Ethics should be media guideline

By Tina Ray
Staff Writer

There are those among us who do not need to have our feet under the journalism table.

Unethical people have tainted the practice of journalism and placed an ugly blot on what, historically have been characterized as suspect. These people, Jayson Blair of The New York Times who stole information from other writers to comprise his stories and Steven Glass of New Republic who was fired after having fabricated many of his stories, among others have forgotten one of the basic tenets of journalism: be ethical.

“Deliberate distortion is never permissible,” according to the Code of Ethics of The Society of Professional Journalists lists. The very definition of ethics, a theory or system of moral values, according to Webster’s online dictionary, dictates that those who practice journalism must uphold certain uncompromising values.

Nevertheless, one may easily surmise that ethics is not an isolationist theory. It has applicability to various professions as a whole. Physicians, ministers and educators are required to maintain a sense of morality in their daily actions.

The idea of accountability has erased some of the damage inflicted by unethical journalists. It was in firing Blair and Glass that the credibility of the practice of journalism was restored.

For those of us here at UNCP, if we do not adhere to the mandates of Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists, then we need to remove our feet from under the table, our bodies from the program and not endeavor to be student journalists.