Guiding Principles for Journalists
Bob Steele/The Poynter Institute
1. Seek truth and report it as fully as possible
- Inform yourself continuously so you in turn can inform, engage, and educate the public in a clear and compelling way on significant issues
- Be honest, fair, and courageous in gathering, reporting, and interpreting accurate information
- Give voice to the voiceless
- Hold the powerful accountable
- Guard vigorously the essential stewardship role a free press plays in an open society
- Seek out and disseminate competing perspectives without being unduly influenced by those who would use their power or position counter to the public interest
- Remain free of associations and activities that may compromise your integrity or damage your credibility
- Recognize that good ethical decisions require individual responsibility enriched by collaborative efforts
3. Minimize harm
- Be compassionate for those affected by your actions
- Treat sources, subjects, and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect, not merely as means to your journalistic ends
- Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort, but balance those negatives by choosing alternatives that maximize your goal of truthtelling
