Our guiding principles

This week is Ethics in Journalism Week, and as a member of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) since I began my career in college, I feel led to mention that fact and share my thoughts on the subject. At least once or twice a year, I am asked to speak to groups of students about journalism as a career choice. I truly enjoy these opportunities to share about a profession that I am passionate about. Unlike other professions, journalism is not guided by clearly defined ethical principles. Instead, each journalist is charged with establishing their own ethical parameters to work within, and I believe a journalist'Äôs credibility is determined by his or her set of ethics.

Since joining the University of Missouri'Äôs student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists back in the early 1980s, I have allowed the SPJ Code of Ethics to serve as my guide as I go about the business of delivering the news to my readers. The code is lengthy but in the following paragraphs I will try to sum up the document'Äôs major principles as a way of providing some understanding of how I make news decisions and cover stories each week.

The preamble to the SPJ Code of Ethics provides a view of the role of a journalist in society. It reads: 'ÄúMembers of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialities strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist'Äôs credibility.'Äù

The code also includes one guiding principle and three standards of practice. The journalist'Äôs main goal should be to 'ÄúSeek Truth and Report It.'Äù Journalists are challenged to be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information. In particular, SPJ calls us to support an open exchange of views, test the accuracy of information from all sources, diligently seek to cover all viewpoints involved in a news story, distinguish news from advertising content, ensure that the public'Äôs business is conducted openly by government officials, and one of my favorites, we are to 'Äúgive a voice to the voiceless.'Äù

The three standards laid out by SPJ are simple. As journalists, we are called to minimize harm, act independently and be accountable. We must always treat sources and subjects with respect and show compassion to those who may be affected by our news coverage. Journalists must also be diligent to keep the public'Äôs right to know as our first obligation, putting aside conflicts of interest and never allowing advertisers and special interests to influence news coverage.

These are lofty goals but ones that the staff of the Cassville Democrat attempts to meet week after week. We are not perfect, but we are the first to admit when we'Äôve made a mistake. It is also never our intention to harm others in the process of covering news. It is always our intention to offer fair, accurate and unbiased coverage of news that we believe is important to our valued readers. And when it comes to accountability, we rely on our readers to provide us with feedback. Let us know how we are doing and be sure to point out areas where you believe we are not meeting the ethical code we have just shared with you. Your input matters to us and is a valuable tool in assessing our job performance. In the end, we strive to produce a newspaper that is meaningful and of importance to our readers while also upholding the principles of outstanding community journalism.