Ethics are important. They are the moral principles which help govern our behaviour. Without ethics, whether you be a doctor, a lawyer or a journalist, the boundaries are not clear. When ethics and codes of conduct are not followed, trouble follows. Just look at the News of The World scandal, or 'Chopper-gate', both issues where ethics weren't thought about, outraging others in the media business as well as the audience.
What are the ethics for journalists and why do they matter?
It is the duty of a journalist to tell a truth. If journalists don't tell the truth, don't uncover the lies how can the wider public know the truth. Media is important for democracy, important to politics. If the media doesn't tell the truth, doesn't uncover the lies of politicians than the general population will remain ill-informed. The Australian Journalism Code of Ethics sets out the following ideals for journalists to uphold:
- Honesty
- Fairness
- Independence
- Respect for the rights of others
If journalists don't follow these ideals, there are no boundaries, the credibility is weakened and the public loose trust in the journalists to tell a story. If a journalist doesn't follow the code of practice how can the audience be sure they're hearing the real story?
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