These examples discuss the ethics that guide journalists’ work, how they make decisions and what motivates and drives their coverage. Some examples include:
Brand mission and story • Community investment • Depth in reporting • Diversity of sources / representing the community • Highlighting solutions • Motivation behind coverage • Newsroom policies • Promoting civility • Story selection
See a few stand-out examples in this gallery, and scroll down for a longer list to get inspired.
Looking for additional help on how to implement similar ideas in your newsroom? Check out the below resources.
“ETHICS AND VALUES” HIGHLIGHTS
When sharing a story about someone who died by suicide on Facebook, the Coloradoan used the post as a way to explain the newsroom’s ethics and policies round covering suicide.
When the Bangor Daily News decided to change their policy on removing old crime stories from their website, they published a story explaining the change and why they’re doing it.
When WCPO cut back on the use of crime mugshots on its website, they published a column explaining the change and the station’s new protocols around it.
Politifact used a real user comment as a jumping off point to debunk misconceptions about their newsroom’s ethics, funding and process.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution highlighted how they aspired to write positive stories by asking for the public’s help in finding uplifting stories about the community.
The Seattle Times included a “Behind the Story” box that ran at the bottom of a major investigation where reporters answered questions about their reporting process.