Right at this moment, it’s just you and me. And chances are pretty good that you don’t know me. Even if you do, you probably don’t trust journalists and haven’t known me in my “reporter hat,” so why should you trust me in this role? Don’t worry. Like any relationship, all you and I need at this very moment is enough trust to begin. I will earn the rest.
This series, “Ethics in Journalism,” reveals my personal belief that the quality of trust is a major factor in deciding whether any news outlet is worth supporting. The way journalists gather and report news certainly affects readers, but it also affects the people they report about: public officials, business owners, victims, and people accused of or convicted of crimes.
This Code of Ethics from The Society of Professional Journalists is a sample of many professional resources I draw from to conduct myself. In the series, I will periodically post about specific ethics topics, sharing my experiences and anecdotal application of best practices.
I’ll try to keep these posts short, relevant and relatable. So that’s all for now.
