| Guiding Principles for the Journalist
Author: Michele McLellan
Published: August 05, 2002
Last Updated: August 05, 2002
Printer-friendly version
By Bob Steele,
The Poynter Institute
|
“We also can
defend our coverage of conflict. We don’t need to be ashamed that we
think conflict is an important element of our news coverage, so long
as we don’t exalt it too much over the other elements.”
Dennis
Hetzel
York Daily
Record
|
Seek truth
and report it as fully as possible
- Inform yourself continuously
so you, in turn, can inform, engage and educate the public in a clear and
compelling way on significant issues.
- Be honest, fair and
courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting accurate information.
- Give voice to the
voiceless.
- Hold the powerful
accountable.
Act independently
- Guard vigorously
the essential stewardship role a free press plays in an open society.
- Seek out and disseminate
competing perspectives without being unduly influenced by those who would
use their power or position counter to the public interest.
- Remain free of associations
and activities that may compromise your integrity or damage your credibility.
- Recognize that good
ethical decisions require individual responsibility enriched by collaborative
efforts.
Minimize
harm
- Be compassionate
for those affected by your actions.
- Treat sources, subjects
and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect, not merely as means
to your journalistic ends.
- Recognize that gathering
and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort, but balance those
negatives by choosing alternatives that maximize your goal of truth-telling.
|
