SPJ President: Ethical Journalism Isn't Lost

Excerpts from an Ethics Week column in The Mountain Mail, of Salida, Colo., by our own Clint Brewer:

Studies detailing media distrust by the American public - and of journalists - are too numerous to count. But instead of heeding the warning, many traditional news entities bend to pressing market forces.

With each passing year, they blend in more and more with the noisy din of partisan talk shows, celebrity infotainment and, more recently, the Wild West of the blogosphere.

...

Ethical journalism is not dead. It just requires one to know where to look - whether it's on the Internet, the newsstand or the airwaves. A map to help media consumers find that place of trust would also be helpful.

As the Society of Professional Journalists celebrates Ethics Week this week, we offer that map to help consumers find the news they can trust. And, as always, we offer this code of ethics to help journalists guide their actions.