Last Updated: October 25, 2000
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Ethics codes and beyond
(or create a good code if you don’t have one?)
Here’s a cookbook of the ingredients of codes currently
used by 33 papers
Codes of ethics can help newsroom staffers make sound decisions about
the many ethical problems they may encounter in their work. Ethics codes
— some newspapers don’t call them that — are one avenue to building journalism
credibility.
ASNE asked two leading thinkers to analyze 33 current codes of ethics
assembled by the Ethics and Values Committee. Their goal was to highlight
the most common — and useful — ingredients of these documents to help editors
evaluate their own codes, if they have one, or help editors create one,
if they choose. ASNE thanks editors who sent in their codes.
Diane H. McFarlin
executive editor, Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune
chair, Ethics and Values Committee
By Bob Steele and Jay Black
It’s no surprise that the 33 codes of ethics offered by ASNE member newspapers
include a wide range of approaches for handling moral dilemmas. Some are heavy
on time-honored tradition and others venture into the impact of the new technologies
at the turn of the new century.
Most of the codes are litanies of do’s and don’ts, salted with an occasional
element on the decision-making process. Some take a decidedly “user friendly”
stance, reading like conversations among colleagues who respect one another’s
quests for excellence.
Others are much more negative in tone, loaded with a litany of “thou
shalt not’s” and infused with a paternalistic tone implying that staffers
are inclined to get away with anything not specifically forbidden by the
codes.
The most popular subject in these codes is conflicts of interest to
include a wide range of issues from gifts and junkets to political involvement
and community activity. About half of the codes we examined dealt with
the subjects of sources and matters of manipulation of photographs. Fewer
still dealt with corrections and plagiarism.
Missing from many codes were standards or discussion of privacy, deception,
identification of juvenile suspects and racial stereotyping. Fewer than
one in five codes addressed the subject of editorial and advertising department
tensions. Many codes ignored the subject of enforcement.
These 33 codes also vary greatly in length. The Daily Press of Newport
News, Va., weighs in with some 8,000 words, while while The Arizona Republic,
Phoenix, among others, is a comparatively pithy 500 words.
This was not a random sample, since these were volunteer submissions
to a general call. However, these codes reflect the various ways American
newspapers address matters of ethics.
In looking at 33 codes, we found that newspaper codes of ethics, like
those of most professional institutions, try to serve at least two important
functions: public relations and education. A good newspaper code promotes
ethical thought and behavior within the newspaper, showing newcomers where
the land mines are and reminding veterans of the newsroom’s values and
norms.
It also justifies journalists’ activities to the public at large, especially
during times of diminished credibility and intensified public scrutiny.
These functions are often reflected in the codes’ preambles.
Public relations
Good examples of codes sensitive to public relations are the following:
Wisconsin State Journal, Madison
We are guests in our readers’ homes, and as such, we hold to high
standards of decency, courtesy, responsibility and community. ...
The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.
For The News & Observer to be the Triangle’s primary source for
news and information, we must have the trust and confidence of our readers.
Readers must know that the newspaper that arrives on their doorstep every
morning is there to serve them — not politicians of a certain stripe, not
special interest groups. That puts the burden on us — editors, reporters,
copy editors, news researchers, photographers, designers, graphic artists
and support personnel — to avoid conflicts of interest or even the appearance
of such conflicts.
Daily Press, Newport News, Va.
Our readers judge us by what we do, not by what we believe. Our daily
exercise of journalism — the way we report and write, what we put in the
paper and how we put it there serves as a billboard for our beliefs. ...
Beneath these guidelines rests the Golden Rule: Treat others as you
would have them treat YOU.”
Statesman Journal, Salem, Ore.
We at the Statesman Journal hold ourselves to the highest ethical
standards. Our first responsibility is to our readers and our community.
Our biggest asset is our credibility, which stems from the decisions we
make and the way that we make them.
As the capital city’s newspaper, we have a special obligation to
hold those in power accountable and promote the democratic process.
We recognize that we ourselves are a powerful community institution
and will hold ourselves accountable and open to the scrutiny of others.
This ethics code is a statement of our principles and is not intended
to cover every situation. Ethical decision-making should be carried out
with as wide of discussion as possible.
For a good example of a newspaper code that eloquently seeks to remind
its staffers of ethical decision-making, with an eye on public image, consider
the The Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel’s statements:
The Orlando Sentinel sets high standards for all employees.
We stand for the journalistic values of truth, honesty, courage,
fairness, compassion, balance, independence, credibility and diversity.
We seek the truth and report it as fully as possible under deadline
pressures, striving for clean, concise, complete reporting.
We seek out and disseminate competing perspectives without being
unduly influenced by those who would use their power or position.
