Media Ethics
Diep, Amy Compare LA Times and SPJ Code of Ethics
The first major difference I noticed with the two code of ethics is the length of each one. The SPJ code of ethic is noticeably shorter with more information compacted together. The LA times code of ethics is nine pages long. SPJ's code of ethics is easily understood and straight forward. It states what a journalist is responsible for ethically. It emphasizes the practice of speaking the truth and reporting it. The content is stated in an organized bullet point format that is simple to comprehend. The next important point is minimize harm. My favorite bullet from this point is “Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy.” It is a very good point to keep in mind for all journalists. The next point is act independently and then be accountable. These two points are shorter and less in dept. The SPJ code of ethics also provides translations in many different languages including; Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Macedonian, Persian, Portuguese, Slovene, and Spanish. It also lists the previous years code of ethics as well.
The LA Times code of ethics is not as organized in a clear manner. The way the material is presented is completely different from the SPJ code of ethics. Even though it is not as reader friendly, the content seems very professional and more elegant. It goes into a lot more dept about ethical behavior for their journalists. It goes into sources, where it provides examples of what environment they report in. Always talks about access which states that “The Times does not make deals in exchange for access. When negotiating with Hollywood publicists, for instance, we do not make promises regarding story placement or angle of approach. That such deals are commonplace among
The first major difference I noticed with the two code of ethics is the length of each one. The SPJ code of ethic is noticeably shorter with more information compacted together. The LA times code of ethics is nine pages long. SPJ's code of ethics is easily understood and straight forward. It states what a journalist is responsible for ethically. It emphasizes the practice of speaking the truth and reporting it. The content is stated in an organized bullet point format that is simple to comprehend. The next important point is minimize harm. My favorite bullet from this point is “Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy.” It is a very good point to keep in mind for all journalists. The next point is act independently and then be accountable. These two points are shorter and less in dept. The SPJ code of ethics also provides translations in many different languages including; Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Macedonian, Persian, Portuguese, Slovene, and Spanish. It also lists the previous years code of ethics as well.
The LA Times code of ethics is not as organized in a clear manner. The way the material is presented is completely different from the SPJ code of ethics. Even though it is not as reader friendly, the content seems very professional and more elegant. It goes into a lot more dept about ethical behavior for their journalists. It goes into sources, where it provides examples of what environment they report in. Always talks about access which states that “The Times does not make deals in exchange for access. When negotiating with Hollywood publicists, for instance, we do not make promises regarding story placement or angle of approach. That such deals are commonplace among