Journalism Ethics

This chapter explores the role of journalism ethics as fundamental to the practice of journalism. Considering what ethical judgements are and when they are necessary, the chapter introduces the areas of news making where ethical decisions come into play and highlights the ethical tensions and dilemmas faced by journalists. It explores how ethics are observed, enacted, and adhered to in practice by considering journalists’ perceptions of the impact of codes of ethics on their work, the relationship between the ethics of individuals and professional values, and the role of the organisational cultures and ethos of news organisations in shaping ethical practices. We see that journalistic standards and ethics are not simply based on individual or personal beliefs, or regular consultation of codes. Rather they are collective practices that operate in the context of institutions which have their own ground rules and ethical cultures.