We seek to give a voice to the voiceless.
We seek to treat sources, subjects and colleagues as people deserving
our respect, not merely as a means to our journalistic ends.
We seek to inform our readers and to reflect fairly the breadth of
our community.
Our first obligation is to our credibility — that is, to the public
at large and not to any other person, business or special interest. Employees
should avoid any activity that would impair their integrity or jeopardize
readers’ trust in us.
The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne, Ind., has captured the dual role
— PR and education — admirably with this statement:
These guidelines have been developed to meet the dual responsibility
journalists have to themselves and to the public they serve. They are intended
as standards that staff members can use when they face decisions or situations
that affect their professional integrity and the integrity of the Journal
Gazette. The guidelines also are intended to inform the public of the standards
by which The Journal Gazette gathers and publishes information. Under this
principle, the public has a right to expect a newspaper to remain free
from influences, and the appearance of influences, that might affect what
is reported. The guidelines represent a pledge by the Journal Gazette and
its staff to maintain and cultivate public confidence.”
The Roanoke (Va.) Times’ “News and Editorial Mission and Vision” is
a 19-page, single-spaced document, with an introductory essay by Frank
Batten, chairman of the executive committee of Landmark Communications,
called “The Duty of Landmark Newspapers.” The code is a cross between an
ethics textbook and a friendly discussion among professional peers, addressing
in serious and mature tones most of the current issues of concern to journalists.
Salem’s “Newsroom Ethics Policy” is extremely process oriented, framed
by the Society of Professional Journalists’ four guiding principles (truthtelling,
minimizing harm, independence, and accountability). It provides a good
mix of prescriptive and descriptive statements, indicating what behaviors
might be prohibited, discouraged, or appropriate for staffers. For those
who might find it a bit too general, the final section lists “The Nine
Deadly Sins”:
There are certain accepted standards that are absolute. Violation
of any of these rules may result in discipline up to and including dismissal.
Thou shalt not: make up sources or quotes ... deliberately distort the
truth, take bribes, plagiarize ... etc.
Conflict of interest
Conflict of interest, including matters of independence and personal
behavior, was the most popular element of the codes we examined.
Only one of the 33 newspapers did not address this issue — one-fourth
of the codes deal exclusively with issues of conflict of interest with
no attention paid to any other issue. The San Francisco Chronicle deals
with many newsgathering issues in its 2,000-word statement on “Ethical
News Gathering.” but doesn’t address conflict of interest.
The second-most common element of the codes we examined was news sources.
Of the 33 codes, 18 deal with matters of source-reporter relationships,
confidentiality agreements and the like in some fashion. Some papers handling
this issue in a few sentences and others devoting several pages of their
policy to this matter.
Interestingly, the issue of manipulation and alteration of photos was
included in about half of these 33 codes. One would not have found this
matter addressed in most newspaper codes a decade ago.
Perhaps surprisingly, fewer than half of the 33 codes we examined addressed
the issue of corrections. Only 13 of the 33 codes including anything on
plagiarism.
Matters of deception and misrepresentation were included even less often.
Only 11 of the 33 codes paid any attention to this matter.
While several of the codes dealt extensively with issues of privacy
and set forth guidelines for newsgathering, only one-fourth of the codes
addressed the issue at all.
About the same percentage of codes addressed matters of handling quotes
and issues of fabrication of characters or conversation.
Only four of the codes included any guidelines on one of the tough issues
newspapers face these days: identification of suspects and juvenile suspects
in particular.
Timeless values
To be sure, these codes include considerable attention to journalism’s
foundational principles and the timeless values. Here are some of the better
examples:
-
The Daily Press gives considerable attention to matters of fairness, focusing
on going beyond the “other” side in stories to recognize the multiple points
of view in many stories.
-
The Journal News of White Plains, N.Y., (formerly Gannett Suburban Newspapers)
includes this in the section on fairness:
Allegations against an individual often require a response. If the person
cannot be reached, say so — but only after a serious effort to get to the
person has been made. Consider delaying publication, if possible, to reach
the other side; if that is not possible, consider continuing to try to
get to the person for an insert for later editions or for a follow-up story.
If publication of a story has been delayed, additional efforts to get to
persons unavailable at the time of writing should be considered.
-
Raleigh also includes this important element in its section on accuracy
and fairness. “In the interest of fairness, we shall seek to report the
eventual outcome of any criminal charges that we report. This is particularly
important in cases in which an individual is exonerated.”
On new technology
The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne includes a protocol for making decisions
on matters of photo alteration, setting thresholds for discussion on different
levels of alteration.
It was one of the few papers to even address matters of the Internet
in its ethics policy.
Apply our high standards for accuracy and attribution to anything
you find using electronic services. Make certain a communication is genuine
and information accurate before using it in a story.
