimize harm” discussed the importance of showing proper compassion
and respect when dealing with people who find themselves as subjects of news stories. The fact
that discomfort and harm could result from gathering and reporting information was mentioned
and the various ways to lessen it by properly dealing with subjects was discussed. The need to
show “special” consideration and sensitivity for children and inexperienced people in order to
lessen the harm a story could do to their lives was discussed. Good judgment and good taste was
stressed in dealing with news subjects and deciding if revealing their names is proper in the news

stories was discussed. The results and consequences of showing bad judgment in reporting news
stories was discussed along with suggestions of better ways of coverage especially when dealing
with minorities. Also, it was stressed that stereotyping people for any reason is unacceptable for
a good journalist. Therefore, it was stressed that “ethical journalists must always treat sources,
subjects, and colleagues with respect and compassion, and that all human beings are deserving of
that respect” (Jacquette, 2010).
The section on “accountability and responsibility” highlighted the fact that any
information a journalist reports becomes their personal responsibility and stressed the need to
verify all facts and sources before using any information (Jacquette, 2010). It was brought out
that those who report the news were “respected for accuracy, truthfulness, objectivity, and
impartiality” as well as the need to strive to maintain that reputation among newscasters. The
function and duties of a responsible journalist was outlined as well as the importance of
professionally fulfilling those duties. This section stressed the fact that journalists are
accountable to all, this includes to one another, to their viewers, to their listeners and to their
readers (Jacquette, 2010) and by extension they are accountable to their subjects as well.
Points from these sections will be included in the Code of Conduct (see appendix) this
station will adopt in demonstration of our commitment to integrity and accountability in finding
and reporting true, accurate, and complete news in a manner that is respectful and unbiased
toward all. By avoiding sensationalistic journalism, verifying the accuracy of all sources,
allowing the accused to respond to charges, and judiciously deciding when it is proper to
withhold names from stories, we will demonstrate that we seek to report truthful news that is fair
and accurate, protect individuals from undue harm, and accept accountability for any story we
air.

APPENDIX
TNS
Television News Station Code of Ethics
Preamble
Members of this television news station believe that relevant truth telling is a sacred duty
that is at the heart of a free society. We also believe responsibility and accountability are the
backbone upon which the weight of good journalism rests. It is our sincere desire to perform this
sacred duty in a way benefits and informs our community, earns respect and displays dignity and
integrity in the performance of this duty. We aspire to perform our journalistic duty with
integrity while we seek truth and report it in a fair and unbiased way to enlighten and inform the
community of current news stories.
Seek Truth and Report it
TNS journalists search out the truth, in doing this they:
 Test the accuracy of all information and verify that all sources are credible before
using information provided in order to avoid errors in reporting.
 Seek out subjects of news stories to get a well-rounded and unbiased story as well
as give opportunity for anyone accused of wrongdoing to respond to allegations.
 Identify all sources unless there is extenuating circumstances that could cause
harm to the source or others and never use confidential sources indiscriminately.
 Use oversight when using confidential sources.
 Use diligence in verifying information and fact checking.
 Avoid stereotyping by treating all equally regardless of race, gender, age, religion,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, geography or social
status.
 Examine personal and cultural values and avoid imposing them on others.
 Never Plagiarize.

MINIMIZE HARM
TNS journalists recognize that all persons are deserving of respect and treat sources,
subjects, and colleagues as human beings, in doing this they:
 Are compassionate and respectful when dealing with subjects of news stories,
those affected by tragedy or grief, show special sensitivity when dealing with
children and inexperienced ones, recognize that only an overriding public
need can justify intrusion of anyone’s privacy.
 Recognize that gathering and reporting news has the potential to cause harm
or discomfort and use whatever means they can to minimize it.
 Are cautious about identifying juvenile suspects or victims of sex crimes.
 Use good judgment in deciding if a criminal suspect’s name should be
revealed before formal charges are filed against them.
 Are careful to avoid jeopardizing a criminal’s right to a fair trial in satisfying
the public’s right to be informed.
ACCOUNTABILITY and RESPONSIBILITY
TNS journalists are accountable to their audience as well as their peers, in
demonstrating accountability they:
 Abide by high standards of integrity and ethical behavior.
 Expose unethical practices of journalists and the news media as soon as
possible to avoid suspicion of cover-up.
 Admit mistakes and correct them openly and promptly.
 Realize they are personally responsible for information they report in error
regardless of where the information was obtained.
 Recognize they are a supervised group and are accountable to one another
as well as the station at which they are employed.

References
Claussen, D. S. (2007). Journalism educators making international declarations. Journalism &
Mass Communication Educator, 62(2), 135-138. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/215289088?accountid=32521
Heyns, C., & Srinivasan, S. (2013). Protecting the right to life of journalists: The need for a
higher level of engagement. Human Rights Quarterly, 35(2), 304-332,535-536. Retrieved
from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1406222306?accountid=32521
Jacquette, D. (2007). Journalistic ethics: Moral responsibility in the media. Upper Saddle River:
Pearson Education, Inc.
Klein, R. D., & Naccarato, S. (2003). Broadcast news portrayal of minorities: Accuracy in
reporting. The American Behavioral Scientist, 46(12), 1611. Retrieved from
Lazaroiu, G. (2009). THE GROWTH OF NETWORKED MEDIA. Contemporary Readings in
Law and Social Justice, 1(2), 146-150. Retrieved from
McLean, M. M. (1995). It's a blackboard jungle out there: The impact of media and film on the
public's perceptions of violence in schools. English Journal, 84(5), 19. Retrieved from

Mitu, B. (2010). MEDIA CREDIBILITY AND ETHICS IN TELEVISION NEWS.
Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice, 2(1), 130-135. Retrieved from
Pala, G. (2011). Ethics in journalism as a basis for the journalistic profession. E-Theologos, 2(2),
144-n/a. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/v10154-011-0014-1
Ward, S. J. A. (2008). Global journalism ethics: Widening the conceptual base. Global Media
Journal, 1, 137-n/a. Retrieved from
Wilson, S. L. (2010). Ethics for Journalists/Media ethics: Key principles for responsible practice.
Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 64(4), 443-446. Retrieved from

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