Ethics codes are invaluable in student journalism, but not as a guide for punishment
by Gina Catanzarite
There appears to be no disagreement – in our school communities or nationwide – that a journalist’s role is to report accurate, fair and objective news. Journalism courses at the college level, in high school, and even middle schools teach a variety of research and reporting techniques to address accuracy —but in order to teach concepts such as “fairness” and “objectivity,” journalism lessons must naturally address issues of ethical decision-making.
Members of the student media and their advisers study and often adopt Codes of Ethics developed by professional media societies. But a distressing trend is emerging in our schools: Administrators who demand that student journalists or media advisers be punished for perceived breaches of these codes.
My question is this: How can an ethics code logically be used as a tool for punishment when it is not possible to enforce such a code?