Raleigh also addresses matters of ethics in the use of the Internet.
Its plagiarism section reads:
Don’t present other people’s ideas or writing and pass them off as
your own. With the explosion of the Internet, we have more access to more
information from more sources, but we have to resist the temptation to
use it without attribution. This policy is simple, and it’s safe: Don’t
do it.
The Roanoke Times also addresses the ethical implications of the Internet.
In a section called “What We Post on the Internet,” the paper’s guidelines
read:
All of our standards for accuracy, sourcing, taste and avoidance
of conflict of interest apply to work posted on The Roanoke Times Online.
... But before we post any document on our web site, it must first be read
in its entirety by an appropriate staff member.
Sources and reporters
Orlando includes in its Editorial Code of Ethics a checklist of four
questions to ask for determining when it is legitimate to use anonymous
sources in a story. The Sentinel also uses a long checklist of questions
to help staff deal with legal issues in reporting.
The San Francisco Chronicle’s code offers one of the clearest treatments
on the always-thorny matter of dealing with sources who want confidentiality.
It reads in part:
A reporter who pledges confidentiality to a source must not violate
that pledge. If the reporter is asked by an editor for the identity of
a source, the reporter should advise the source of the editor’s request.
If the source wishes to withhold his or her identity from the editor, then
the reporter and editor must decide whether or not to use the information
even though the source’s identity remains known only to the reporter.
The Orlando Sentinel, the Journal News, The Kansas City (Mo.) Star,
the Daily Press, the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch, and the York (Pa.)
Daily Record use their ethics codes and policies to define and distinguish
between terms journalists often loosely use in dealing with sources. These
papers offer guidance on information that is “on the record,” “on background,”
“not for attribution” and “off the record.”
Editorial independence
The Kansas City Star is one of the few papers in our survey to address
possible tensions between the roles of the editorial and business sides
of the paper. In its conflicts of interest section of the code of ethics,
the policy reads:
Maintain a clear line between advertising and news. We are especially
inviting as targets of threats to remove advertising if we don’t write
positive stories. In cases of special sections produced by the editorial
department, editors will exercise sole judgment over content.
The newsroom ethics policy of the Salem newspaper has something to say
about journalistic independence in an era of new approaches to reporting
and community connections:
Take care when cooperating with government and other institutions
on public journalism projects. Often, these efforts are worthwhile and
in the readers’ interest. But they can also compromise our independence.
The Washington Post’s standards and ethics statement also tackles this
matter of independence:
The Washington Post is vitally concerned with the national interest
and with the community interest. We believe these interests are best served
by the widest possible dissemination of information. The claim of national
interest by a federal official does not automatically equate with the national
interest. The claim of community interest by a local official does not
automatically equate with the community interest.
Diversity issues and racial identification
One of the most challenging issues faced by newspapers is dealing with
matters of diversity, including the use of race as an identifier in stories
and matters of racial stereotyping. Only five of the 33 papers addressed
this issue in their codes. The Dallas Morning News deals with this as one
of 44 areas addressed in a tightly written “News Department Guidelines,”
which says:
Racial identifications are used only when necessary to the story.
Racial identification of suspects is used when the description provides
enough information to exclude all but a narrow group of people using specific
identifiers (such as but not limited to age, weight, height, clothing,
hats, scars, hair color, getaway cars, etc.) Questions should be directed
to the ranking editors on duty.
White Plains takes a more detailed approach in its “Standards of Professional
Conduct” for news employees:
Do not describe a person by race, religion or ethnic background unless
it is pertinent to the story. Do not quote racial, ethnic or religious
jokes or slurs unless essential to the story (they rarely will be).
In descriptions of crime suspects, do not use racial or ethnic characterizations
unless they are part of a fairly complete description of a fugitive suspect
that could reasonably assist the public in helping police.
Be especially sensitive to nuances of using any references that may
be offensive to a minority group. If there are inoffensive alternatives,
use them.
Stories, illustrations and photographs should be mainstreamed; that
is, an effort should be made to include minority representation in routine
ways so that our news coverage more accurately reflects the makeup of the
communities we cover.
Be wary of racial stereotyping in photographs.
The San Francisco Chronicle handles the issue in one sentence, as part
of its section on privacy.
In general, we do not publish someone’s race or ethnic background
unless that information is pertinent to the story.
Newport News, on the other hand, devotes some 700 words to the issue,
including:
Identify a person or group by race only when such identification
is relevant or is an essential element of the story; introduce race to
a story only when it is an issue of relevance to the story. ...
In police stories — where the issue of racial identification typically
arises most often — the race of either a criminal suspect or a victim generally
is immaterial and should not be included. A possible exception is when
there is substantial reason to believe that a crime is racially motivated.
