Fake News, Bias, and Perspective: How to Sort Fact From Fiction, Gold Workshop: Journalistic Ethics

Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. Ethical journalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair and thorough. An ethical journalist acts with integrity.

In their Code of Ethics, the Society declares these four principles as the foundation of ethical journalism and encourages their use in its practice by all people in all media:

• Seek Truth and Report It
• Minimize Harm
• Act Independently
• Be Accountable and Transparent

One of the ways in which a news source demonstrates its authenticity and responsibility to its readers is through a publicly accessible code of ethics or standards.  A sample of various codes, mission statements and ethics handbooks are listed below.

Seven Standards of Quality Journalism
1. Multiple credible sources
2. Verification
3. Avoidance of Bias
4. Balance
5. Documentation
6. Context
7. Fairness

EXAMPLE Andrew Liptak --The Verge

Group 1 Mark Sumner -- Daily KOS

Group 2 BBC News

Group 3 Ellen Nakashima -- The Washington Post

Group 4 Hans A. von Spakovsky -- National Review

Borrowed with permission from Indiana University East.

Borrowed with permission from Indiana University East.