Code of ethics in media

The code of ethics in media was created by a suggestion from the 1947 Hutchins Commission. They suggested that newspapers, broadcasters and journalists had started to become more responsible for journalism and thought they should be held accountable.

The guidelines were set up around two important ideas. The first guideline is that "whoever enjoys a special measure of freedom, like a professional journalist, has an obligation to society to use their freedoms and powers responsibly." (Straubhaar, LaRose & Davenport, Pg 477) This guideline is useful so that people in power are able to be held liable in case their actions are not professional. People that have high media attention should not abuse the power. The second guideline that was established is "society's welfare is paramount, more important than individual careers or even individual rights." (Straubhaar, LaRose & Davenport, Pg 477) Again, holding people responsible for their actions and stating that society is more important due to the vast number of people that could be affected by poor behavior.

The Hutchins Commission added another five guidelines specifically for the press.

All of these guidelines are important because the press is needed to maintain a neutral viewpoint, providing the basic facts and allowing for readers to come up with their own opinins from the news that they report.

These guidelines inspired Society of Professional Journalists which is the current version of media ethics that were adopted n 1996.

The Society of Professional Journalists created a code of ethics that are in effect today. The main mantra of the code is "Seek truth and Report it!"(Straubhaar, LaRose & Davenport, Pg 478) The code also states that: "Journalists should be honest, fair, and courageous in gathering, reporting, and interpreting information. Journalists should:"

Minimize Harm "Ethical journalists treat sources, subjects, and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect. Journalists should" (Straubhaar, LaRose & Davenport, Pg 478)

Act Independently "Journalists should be free of obligation to any interest other than the public's right to know. Journalists should" ." (Straubhaar, LaRose & Davenport, Pg 478)

Be Accountable "Journalists are accountable to their readers, listeners, viewers, and each other. Journalists should:" (Straubhaar, LaRose & Davenport, Pg 479)

All of these guidelines are for the betterment of society and regulation of media.

Straubhaar, Joseph D., Robert LaRose, and Lucinda Davenport. Media Now: Understanding Media, Culture, and Technology. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.

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