When race is a central issue of the story, identifications should be used
only when they are important to readers’ understanding of what has happened
and why it has happened. In all cases, you should avoid reporting that
needlessly stigmatizes any group or that could needlessly increase racial
tension.
That newspaper’s guidelines on identification of suspects also sets
a high threshold for use of race.
Descriptions should not be used when they are so lacking in detail
that large segments of the population could meet them. Saying that a robbery
was committed by a tall black male with a handgun doesn’t cut it. ... Be
especially careful when a suspect is described as Hispanic. There are white
Hispanics and black Hispanics. How informed is that description, and how
relevant? On what is it based? Language? Complexion? Could the suspect
be of Mediterranean origin instead of Hispanic?
The Roanoke Times also deals with the racial identification issue in
its section on “Editing, Good Taste and Other Policies.”
We do not mention a person’s race in describing criminal suspects
or fugitives unless the rest of the description is detailed enough to be
meaingnful. Sketchy descriptions are often meaningless and may apply to
large numbers of innocent people.
Enforcement
Of the 33 codes we examined, many do not address enforcement. Of those
that do, the treatment is usually brief and general. Many of the codes
contain some reference to the fact that no code can anticipate all problems,
suggesting the need for consultation with supervisors whenever a potential
problem arises. However, few spell out a systematic process for airing
a grievance or resolving a conflict.
The Dallas Morning News merely says that “violating some guidelines
could result in disciplinary action or termination.”
The Deseret News, in its section on corrections, says:
If there is a mistake or an injustice, do not cover it up or ignore
the situation. Failure to correct it or report it promptly to the next
higher supervisory level may result in disciplinary action, including termination.
The Houston Chronicle, in the shortest of all codes, about 400 words
in its “Human Resources Guide,” includes this passage:
Management reserves the right ... to determine when an employee’s
activities represent a conflict with the company’s interests and to take
whatever action is necessary to resolve the situation — including terminating
the employee.
The News & Observer says the following about enforcement in the
preamble to its lengthy ethics policy:
Staffers violating this policy may be subject to disciplinary action
that, in severe cases, could include dismissal.
The News Journal in Wilmington, Del., is the most expansive in its treatment
of enforcement of its code, including seven specific points, including
one that speaks to an honor code concept.
It is the obligation of staff members to bring any violation of this
code to the attention of the supervisor or the editor.
Codes and credibility
While all 33 codes we examined address specific standards of individual
behavior — generally in negative, “thou shalt not,” terms — only about
half of them use positive terms to clearly enunciate journalists’ roles,
moral obligations and professional responsibilities.
That red light tone emphasizing restrictions, as opposed to a green
light tone emphasizing duties and ‘thou shalt’ responsibilities, may protect
the paper in some ways only to leave it vulnerable in others.
We can only infer, from reading the codes, how many newsrooms have a
well-oiled process for decision-making. But if our reading is correct,
it seems that in most of these newsrooms and at least on the issues addressed
in these codes, the solution to ethical dilemmas lies much more in deference
to a rule book and the official voice of supervisors and less in critical
thinking, discussion with peers and effective protocols for decision-making.
Ethicists are fond of saying that reliance upon codes is the halfway
point between visceral devotion to gut instincts and the application of
ethical reflection and reasoning. (Indeed, blind obedience to codified
rules is about on a par with blind obedience to authority or to unquestioned
tradition.) At best, codes move us away from dogmatic behaviors and toward
reasoned behaviors based on wisdom of the ages.
Codes are not the panacea for all the ethical dilemmas in the news —
or any other — business, nor are they the solution to the credibility crisis.
As the authors wrote in Quill after SPJ revised its code in 1996: “Carefully
written codes highlight and anticipate ethical dilemmas so we don’t all
have to reinvent a decision-making process each time we face a new dilemma;
they inspire us about our unique roles and responsibilities; they make
each of us custodians of our profession’s values and behaviors, and inspire
us to emulate the best of our profession; they promote front end, proactive
decision-making, before our decisions ‘go public.’ ”
The recent flurry of code writing suggests that editors and news staffs
are taking issues of ethics seriously. The process of drafting and redrafting
and debating and implementing the codes has good therapeutic value in and
of itself. Even better, newspapers with clearly enunciated principles and
stated values combined with strong ethical decision-making skills are able
to better serve their readers and the public interest. Therein lies an
essential connection to credibility.
Steele is director of the ethics program at the Poynter Institute
in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Black is the Poynter-Jamison chair in media ethics at the University
of South Florida — St. Petersburg.
Thanks to Robert Phelps and Bill Kovach of the Nieman Foundation
at Harvard University, who contributed to this project.
