Journalism Ethics

ASNE lessons created for use with the Law and Ethics Training Module

Day 1
Journalism Ethics Lesson – Day One

Day 2
Journalism Ethics Lesson – Day Two

Day 3
Journalism Ethics Lesson – Day Three

Other ASNE Lessons

• Forming a Code of Ethics
  A great lesson for introducing journalism ethics to a new school publication team.
• Sticky Ethics Scenarios Journalists Face
  Two lesson plans exploring the ethics issues both students and news publications face. Many of the questions are delightfully gray.
• Journalism Ethics and Truth, provided by Columbia Links
  The lesson plan introduces journalism ethics by presenting students with common ethical guidelines that journalists use, and then asking them to apply these principles to hypothetical ethical dilemmas.
• Case Studies in Journalistic Ethics
  This lesson focuses on a journalist’s responsibility and ethical concerns in reporting on illegal immigration, but could be adapted to other sticky topics.
• Ethics and Hazelwood: What Student Journalists Should and Can Write
  By examining ethics codes of journalists, students will gain an appreciation for ethics in general. This lesson asks them to consider ethics within the Hazelwood/Tinker standards.
• Teaching Ethical Situations
  A lesson plan for discussing journalism ethics. It includes a set of overall goals for discussion and eight theoretical situations for students to ponder.
• Photo Editing and Photo Ethics
  Just because students CAN do something to a photo in Photoshop doesn’t mean it’s RIGHT to do it. Help students make ethical decisions about photos.

Ethics Codes

• Model Code of Ethics for High School Journalists
• Obituary Policy Ethical Considerations
• ASNE’s Statement of Principles
• National Press Photographers Association’s Code of Ethics
• Radio Television Digital News Association’s Code of Ethics and Coverage Guidelines
• Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics
• Journalist’s Creed, from the University of Missouri
• Ethics of Online Journalists, guidelines from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
• Social Media and Ethics Guidelines, from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, Arizona State University