5 Ethics and Accountability Free Online FlashCards

What role do professional journalism ethics codes play?

Professional codes guide ethical decisions, but they are not universal legal rules; applying them requires judgment in each situation.

What four principles organize SPJ’s ethics guidance?

The Society of Professional Journalists groups its guidance around seeking truth, minimizing harm, acting independently, and being accountable and transparent.

What should journalists prioritize over speed?

Accuracy comes before speed: check names, dates, numbers, quotations, and context against reliable evidence before publishing.

Why isn’t fairness the same as giving every claim equal weight?

Fairness means representing people and evidence honestly, not giving every claim equal weight. Treating well-supported evidence and unsupported claims as equally credible creates false balance.

How should journalists treat people criticized or accused in a story?

Seek a meaningful response from people criticized or accused of wrongdoing, and describe their answers accurately.

Why is attribution important to readers?

Attribution identifies where information came from, helping readers assess its basis and credibility.

What should journalists consider before agreeing to anonymity?

Use anonymity sparingly: establish ground rules, consider the source’s motives, and determine whether the important information cannot reasonably be obtained on the record.

Does anonymity excuse a journalist from verifying a claim?

A source’s request for anonymity does not remove the journalist’s responsibility to verify the claim.

Does legally accessible personal information automatically merit publication?

Legal accessibility or audience interest alone does not make a person’s private life a story; weigh public value against foreseeable harm and intrusion.

What does “public interest” mean in ethical journalism?

Public interest is information that helps people understand matters affecting them, not merely information likely to attract an audience.

Which people may need particular care when minimizing harm?

Take particular care with children, victims, people in crisis, and others who may be vulnerable.

How should journalists handle conflicts of interest?

Make editorial decisions in the public interest, not for personal gain or to favor advertisers, donors, sources, friends, or political interests. Avoid conflicts, or disclose or step away from unavoidable ones according to newsroom policy.