Codes of Ethics

For the most part, the various codes of ethics we looked at have similar goals and guidelines that are being enforced. Overall, the most common "goal" was to report an accurate/unbiased account of the news to the public. There was also a theme of accuracy, credibility, the truth, avoiding conflict of interests, responsibility, and consistency throughout all of the codes. The strictness of the codes varied, from being merely "guidelines" to rules that can result in job termination if not followed. The codes also ranged in coverage, some like NPR only apply to their new employees, whereas the NYT code of ethics applies to an extended network of individuals, including publishers, family members, etc.


The code that stood out to me the most was the New York Times. It was noticeable longer, more detailed, and more ambiguous in its content. Its format was broken down into chunks that were very specific, rather than other codes that were straightforward and formatted as a numbered list or bullet points. Although this is probably to ensure legal coverage in the event of a violation, it ends up being more confusing for the employee to know if they are breaking a rule in the first place.

One thing I found interesting from reading the codes was that accepting gifts/freebies/promotional items from any outside party is considered a bribe and/or makes them biased. In the NYT code, it states that reporters/employees should try at all costs to avoid situations where they are paid for, unless it is within cultural/religious customs. I wonder how often that is actually enforced?