Search

The article focuses on the proposed changes to be made to the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)' Code of Ethics that were discussed by the SPJ Ethics Committee during its meeting held on July 11 to 13, 2014 in Columbus, Ohio and will be presented to the delegates at the SPJ national convention in Nashville, Tennessee on September 4-6. Topics discussed include the interactive support for the code, the application of the principle of transparency and the verification of information.

The author contemplates on the need for the delegates of the Society of Professional Journalists' (SPJ) national convention to be held in the U.S. on September 6, 2014 to vote on whether or not they agree to the revision of the Code of Ethics of SPJ. Topics discussed include the author's suggestion to the Ethics Committee to hold a discussion regarding the revision and the author's assurance that the revisions will improve professional ethics of the SPJ.

The article presents the issue of revising the Code of Ethics for the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) which was created in 1926 by leaders of the Sigma Delta Chi to address changes in the journalism with the advent of social media, mobile phone reporting and satellite spying from a laptop computer since 1996. It discusses efforts of the Ethics Committee to review the Code such as the ethics summit to be held in 2013.

The article offers suggestions from ethical codes of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) to avoid too much coverage of celebrities. According to the SPJ Code of Ethics, journalists should distinguish between news reporting and advocacy, avoiding to pander on lurid curiosity and intrude on privacy of a person. It also notes RTDNA Ethics Code on guarding against extended coverage and resisting peer pressure or self-interest.

In this article the author reflects on various issues related to journalism as president of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). It describes the popularity of the Code of Ethics of the SPJ as it is considered by most journalists as a guideline. It is suggested that ethics in writing be the primary concern among journalists. The article also discusses how the SPJ continues to set a high standards in professional ethics even with the surge in available information through several mediums.