(TASK FORCE DRAFT 5-25-95) The Society of Professional Journalists CODE OF ETHICS PREAMBLE The Society of Professional Journalists recognizes that the people can govern themselves and guarantee their liberties only if they are informed. Therefore, in order to strengthen democracy and ensure informed public dialogue about issues of public importance, we accept the sacred duty to serve the people by providing information and by guranteeing a public forum in which issues of common concern can be addressed. We believe in public enlightenment as the forerunner of justice and in journalists' mandate to seek and disseminate the truth. The achievement of these public purposes depends finally upon the personal commitment and integrity of individual journalists. It also requires adherence to practices most likely to serve the public need. It is, therefore, the moral duty of committed journalists and their news organizations to promote such standards of practice. The Society of Professional Journalists adopts this Code of Ethics to declare the Society's principles and standards of practice. PRINCIPLES AND STANDARDS I. Truth. Truthfulness means "getting it right." Truth-telling and accuracy are morally imperative. To gather information using undercover or other deceptive techniques always requires special circumstances and compelling reasons; to tell the truth never does. Therefore, journalists must: 1(a) Test the accuracy of information from all sources, recognizing that many sources may provide self-serving and misleading information. 1(b) Exercise care to avoid inadvertent inaccuracy. Deliberate distortion is never permissible. 1(c) Never publish unsubstantiated or anonymous defamatory statements about a person. 1(d) When information of overriding public importance cannot reasonably be obtained by honest methods, use deceptive methods in gathering information only if they are explained to the public at the time of publication. 1(e) Never manipulate quotations, pictures, or headlines in ways that might deceive. 1(f) Distinguish and separate news reports, reenactments, expressions of opinion, advertising, and entertainment. 1(g) Afford any business, organization or individual an opportunity to respond to an attack made against them. 1(h) Make prompt and complete correction of errors. 1(i) Never plagiarize. II. Comprehensiveness. The profession has the affirmative duty to report on all significant aspects of global society, including its constituent groups. We need to tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience boldly, even when it is unpopular to do so. Therefore, journalists must: 2(a) Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable, especially the press itself. 2(b) Avoid stereotypes in covering issues of race, sex, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, and social status. 2(c) Ensure that all segments of society can be heard in public discourse. III. Privacy. Responsible journalists respect individuals' need for a measure of control over information about themselves. They also recognize that the public needs to know private information about individuals when it relates in important ways to the common life. Only an overriding public need can justify unwanted intrusion into private affairs. Therefore, journalists must: 3(a) Avoid further harm to victims by obtaining consent, whenever possible, to take their pictures or interview them in times of tragedy or grief. 3(b) Recognize that standards on intrusion are more strict concerning ordinary citizens than for public officials and public figures. 3(c) Exercise special sensitivity when dealing with children or other inexperienced sources or subjects. IV. Loyalty. Responsible journalists possess a single-minded commitment to their audience. Any personal or professional interest that conflicts with the needs of the audience must be avoided or neutralized. Therefore, journalists must: 4(a) Tactfully refuse gifts, awards, favors, speaker's fees or special treatment from sources, subjects, advertisers or others trying to buy influence. 4(b) Search for potential conflicts with the journalistic role and avoid participation in organizations or events they might cover. 4(c) Where conflicts are unavoidable, disclose the conflict to the public. V. Confidences. Responsible journalists keep promises and respect confidences. Failure to do so can put sources at risk. For that reason journalists must exercise care when promising anonymity to ensure that sources know what has and what has not been promised. Therefore, journalists must: 5(a) Identify sources wherever possible and explain any failure to do so. The public is entitled to know whether a source is reliable. 5(b) Question sources' motives and assess their risks before promising anonymity. If a promise is made, keep it. VI. Freedom. Journalists have a special obligation to preserve and strengthen freedom of speech and the press. These freedoms bring with them special responsibilities to keep the public fully informed about the issues of the day. Therefore, journalists must: 6(a) Make constant efforts to assure that the public's business is conducted in public and that public records are open to public inspection. 6(b) In exercising freedom, always seek the public good. 6(c) Assist the public in understanding the function and role of the journalist in a democratic state, encourage the public to voice grievances against the media, and maintain open dialogue with the public. PLEDGE Adherence to this code is necessary to preserve and strengthen the bond of mutual trust and respect between journalists and the people. The Society shall--by programs of education and other means--encourage individual journalists to adhere to these tenets, and shall encourage news organizations to recognize their responsibility to establish--in concert with professional journalists and the public--local codes of ethics to pursue these goals.