Society of Professional Journalists ponders a new ethics code

4/7/2011

The Society of Professional Journalists' code of ethics has been one of the benchmarks of the news industry when it establishes its own newsroom policy on conduct. But it has been 15 years since the code was changed, and unquestionably the ground has changed in that time.

Still, some documents stand the test of time and ought not to be tinkered with. To gauge the next steps, the SPJ commissioned two arguments in support of and against change.

Steve Buttry argues that the code has lost some of its relevance in the social media era, that it is no longer cited or useful as a reference in modern journalism. He makes several recommendations to supplement the principles of the code in his argument and even suggests that the principle of independence should be reviewed.

Irwin Gratz argues that the code should not be adapted to accommodate technology; rather, it should serve as a guide around which journalists should adapt. He asserts that it's a flexible, inclusive document that might seem vague but can be interpreted to good effect, and he's not so sure that Web journalism is any different and deserving of a code reflecting it.

The SPJ has asked for comments.

Paul LaRocque

4/7/2011 07:53:33 am

There is no urgent need to update the SPJ Code of Ethics. As noted, an ethics code is a statement of principles, not law. Any attempt to be more specific, such as inserting in the code articles that address new media, merely sets up the code for continued revision.
News gathering and reporting have not changed since the first story was told. The methods have changed, but not the process. And regarding the code, if any change is called for, it’s for simplification rather than additions that address new media and reporting methods.
The last ethics committee discussed at some length and suggested letting the code stand but linking its articles to online examples and cases that address specific principles. Thus, the code would not have to change to meet media changes. The principles, much the same as those in our US Constitution, would be interpreted and explained by the online library of information linked to the code’s articles. The library could be updated quickly and easily without bothering the code.
A more immediate reason for not changing the code is that it is printed in the new “Journalism Ethics: A Casebook of Professional Conduct for News Media,” which SPJ has just published. Perhaps, when the casebook is updated next, the Code of Ethics can be streamlined – making it less specific and reliant on its strong statement of journalistic principles. In the meantime, let’s get the case studies and explanations online.

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Society of Professional Journalists ponders a new ethics code

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