Society of Professional Journalists: Ethics

Journalists are supposed to adhere to a Code of Ethics. To determine the degree to which reporters follow this code, individuals select three recent stories with photographs from newspapers, magazines, online news sites, or television...

As part of a study of media ethics, young journalists apply a fairness formula to news reports. They look at accuracy, balance, completeness, detachment, and ethics to determine if the reporting is fair.

With the advent of photo manipulation software, it is possible to digitally edit a photograph in a way that is virtually undetectable. The question asked of young journalists in this lesson is whether such manipulation is ethical. Groups...

Do not try this at home! At school! Or any other place! Groups of young journalists discuss the ethics of publishing photos of school peers performing dangerous stunts. They share their decision with the class and explain their reasoning.

This newsletter-style site is the online home of The Society of Environmental Journalists. Their motto, "An organization of journalists for journalists" should tell you all you need to know about the kind of help and support you will...

Code of Ethics for Society of Professional Journalists. Principles and practices discussed include the following: seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable.

This resource is a great tool for journalists and non-journalists to obtain information from federal and local government sources. Access to this information can make or break a news story.

Explore the ethical dilemma presented in Le Guin's short story "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" in this video [3:43] from the American Masters film "Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin." The short story provides rich material for students to...

Verification of provenance and the original source of an image or video can be a long and winding process. Young journalists learn about the difficulty of finding the original source of a scrape, a copy of an original news story, and...

Students examine the importance and responsibilities of journalists through examination of illegal immigration. In this journalistic ethics instructional activity students analyze scenarios and look at the pros and cons of illegal...