Do Journalists embrace ethics and
avoid conflicts of interest?
Once upon a time, my
favorite Scottish philosopher Edmund Burke in the 18th century coined the term
"Fourth Estate" to describe the press. It resulted from an attempt to distinguish
the actions and interests of networked societies from those of the mass media.
By acting as a watchdog on
other estates at the time, the First through Third Estates being clergy,
nobility, and secular authorities, (the latter meaning civil law rather than
religious law), the emerging profession of journalism elevated itself to the others'
status and level.
Thanks to technology
advances, we now have the term “Fifth Estate” to explain our collective ability
to share information, to create communities, and to organize social movements
through online networks.
With the proliferation of
high-speed blabber in cyber space came the disintegration of truth and ethics. Today, most people do not trust the news
media no matter where it hides in society, as it seems to have lost its ethical
foundation.
What is it in America
Have we returned to the
era of "Yellow Journalism" in America
 |
| Quote by Joseph Pulitzer |
Just what constitutes the
era of Yellow Journalism re-emerging in America
The "Yellow Fever" of Journalism
Yellow Journalism is a
term first coined during the famous newspaper wars between the legendary publishers
William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer II.
Pulitzer's paper, the New
York World, and Hearst's New York Journal changed the content of newspapers
adding more sensationalized stories and increasing the use of drawings and
cartoons.
As newspapers published
more and more cartoons, Pulitzer began to publish a cartoon of his own that he
titled "The Yellow Kid" in 1896. Created by R. F. Outcault, the cartoon became
one of many objects fought over between Hearst and Pulitzer during their bitter
and public rivalry.
Hearst later lured
Outcault and his cartoon from Pulitzer by offering him an outrageous salary. Pulitzer then published yet another version of
the cartoon very similar to "The Yellow Kid" to continue competing
with Hearst.
With so much competition
between the newspapers, the news was over-dramatized and altered to fit story
ideas that publishers and editors thought would sell the most papers and stir
the most interest for the public so that news boys could sell more papers on
street corners.
They often used the
"Yellow Kid" cartoons to sensationalize stories and discredit the
stories of other newspapers. Swaying public opinion on important issues such as
the Spanish-American war was a frequent use of the cartoons.
Newspapers of the era did
not practice the objectivity that newspapers and other news media supposedly strive
for today.
The Society of Professional Journalists
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, established in April 1909 at DePauw
University , is one of the oldest
organizations representing journalists in America .
The stated mission is to
promote and defend the First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and
freedom of the press; encourage high standards and ethical behavior in the
practice of journalism; and promote and support diversity in journalism.
There are nearly 300
chapters across the United
States
Major SPJ initiatives
include a Legal Defense Fund that wages court battles to secure First Amendment
rights; the Project Sunshine campaign, to improve the ability of journalists
and the public to obtain access to government records; producing the magazine Quill;
and conducting the annual Sigma Delta Chi Awards, honoring excellence in
journalism.
It has also drawn up a
Code of Ethics to inspire journalists to adhere to high standards of behavior
and decision-making while performing their work.
Here is the full text of
the Code of Ethics for Professional Journalists.
Society of Professional Journalists
Code of Ethics
PREAMBLE
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.
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 additional 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 factor 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.
About the Code of Ethics
The SPJ Code of Ethics is
voluntarily embraced by thousands of journalists, regardless of place or
platform, and is widely used in newsrooms and classrooms as a guide for ethical
behavior.
The code is intended not as a set
of “rules” but as a resource for ethical decision-making. It is not — nor can
it be under the First Amendment — legally enforceable.
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.
So what do you think about the journalists of today?
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