Journalist ethics

The Association of Objective Journalists, Inc. is committed to ethical practice in presenting news. We don’t believe in taking one’s opinion’s and presenting them as facts, no matter what a person’s credentials is. Facts are indispituble truths about what something is. Listed below are our principles regarding ethics in journalism.

Accuracy ethics:

  • All journalists are to check the research presented in their writing
  • If any errors are found they must be corrected as quickly as possible
  • All work must be double checked and proof read by another journalist before posting
  • Everything presented as fact in an article is to be an actual fact.

Trust ethics:

  • All journalists should be honest about where they get their information from and must cite it to prevent plagiarism.
  • Sources, events, information, statistics, experiences, and scenes should not be fabricated
  • All photographers or videographers should be given credit when using a photo or video that isn’t one’s own and the photo or video should not be distorted to trick people.
  • Sources used should be researched to make sure they’re reliable
  • All copyright laws should be followed

Critical Thinking based ethics:

  • When writing a journalist should offer more than one viewpoint on a topic
  • There should be a broad range in modes of thinking that are interwoven in the article like mathematical thinking, economical thinking, historical thinking, moral thinking, and philosophical thinking
  • All things mentioned in writing must be rational, meaning they can be explained in an orderly way of thinking. (Can be backed up with factual evidence)
  • All information used in a piece of writing should be relevant to the topic
  • The journalist should be open-minded to many perspectives

Privacy Ethics:

  • If a source asks to be anonymous for their own personal or professional safety it must be adhered to.
  • All photos used can’t infringe on ones privacy.

Objectivity ethics:

  • Factual pieces and opinion pieces should be distinguished and labeled accordingly; all factual pieces are to be as objective as possible.
  • No information should be hidden to support ones own personal agenda
  • Bribes to cover up stories should never be accepted
  • One group should not be reported in a bias manner, refer to all groups as they are, no better and no worse.

Responsibility Ethics:

  • The journalist is responsible for the information they provide and checking it
  • All journalists are to follow these ethics and must accept personal responsibility if they don’t

Citations

  • “Defining Critical Thinking.” Critical Thinking Community, www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766.
  • “Ethical Standards in Journalism.” Journalism Degree, www.journalismdegree.com/ethics/.

  • “Journalism Ethics and Standards – Wikipedia.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc, 17 Nov. 2016, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalism_ethics_and_standards. Accessed 20 Nov. 2016.