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SPJ Code of Ethics



Revised September 6, 2014 at 4:49 p.m. CT at SPJs National Convention in Nashville, Tenn.

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Preamble



Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. Ethical journalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair and thorough. An ethical journalist acts with integrity.



The Society declares these four principles as the foundation of ethical journalism and encourages their use in its practice by all people in all media.

Seek Truth and

Report It



Ethical journalism should be accurate and fair. Journalists should be honest and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.



Journalists should:

Minimize Harm



Ethical journalism treats sources, subjects, colleagues and members of the public as human beings deserving of respect.



Journalists should:

Act Independently



The highest and primary obligation of ethical journalism is to serve the public.



Journalists should:

Be Accountable and Transparent



Ethical journalism means taking responsibility for ones work and explaining ones decisions to the public.



Journalists should:

The SPJ Code of Ethics is a statement of abiding principles supported by additional explanations and position papers that address changing journalistic practices. It is not a set of rules, rather a guide that encourages all who engage in journalism to take responsibility for the information they provide, regardless of medium. The code should be read as a whole; individual principles should not be taken out of context. It is not, nor can it be under the First Amendment, legally enforceable.



Sigma Delta Chi's first Code of Ethics was borrowed from the American Society of Newspaper Editors in 1926. In 1973, Sigma Delta Chi wrote its own code, which was revised in 1984, 1987, 1996 and 2014.